Doing Fine or In Decline? A Look at Housing in the Historic Rust Belt Region
Open Access
Author:
Spearly, Katie
Area of Honors:
Sociology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jonathan Kyle Daw, Thesis Supervisor Stacy Silver, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Housing Rust Belt Regional economics Urban decline Economic decline
Abstract:
In the United States, the Rust Belt is a geographical corridor composed of formerly industrial cities spanning across the northwest. This geo-economic region is generally considered to include Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The Rust Belt is significant for its growth and dominance in manufacturing during the first half of the 20th century, followed by a decline in the 1950s and subsequent severe economic downturns resulting in population decline in the latter half of the century and in some cases, into the 21st century.
As a result, the Rust Belt is comprised of two contiguous but culturally diverse geographic regions, the Northeast, and the Midwest. Within each of these regions, there are subregions containing just as many differences as there are similarities. As a result, different measures of economic decline and prosperity show how these factors interact and effect the housing stock of each region.