Interesting to see the impact of the bank-fueled recession here in California, which has resulted in a loss of population as well as a more stable one. This strengthens community ties as people remain in their cities and towns and invest in the social networks and local environmental needs. A Seattle news site puts California very much into perspective:More people are now moving out of Florida, Nevada and California than are moving in. The huge growth in recent decades was driven not by their inherent desirability but by bad banking and loan practices that artificially goosed development and made growth a business in and of itself.
Which means that the development house of cards has finally come crashing down and the State and local budgets will have to be rebuilt on the solid fundamentals of real production and services. This puts the state on a more sustainable path of reinvestment, regenerative place-making and environmental restoration. Better than walking out of a gridlocked LA traffic jam and "going postal" over the intractable urban dysfunction. I think we all know the feeling.
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