The family-friendly city
The region's economy is stronger than we think, according to the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore. A recent Sun story provided some quick facts from an alliance report:
Among the 25 largest metropolitan areas, Baltimore ranked first for income growth
per person between 2000 and 2005. It's eighth overall for per capita income, about $41,000 in 2005. . . . The region ranks eighth for private-sector employment growth from 2000 to last year, and it has one of the largest concentrations of jobs in the high-paying professional, scientific and technical services sector. . . . About a quarter of the area's office space was added between 2000 and 2006 alone.
Maryland showed up as the wealthiest state in the nation in the last government survey, and when you consider the anticipated economic growth from BRAC (an influx of at least 15,000 defense workers and their families, not to mention -- because Jay Hancock thinks it's oversold -- collateral growth as a result of the shift), and anticipated growth even without BRAC, you can make the case that we are sitting on huge potential not only for the suburban areas but for the city.
How does Balitmore -- an underpopulated city that could easily grow by another 200,000 residents -- get a piece of all this? It has to become a family-friendly city, not just a destination for young, urban professionals with no kids, or empty nesters. Interesting piece from the Wall Street Journal on this subject. It's not just Starbucks that we need here. It's solid schools, safe neighborhoods and affordable housing. A rising generation is going to figure this out. They won't want to drive an hour to work, and have no time for anything because of the long commutes. They are going to look to cities like Baltimore for a more convenient, interesting and environmentally-responsible lifestyle, and the city needs to be ready for them. Baltimore needs to break cycles of poverty, crime and drug addiction. If it does that, it will break another cycle -- young people who live in the city, work in the city, marry and start a family in the city, then head for the 'burbs to raise their kids.
Comments
Interesting article- I am currently working with a group of downtown Baltimore parents to form a group to address these kinds of issues and try to make downtown Baltimore a desirable place for families to live. There are so many of us who bought into Federal Hill, Canton etc as young singles and are now committed to staying with our kids. Sometimes I think the city is a bit behind the eightball on this as far as where development efforts are being focused. I'd also argue that breaking the cycle of families heading to the 'burbs would go a long way towards solving some of the city's ills, and is probably easier to do.
Posted by: Emily | November 30, 2007 3:03 PM