Worcester: The New It Town
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The Rust Belt is an informal term that is used to define the megalopolis area between New York and the Midwest. The region is also said to have been dominated by the coal mining industry, manufacturing, and steel production. The name originated from deindustrialization during the 1970s hence the presence of desolation and rust of buildings due to the exposure of various elements. Furthermore, rust belt towns like Detroit and other towns continue to face various crises due to deindustrialization, depopulation included (Karam, 2017). However, according to the Rebirth of Worcester article, the author states that Worcester town which was part of the rust belt is slowly regaining its economic status and infrastructure not as a mining center as it was before but as a major hub for other sectors such as real estate and food industry. The author states that the biggest factor contributing to the city’s growth is the rising cost of housing in Boston, which is just 47 miles from Worcester. Therefore, the high prices of homes and services in Boston are driving people to migrate to Worcester so as to save costs on housing and other related costs.Secondly, the little city is currently a hot bed for technology, manufacturing and biomedical services. These services are huge attractions which is propelling the post-Industrial town to growth. Furthermore, a 2.6-billion-dollar construction project that aims at developing new housing structures, retail and huge restaurant spaces. In essence Boston and Worcester are on the way to becoming a major megalopolis as the author states since you need a big city near a small city so that the bigger city can foster the growth of the small city’s economic sectors which is the case with Worcester and Boston. The advantages that Worcester enjoys are that, the rent rates are incredibly cheap as compared to other towns outside the megalopolis.Furthermore,Worcester is fast becoming a hub for foodies, many celebrities are currently setting up restaurants together with other brewers since the town has many former factories and other buildings which only requires rehabilitation. In essence, various buildings here can be refurbished so as to host new developments which is not the case with other towns outside the megalopolis.However,not everyone is bound to benefit from the boom as the author states, there are some potential and existing problems that the city faces in its bid to redevelop in terms of infrastructure. For instance, the city is at its tipping point. A representative of the Housing Alliance stated that for the last one year, rent amounts for a section of residents have been on the highest and the affected residents are the most vulnerable. The city could soon witness a crisis seen in Boston where elders and young families are being priced out. Secondly, there is stiff competition between low class and high-income home buyers. Cash investors are willing to lay down huge amounts of money for a house so that they can price it highly leaving middle and low income home owners with no option but to suffer when it comes to housing.
References
Karam, R. A. (2017). Rust Belt Revitalization, Immigration, and Islam: Toward a Better Understanding of Mosques in Declining Urban Neighborhoods. City & Community, 16(3), 257-262.
Rebirth of Worcester, MA: https://www.npr.org/2018/10/23/658263218/forget-oakland-or-hoboken-worcester-mass-is-the-new-it-town