Blue cities like Seattle at the center of progressive populism

By:

Richard S. Davis

In:

The News Tribune

Commenting on mayoral assertions that cities are where the action is, Kotkin writes, “It’s hard to underestimate the hubris of this assessment … the vast majority of American demographic growth and job growth continues to go either into the suburban rings or to low-density sprawling regions.”

For a time, cities like Seattle can withstand the costs of high taxes, mandated employee compensation and extraordinary regulatory burdens. The benefits of being in a dynamic city with extraordinary resources – professional sports, the arts, universities and research institutions, transportation networks and skilled labor – can temporarily offset high costs.

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