Reinventing the Midwest Economy
The Midwest has many ingredients for a strong economy: diverse resources, a well-educated work force, a powerful higher-education network, and major hub airports offering non-stop service to business centers worldwide.Yet the Midwestern economy is failing to achieve its potential. Our cities and towns are too far apart to function together as an efficient economic unit. Drive times are too long and airfares are too high.
Only high-speed trains can draw our cities into commuting distance, transforming the entire Midwestern into a virtual metropolis with more dynamic cities and rural towns, with quick connections to worldwide markets.
Richard Longworth's book, Caught in the Middle, does an excellent job of explaining the economic challenges faced by Midwestern cities.
