Sneak Peek: Wed May 22, 2024

OK, I realize the chart in the picture is slightly graph crime-y in that I don't show the zero/origin line. But I like it anyway. The answer to what these two metro areas are and why I'm comparing them is in today's video and I don't want to spoil it!

It's a BIT tangential to today's topic, but I spent a lot of time this week thinking about the varying growth trajectories of different metro areas, and cities as well. I recently saw a news item that the population of Detroit (city) ticked upwards for the first time in...many years. For most of my life, California cities were growing at a fast clip, and that isn't the case right now. Trajectories change, for a lot of reasons. I'm fascinated by the work actual population forecasters do, dealing with aging cohorts, in-migration and out-migration, accounting for external influences, policy changes, etc. Maybe in another life I would've pursued that field.

My question for you today is regarding the growth trajectory of your own city, OR metro area. Is it something you think of as affecting your day-to-day life? Are you just as happy in a city with flat growth, or even declining? Do you see the impact of those macro trends in the local economy, housing prices, or city financial solvency? Is growth always good? Or is "growth at all costs" the philosophy of a cancer cell (quick, someone attribute this quote for me)? Get philosophical if you want!

Programming notes: Today's video is live on Nebula now -- it didn't go up until early this morning -- and will be up on YouTube at the usual time, noon Eastern. I'm taking next week "off" (actually I'll still be working every day, just not as consistently) because I have catching up to do, plus I'm doing family/travel stuff for Memorial Day weekend. I hope people enjoy the holiday!

Happy Wednesday.