I don't know about those other cities you mentioned, but Pittsburgh has not been "essentially drained" by "white flight" like you are suggesting here. Neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are very walkable and very vibrant. If anything hollowed out Pittsburgh, it was the decline of the steel and manufacturing industries in the area. But Pittsburgh has somewhat rebounded with medical and technology industries.
I used to live in Pittsburgh and commute out to a small town outside the city limits. I enjoyed being near my friends and everything the city had to offer, but I didn't resent people who lived outside the city limits.
Highways aren't "paid for on the backs of the people left in the urban areas." They're paid for out of gasoline taxes. We might be better off with more mass transit, but that's kind of a different discussion.
When I was in downtown Detroit a few years ago, I did notice a distinct lack of public transit options. But it is bitterly cold in Detroit, and it is difficult to imagine the kind of cafe culture taking root there that you see in other places. I had trouble going outside because I had not brought a ski mask, and there was a stiff breeze coming off the lake and a subzero temperature that day. I also remember there being a lot of churches with bars on the windows, like prisons. I don't know what was up with that-- I guess it's an anti-riot measure?
I hope they succeed in revitalizing the area... it is a shame how far it has fallen since the glory days.
I used to live in Pittsburgh and commute out to a small town outside the city limits. I enjoyed being near my friends and everything the city had to offer, but I didn't resent people who lived outside the city limits.
Highways aren't "paid for on the backs of the people left in the urban areas." They're paid for out of gasoline taxes. We might be better off with more mass transit, but that's kind of a different discussion.
When I was in downtown Detroit a few years ago, I did notice a distinct lack of public transit options. But it is bitterly cold in Detroit, and it is difficult to imagine the kind of cafe culture taking root there that you see in other places. I had trouble going outside because I had not brought a ski mask, and there was a stiff breeze coming off the lake and a subzero temperature that day. I also remember there being a lot of churches with bars on the windows, like prisons. I don't know what was up with that-- I guess it's an anti-riot measure?
I hope they succeed in revitalizing the area... it is a shame how far it has fallen since the glory days.