3 ms·

Downstate Illinois has been in decline for fifty years. The climate is harsh, agriculture requires far fewer workers, light industry departed, and like upstate

Downstate Illinois has been in decline for fifty years. The climate is harsh, agriculture requires far fewer workers, light industry departed, and like upstate New York the region is given short shrift by a metro-dominated state government. Urban planning may be a factor but smart planning could not have overcome the headwinds.

stickfigure 5y ago
> The climate is harsh Doesn't this seem like a fatal issue right there? Given that Americans are free to move anywhere in the US, I would expect a general trend towards places that are more comfortable to live. Population growth can cover up a lot emigration, but the era of large families is over. Cities can still draw people with cultural significance, but what is the draw of Galesburg IL? Even for people that like small towns, there are plenty of small towns farther south with better weather.
- analog31 5y ago
  And farther north. Greetings from wisconsin.
- Kon-Peki 5y ago
  > what is the draw of Galesburg IL? There are two liberal arts colleges in the Galesburg “metro” area that draw both students and faculty from elsewhere (ps - the big one has a special 5-year 2-campus 2-diploma engineering program gives you a BA from them as well as, for example, a CS degree from UIUC [1]). The student population and their locations support a “downtown” that no city of that size and location would otherwise be able to support and therefore likely draws a lot of the rural population for entertainment. We pass through there a few times a year on the way to our favorite camping spot. I’d say their biggest problem and much of the cause of the sprawl-style development is that there is a bypass road on the north side of the city built nearly to interstate standards, complete with on-ramps and off-ramps. But it is flagged as both a US highway and a state highway so the chance that Galesburg has any control over it at all is pretty close to 0. [1] https://www.knox.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/engineering https://www.knox.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/engineering
TulliusCicero 5y ago
> like upstate New York the region is given short shrift by a metro-dominated state government. My reading has usually indicated that if anything the more rural counties get more from the state government than they pay in. It's usually the major metros subsidizing the others. Then when you look at how the feds treat highway spending, things become even more lopsided in favor of rural counties. There's just an inherent disadvantage against specialization in small metros by virtue of a smaller population, and the way they're laid out in the states makes this difference even larger (young educated professionals don't want to live in a super low density suburban environment that demands they drive everywhere). > Urban planning may be a factor but smart planning could not have overcome the headwinds. The German engineering firm that Tesla bought is in a town of just a few thousand (or it was just a few thousand at the time anyway). A cutting edge engineering firm being in such a small town is basically unthinkable to me in the states. Clearly there's some difference, and I do think better urban design plays some part, though yeah it's not the only factor.

stickfigure 5y ago

> The climate is harsh Doesn't this seem like a fatal issue right there? Given that Americans are free to move anywhere in the US, I would expect a general trend towards places that are more comfortable to live. Population growth can cover up a lot emigration, but the era of large families is over. Cities can still draw people with cultural significance, but what is the draw of Galesburg IL? Even for people that like small towns, there are plenty of small towns farther south with better weather.

analog31 5y ago
And farther north. Greetings from wisconsin.
Kon-Peki 5y ago
> what is the draw of Galesburg IL? There are two liberal arts colleges in the Galesburg “metro” area that draw both students and faculty from elsewhere (ps - the big one has a special 5-year 2-campus 2-diploma engineering program gives you a BA from them as well as, for example, a CS degree from UIUC [1]). The student population and their locations support a “downtown” that no city of that size and location would otherwise be able to support and therefore likely draws a lot of the rural population for entertainment. We pass through there a few times a year on the way to our favorite camping spot. I’d say their biggest problem and much of the cause of the sprawl-style development is that there is a bypass road on the north side of the city built nearly to interstate standards, complete with on-ramps and off-ramps. But it is flagged as both a US highway and a state highway so the chance that Galesburg has any control over it at all is pretty close to 0. [1] https://www.knox.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/engineering https://www.knox.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/engineering

TulliusCicero 5y ago

> like upstate New York the region is given short shrift by a metro-dominated state government. My reading has usually indicated that if anything the more rural counties get more from the state government than they pay in. It's usually the major metros subsidizing the others. Then when you look at how the feds treat highway spending, things become even more lopsided in favor of rural counties. There's just an inherent disadvantage against specialization in small metros by virtue of a smaller population, and the way they're laid out in the states makes this difference even larger (young educated professionals don't want to live in a super low density suburban environment that demands they drive everywhere). > Urban planning may be a factor but smart planning could not have overcome the headwinds. The German engineering firm that Tesla bought is in a town of just a few thousand (or it was just a few thousand at the time anyway). A cutting edge engineering firm being in such a small town is basically unthinkable to me in the states. Clearly there's some difference, and I do think better urban design plays some part, though yeah it's not the only factor.