The railroad industry brought people, goods and jobs to Columbus. This led to an influx of people looking for work and beginning a family. In the late 1860s, the railroad company made gun carriages used in Spanish American War. The Ralston Steel Car company also brought people into the city. The railroad industry was thriving and built numerous cars that prompted more business and encouraged large corporations to build and hire within the City. Columbus already had German and Irish communities from its history; and the railroad industry brought immigrants from Eastern and Central Europe and migrants from the South. This was followed by African Americans looking for work and opportunity. Columbus was a busting, industrial community that became a company town. One company controlled many things and Ralston built a variety of different houses for employees.
Eventually, immigrant families settled into their lives and created new businesses which created a diverse economy.
During Eisenhower’s presidency, the trucking industry boomed and dominated transportation and infrastructure. Thousands of people were employed, and this shift led to a loss of jobs from previous companies. The manufacturing aspect faded, and different companies took precedence. In the late 1950s, distribution became known in Columbus. Highway 670 divided communities and this led to unemployment and vacant houses. Population Loss can lead to vacant lots and today, Columbus may contain over 10,000 vacant and abandoned housing units.
The root causes behind population loss can be traced back to lack of education, racism, poverty, and poor healthcare. Many issues can stem from these such as gentrification, low-income communities, food deserts, and many social issues. All of this causes people to abandon their homes and leave their communities behind. The greatest challenges for addressing these issues is the inherent history of them. De facto racism has played a major role in history and it continues to be prevalent today. The social challenges in society make population loss difficult and hard for people to address head on. Policies include “smart decline” or “managed decline” For many cities urban planning has often become a form of creative destruction and many Rust Belt leaders have focused on sacrificing existing structures to create innovative, sustainable complexes. What’s possible is hard to see. The inner world is projected into how the city is built up or torn down.
Cities create employment opportunities, form supply chains, and harbor ideas that fuel innovation. These benefits offset the costs of congestion that lead to vast urban growth. Many cities have fallen into decline. The cost of moving goods can dramatically increase and affect the decline or growth of cities. Things that are important in a city: well-structured education, and diverse economy that’s not dependent on one major commodity. A collection of people, institutions, and culture can survive through hardship and create a community that is sustainable and efficient.
Urbanization and the future of cities:
More than half of all people in the world live in an urban area and this will increase by more than 70 percent. The world has reached a high degree of urbanization and this is greatly impacting how cities are structured. In the earliest day humans were hunters and gatherers but 10,000 years ago agricultural techniques became known. This led to development of semi-permanent villages in history
The still had to relocate for soil purpose, but with techniques like irrigation and soil tilling, this made permanent settlements possible. It wallowed the development of other specialized trades and eventually cities. This led to trade and transportation. All these things required labor and more people flocked to the cities to fill in these roles. In the early ages, cities had populations twice as high as Calcutta or Shanghai.
Modern cities really started during the industrial revolution which allowed expansion and innovation. Global population is more than 7 billion and most of this growth will occur in poor, urban areas. Cities must seek easy ways to provide adequate food, sanitation, and education. This growth will need to occur in a way that doesn’t damage the around us and rooftop gardens, renewable energies, and multi-purpose family homes built vertically will be the future. Smaller, self-sufficient cities will focus on stability and sustainability.
Columbus has gained population significantly between 1950 and the present, largely because of its ability to add surrounding lands. Its population gain is since annexation permitted it to include vacant areas that have subsequently grown. In addition, it has a strong economic base that is supported by state government entities, Ohio State University, and major private sector employers such as Nationwide Insurance and AEP. At the same time, although its population and job base continue to grow, the ‘1950 Columbus’ has lost a significant part of its population and shares the characteristics of Ohio’s other shrinking cities.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoM718PrYjU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOhlGrjZVz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKnAJCSGSdk
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/03/smart-decline-is-dumb/518640/
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0518_ohio_cities_mallach_brachman.pdf
