Minneapolis About to Surpass Detroit as Midwest's #2 Metro Economy

**Novine** · June-18-10, 05:58 PM

No surprise when you look at how Minneapolis works as a region.

http://technologyandthecity.blogspot...etroit-as.html

**Patrick** · June-18-10, 06:51 PM

I thought this happened a long time ago. It's not like we are in some contest to be the biggest economy around. The people in SE Michigan will survive and prosper again in the future.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-18-10, 07:02 PM

Comparing MPS/St Paul to a Detroit of 2008 is hardly a fair comparison. 2008 was easily Metro Detroit's worst year, and they were still billions short. Having been to MPS St. Paul I am kind of surprised by this. Yes it seems to be a healthier city, but it is MUCH smaller of a metropolis. When you add in the part of Detroit that don't count [[Windsor) in the official economy stats, ours is much bigger.

You can only rely on big box jobs from Target, Best Buy, and 3 M for so long. I'm sure 3 m is shrinking too as their manufacturing base goes overseas.

**Novine** · June-18-10, 10:11 PM

Isn't that doubly-damning when a smaller metro area can generate more economic impact?

**313WX** · June-19-10, 05:52 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Comparing MPS/St Paul to a Detroit of 2008 is hardly a fair comparison. 2008 was easily Metro Detroit's worst year, and they were still billions short. Having been to MPS St. Paul I am kind of surprised by this. Yes it seems to be a healthier city, but it is MUCH smaller of a metropolis. When you add in the part of Detroit that don't count [[Windsor) in the official economy stats, ours is much bigger.

You can only rely on big box jobs from Target, Best Buy, and 3 M for so long. I'm sure 3 m is shrinking too as their manufacturing base goes overseas.

They probably said the same about us when it comes to the auto companies.

On the other hand, people are still shopping at Target/Best Buy and people still use 3M products on a regular basis. When's the last time this nation in general has been open to the big 3 and their products?

**DetroitPlanner** · June-19-10, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

They probably said the same about us when it comes to the auto companies.

On the other hand, people are still shopping at Target/Best Buy and people still use 3M products on a regular basis. When's the last time this nation in general has been open to the big 3 and their products?

The thing is that with retailers once they reach a saturation point they cannot sustain themselves. They become difficult to steer through rough waters when they are huge. These rough waters can come in the form of new technologies or changes in consumer tastes that are hard to satisfy when one realizes that they are stuck with 25,000 outdated televisions.

bartock · June-19-10, 11:44 AM

Wondering how this was determined. Wasn't there a recent article, actually a positive one, about the Detroit region indicating that soon Ann Arbor will soon be considered part of Metro Detroit [[MSA - it did not say why)?

That would obviously change the economic numbers [[and add 350,000 people). Windsor economy depends heavily on ours and that never gets counted, either. Could also make a case for Toledo...

According to Wikipedia, Metro Detroit CSA [[which the above study mentioned metro, so I assume it wasn't counted) includes Ann Arbor, and is 5,350 some square miles. Minneapolis-St. Paul's MSA is like 1,000 square miles larger than even that. Perhaps I'm overreaching, just a thought. I'm no economist.

bartock · June-19-10, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by bartock

Wondering how this was determined. Wasn't there a recent article, actually a positive one, about the Detroit region indicating that soon Ann Arbor will soon be considered part of Metro Detroit [[MSA - it did not say why)?

That would obviously change the economic numbers [[and add 350,000 people). Windsor economy depends heavily on ours and that never gets counted, either. Could also make a case for Toledo...

According to Wikipedia, Metro Detroit CSA [[which the above study mentioned metro, so I assume it wasn't counted) includes Ann Arbor, and is 5,350 some square miles. Minneapolis-St. Paul's MSA is like 1,000 square miles larger than even that. Perhaps I'm overreaching, just a thought. I'm no economist.

---------------------------

**Danny** · June-19-10, 01:52 PM

Regionalization make Metro-Minneapolis/St. Paul where it is today. Detroit needs to hop in the regionalization band wagon or else die.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Because a major metropolis will not survive without regionalization for Neda's sake.

