As a lifelong resident of the Rust Belt, stories detailing its deterioration are hardly new, sadly, so these stories aren't of particular interest to me. What I

As a lifelong resident of the Rust Belt, stories detailing its deterioration are hardly new, sadly, so these stories aren't of particular interest to me. What I do find interesting are the people who are sticking around, trying to rebuild the city they grew up in. Although these stories are rarer (and riddled with narcissistic entreporn fodder for INC magazine and its ilk), they do offer some hope. This article mentions that Pittsburgh has also seen significant decreases in population over this decade. Pittsburgh is often used as the model city for rust belt rebirth. They were the big player in steel, lost the steel industry, and were able to rebrand themselves. They are considered by most to be the most tech-friendly city in the rust belt. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that Pittsburgh did a better job in attracting businesses outside of steel when they still had the luxury of steel. Having Carnegie Mellon doesn't hurt either. Most cities in the Rust Belt cannot worry about attracting talent because they are hemorrhaging talent. Instead these cities have to focus their attention and resources on retention. With CMU, Pittsburgh gets the benefit of bringing in some quality students who may stay within the community after graduation.