Comments on: Midwest Miscellany

By: The Urbanophile

The Urbanophile — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:14:16 +0000

David, Jefferson County's population grew by about 5,000 last year. Very interesting that all of the growth happened in the excluded cities. What is this telling us, I wonder? Louisville's MSA growth is pretty healthy.

I do think core city statistics are among the worse to compare cities one since jurisdictions differ so radically. And for densely developed center cities like San Francisco, it is difficult to materially boost population.

Still, I think when assessing regional health, you have to examine the core city to see if it is successful, stable, or declining. If the central city is in decline, ultimately the life force will go out of a region. That's why I don't like the 10-15 mile from CBD measure. It is probably good for some things. But probably crosses lots of jurisdictional lines this doesn't measure core city health.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:37:11 +0000

I think industrial heritage (and economic challenges today) does make Pittsburgh have a fare amount in common with some Midwestern cities and to some extent, culturally to, but overall it is aligned with other Northeastern cities, though it is somewhat different from them being detached from the 95 corridor.

There are a few other Northeastern cities that share this - Erie PA which is really too small to discuss for the most part and Upstate NY with Buffalo and Rochester which would be on the smaller end of cities you focus on (though comparable in population to Louisville).

JoeP

By: JG

JG — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:22:53 +0000

DAVID: Others can probably explain this better, but I am going to post a link to Wikipedia that discusses a number called the Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is a census count that measures population in continuous areas of urban and suburbanization that cross city and county lines. It is similar to what you were discussing.

It is very interesting to look at the population of a central city and then compare it to the MSA number. In fact in most circumstances when discussing city populations, I don't think those numbers should be reported independently. Many midwest cities have shrinking populations within their borders, but growing popultions in the MSA. It matters when considering the tax base needed to support city infrastructure and services.

By: David

David — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:35:50 +0000

Urbanophile:

The population estimates for Louisville do not include all of Jefferson County. Total home county population of Indy, Louisville & Cinci: (2008 v 2000)

Cinci 851,494 v 845,302 +.73%
Indy 880,380 v 860,457 +2.32%
Louisville 713,877 v 693,607 +2.92%

The Census Bureau uses various 'city' definitions to come up with population but I think, regardless of city boundaries, a better way to view population changes is to look at the home county.

For the cities you cover, it is hard to do for KCI, DTW and STL because those cities actually cross county borders.

Perhaps the 'true-est' picture of population growth/decline would be the population within 10-15 miles of the CBD. While that view would have zero impact on Indy or Columbus (because they sit pretty much in the center of their home counties) it would provide a different view perhaps for Louisville, Cinci, St. Louis, Kansas City as each of those cities CBD's lie on the state border.

By: John

John — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:00:58 +0000

I've appreciated the shorter posts as of late. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I tend to read blog posts during breaks or lunch at work. I tend to read magazines on the train, usually on multiple rides since my trip is only 20 minutes. This is why I like my blog posts shorter than my magazine articles. Maybe you should offer a print subscription? Or I guess I could just print out the website.

By: thundermutt

thundermutt — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:18:35 +0000

Aaron, you unintentionally raised a Big 10 point: the longtime in-state rival of PSU was Pitt, which would make it a logical twelfth Big 10/11 school.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:34:16 +0000

I probably could generate a similar graphic for Indy. I'm not sure it would be much better than Fort Wayne. I might even include on-street parking spaces.

This hurts me both ways, as a Fort Wayne native who's now nested in Indy. I just returned from a short trip to Bloomington. Now, there's a city where a person can get by pretty well without a car.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:14:53 +0000

Florida is foreclosure central right now. It may be good for doing business in terms of its tax structure and regulations (all this money not spent on schools goes to other causes), but it's economically hurting. The places that are doing well are the Rust Belt (with the exception of the auto industry cities), especially cities in Upstate New York and Pennsylvania, and the non-bubble areas of the Sunbelt, especially Texas and the Interior West north of Las Vegas.

By: Crossed

Crossed — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:11:34 +0000

A little dose of Roundup for your child when you drop them off for day care? Thats learning enhancement?

By: The Urbanophile

The Urbanophile — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:29:50 +0000

Thanks, Erich.

Pittsburgh is a Rust Belt city that isn't necessarily Midwestern, but has some commonalities. Heck, Penn State is even in the Big Ten now. I've only been there once and that certainly didn't do it justice. But it has gotten a lot of press for its resurgence in some quarters, so I thought I'd include it on the list.

I don't think I know enough to really compare it with Indy, but as you say, they would appear to be radically different cities.