**casscorridor** · June-19-10, 02:38 PM

If Detroit AND the state of Michigan embrace regionalism, I think it only makes sense that the core of the region, Detroit, will develop. Imagine what would happen if we built rail lines between shooting out from Detroit, on those already existing corridors, acting as both commuter and intercity rail lines. They all meet in Detroit, at the Michigan Central Station. A high-speed rail would compliment this station, traveling from Montreal, through Toronto, then to Windsor and Detroit, then off to Chicago and Milwaukee. Detroit would be at the center of that line. A line of metropolises rivaling that of the east coast. And it would be international as well. We can think beyond just Michigan and beyond the US. Canada and the US can work together, open the border and let people freely cross. Imagine walking across the bridge to Windsor. The barriers between people would be broken down. New-cross border relationships would emerge. Everyone forgets that the University of Windsor is right across the river. Imagine forming partnerships between University of Windsor and Wayne State University. There is so much potential for our region, I could go on forever, and I didn't even mention the fresh water seas.

**casscorridor** · June-19-10, 02:47 PM

And how could I forget our Airport. If only we could built a express rail line from Downtown, or even an express bus!!!!! Anything is better than what we have now. How can we ignore such a valuable asset? Our Airport is the top-rated airport in North America, yet there is no transit connection to the central city.

The airport has become a major hub, and delta's "Asian gateway." Why not open our doors to Asians, and all immigrants of the world, who want to move to the United States? Last I heard, there are millions. Give them a plot of land on the cheap, let them start businesses here, let them get citizenship. Watch neighborhoods revive, like what has been done in SW or in "Bangledesh town" that straddles Hamtramck and NoHam, or in Dearborn.

Rebrand Detroit as an international and global city. The New York of the 21st Century, the place where immigrants can start their life in North America. We have international cultural attractions, and international riverfront. We have existing and thriving immigrant neighborhoods. Why not expand on this? Recognize our strengths [[our diversity, our resilience, etc) not our weaknesses [[reliance on auto companies)? We have to think big.

**rb336** · June-21-10, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by bartock

Wondering how this was determined. Wasn't there a recent article, actually a positive one, about the Detroit region indicating that soon Ann Arbor will soon be considered part of Metro Detroit [[MSA - it did not say why)?

The mayor or some AA city official got in trouble/got support in about equal numbers a few years ago when he/she said that AA should stop pretending that it wasn't part of Metro Detroit

**econ expat** · June-19-10, 12:14 PM

Why not add Toledo? Flint? Saginaw? Lansing? ....
Eh Chicago's economy feeds into Milwaukee,
Cincinnati to Dayton, etc.

**wolverine** · June-19-10, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by econ expat

Why not add Toledo? Flint? Saginaw? Lansing? ....
Eh Chicago's economy feeds into Milwaukee,
Cincinnati to Dayton, etc.

And while you are at it, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek right? Or do these belong to Chicago. Man, I hear a lot ridiculous crap on this website.

bartock · June-19-10, 03:41 PM

The article cited says this about Minn-St. Paul - "the region's largest metro area is about to become more economically significant than the metro that used to be the car capital of the world."

My point was about the reality of the numbers, not the health of the economies. Clearly, that region has a healthier economy than this region at this time. Perhaps less so than a few months ago, but whatever. Overall, however, to me it seems ridiculous for Minnesota to make the claim above unless it is talking about health, not size, of economy [[or, in the case above, the US economy in the context of any region, whether situated next to another country or not). It wasn't meant as a vindication, just what I consider an absurd conclusion. Perhaps as absurd as my original post was, to some.

**econ expat** · June-19-10, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by bartock

The article cited says this about Minn-St. Paul - "the region's largest metro area is about to become more economically significant than the metro that used to be the car capital of the world."

My point was about the reality of the numbers, not the health of the economies. Clearly, that region has a healthier economy than this region at this time. Perhaps less so than a few months ago, but whatever. Overall, however, to me it seems ridiculous for Minnesota to make the claim above unless it is talking about health, not size, of economy [[or, in the case above, the US economy in the context of any region, whether situated next to another country or not). It wasn't meant as a vindication, just what I consider an absurd conclusion. Perhaps as absurd as my original post was, to some.

Your post did not seem absurd [[or ridiculous crap) to me, the claim by Minneapolis on the other hand....
But what fun, we pissed someone off.
2 points for you, 2 points for me.

**BVos** · June-23-10, 09:21 PM

Gotta agree with Gistok here. Where is there anything listing the credibility for whomever the quasi-anonymous person is behind this blog?

Having said that, I did live in Mpls for 5 years and their entire regional economy has been and remains way healthier and way more diverse than Detroit's. It's way more than retail, 3M and medical devices. Some of the top advertising, architecture, law and other professional firms in the country can be found in Mpls and St. Paul and there are so many other significant areas of the Twin Cities economy beyond that. There isn't the suburban/city divide and hate like there is here and its residents have one of the highest average levels of education in the U.S. I could go on and on, but I'll close with that I view the blog suspiciously but wouldn't doubt if it did have an element of truth to it.