If I remember my Economics 101 class correctly, Joseph Schumpeter was the economist who popularized the the theory of Creative Destruction. The theory goes something like this: new industries are born through innovation that ultimately destroy older and now obsolete ways of economic vitality.
I won't debate the merits of the theory, but I've recently bumped into some very sobering reporting on the destruction and attempts to revive some cities. If you want to get really depressed, read Detroit: the Death - and possible Life - of a Great City from Time magazine. This article is very heavy detailing the death of Detroit, and very brief providing Green Industries as a possible hope for resurrection.
A much more hopeful tone can be found in SHAREABLE: CITIES, Detroit, New Frontier. Abandoned buildings are being torn down to provide new green spaces and urban gardens. Detroit could potentially be the first city to be self-sufficient in terms of food production.
What I found to be even more encouraging is the influx of artists into Detroit and cities like it. It really is no holds barred, and quite an environment to create amidst destruction. John Fetterman, mayor of Braddock Pennsylvania - pictured, is trying to attract artists as a form of urban revival to the city built on producing steel. John Fetterman is the real deal. Although he looks like someone who could tear your head off in a barroom brawl, he has a Masters from Harvard, and his passion for Braddock is contagious. I've heard of cities trying to attract the Creative Class, and I believe there may even be an index for such. However, arts as a core component of urban revitalization is very encouraging indeed. The death of some industries and its effect on cities offset by the power of creativity.
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