Another Kotkin Must Read: The Midwest As An Aspirational Region

A 20-page Joel Kotkin-produced report for the Sagamore Institute is a must read recommendation.  Kotkin combines a historian's look back at the Great Lakes states with a futurist's view at the economic potential for our region of the country.

Find the excerpt report from Clues From The Past: The Midwest As An Aspirational Region at NewGeography.com.  Here's a few excerpts from the excerpt:

Talking about the "seeds of resurgence" in the Great Lakes, he says, "The real lure of the Great Lakes lies in its own fundamental advantages:  lower housing prices, business climate and perhaps, more importantly, a nascent industrial rebound."

He goes on about the keys to recovery adding, "The future of the Great Lakes region lies neither in simply the 'information' economy nor in the brute force of manufacturing. Instead it is as a result of a combination both of the industrial sector and the high-value service sectors that feed into it."  He labels it both brains and brawn.

Central Ohio was noted for its technology prowess and in-migration.  "Columbus. . .enjoys strong in-migration from those parts of country -- notably the Northeast and California -- that have traditionally dominated knowledge-intensive industries."

The full report combines all my favorite topics:  manufacturing, the Heartland, the shale gas industry, and STEM education.

Here's my advice:  Download the full report.  Read it.