> 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 rura

> 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.