America's Fastest Dying Cities

As an urban revitalization coordinator, I always try to act as a cheerleader for cities. I don't do this because of my job, I do this because it is what I truly feel. Cities and urban revitalization are two things I care deeply about and I will do whatever I can, both within my job and outside of it, to try to promote them both.

That being said, we have to be realistic about the challenges that we face. A report on forbes.com perfectly illustrates that challenges. The report is called "America's Fastest-Dying Cities" and the title basically explains the article. These cities are marked by decreasing population, rampant unemployment and stagnant economies. Four of those cities are in Ohio - two are in Michigan. This is a pretty good illustration of the challenge that urban areas face. And it's not just limited to the rust belt. The report goes on to note that some of the most thriving cities, such as Miami, Las Vegas and Phoenix (which recently passed Philadelphia in population growth) have seen massive declines in their housing value - sometimes by as much as 30%.

There's no doubt that there are huge challenges for those who care about urban revitalization. But history has proven that a coordinated, long-term, private-public partnership can revive even the most dying city. I'll be curious to see what sort of efforts these cities are putting (or will shortly be putting) into urban revitalization.