The Post Industrial City of Dayton

The Post Industrial City of Dayton

Dayton the city that was once considered the Rust Belt and the crown of the US symbol of economic prowess is down and is regarded as a deteriorating industrial city that is past is the postindustrial world is no longer considered what it was due to the changes that have taken over the few years. The changes have not only created fear among the people but indicate how the general feeling of the people against some of the unresolved issues against the key issues problems have brought into a standstill the growth and development was a promising city of Dayton.

Few people would recognize Dayton, Ohio, a city that was once an industrial powerhouse is marked by empty houses as major industries that operated within the city shifted to other cities. The latest news of Dayton, Ohio, is full of tribulations that currently face the city that was once considered an industrial hub of the state of Ohio. In the past years, a lot has taken place, and Dayton is entirely a new city and different from what it used to be in the past. Dayton is grappling with a different set of problems, which ranges from a spate of a disturbing unexplained death of middle-class neighborhoods in the northwest to maintaining the few industries that are still located within the city.

Question 1

The major factor that contributed to the downfall of Dayton is the lack of government support to guarantee the safety and good working environment for the investors. Before the investors began their shift to a new location, the city was not only a home for people like Wright brothers but also other famous inventors such as Charles Kettering, who is accredited for the invention of electrical motor and other automotive advances. What the local government of Dayton did not know is that many of the manufacturing activities concentrated within the area could be carried out elsewhere (Neumann, 2016). Therefore, when the investors felt the environment was no longer favorable, they decided to shift to favorable working environments. Other factors cited to be the reason for the collapse of the economy is the concentration of economic activities within an area that fueled regional inequality. As major companies such as Google, Apple, or Amazon started to be dominant over a specific sector of the economy, they influenced economic activities of other regions that later led to relocation to regions. The manufacturing tech firms that were once dominated the area shifted their operations to other areas where they felt was favorable because they believed hi-tech activities could be performed anywhere.

Social factors also played a critical role in influencing Dayton’s collapse. The increasing pressure of the well-off people to live amongst themselves rather than live among the people of mixed-income influenced the shift of major activities carried out in the region to other regions. The majority of the investors within Dayton started to fear for their security due to the possibility of social conflicts among the rich and the low-income people of the society (Neumann, 2016). Due to fear of potential conflict between the rich and the struggling masses, the rich represented by the most hi-tech that dominated the region started to shift to new places or metro areas that they considered safer for their business and their lives. The social imbalance meant that the struggling class would turn their attention to the few rich that derived the economy for survival.

The latest reports of the city reveal a devastating state of affairs that include constant loss of human lives to increase deaths due to overdose of drugs. The glittering hopes that once greeted the visitors are soon gone, and there is a glooming loss of hope as both industries and the people migrate to other cities. As a result, Dayton is a city in the mainstay and has essentially vanished, factories have been located, and there are no major businesses that take place in the city (Neumann, 2016). Everything is at a standstill, and the city is struggling to become financially stable once again. The possibility of new occupants moving to the city are also minimal due to the increased cases of insecurities. Lack of security within the city of Dayton has led to a rise in the reported cases of deaths, increased violence, and drug abuse that have successfully ensured the city remains abandoned.

The failure of the local administration to address the specific issues that affect the city and particularly its residents led to the relocation of major businesses to the nearby neighborhoods. Today, the major question that many people are asking is not how to address the issue because it seems most businesses have relocated to other places but what happened many years after the city had triumphs (Exner). Dayton’s growth resulted from the interconnected government programs based purely on innovation that focused on the manufacturing sector of the economy.  However, the inability of the local administration and the national government to address the problem of the city remains among the key factors that have negatively contributed to the decline of the city that was once highly regarded by many as one of the best places in the world to settle.

Question 2

Since both the local and federal government had failed to address the problem of the city of Dayton before they deteriorated and became worse, coming up with various programs to cure the locals of substance disorder do not grant participants a sense of belonging but illustrate how irresponsible regime has orchestrated the death of many dreams. The problems of the locals began immediately when major industries were shifted to new places (Nicosia). The locals remained with no better option to improve the living standards due to a lack of employment and the dwindling economy. Due to the increased level f poverty, the use of drugs led to the emergence of substance disorder cases. The substance disorder programs are not bad, but they do not offer a permanent solution to the residents of Dayton, Ohio. The best method of fighting diseases is creating employment opportunities and coming up with various programs that can impact the lives of people positively.

The news of the tribulations that are currently facing Dayton, Ohio, is not new to others but highlights a different set of concerns that meets the postindustrial states within the United States of America. The spate of disturbing and unexplained death of some of the American middle-class neighborhood represent how lack of taking decisive decisions to act on the key issues of the residents can kill and ruin a promising city like Dayton, Ohio (Cuy Castellanos, Jones,  Christaldi, & Liutkus, 2017). Just within a span of seven months, there were more than seven reported cases of women’s body found scattered within the town. The major reason of the rise on the number of reported deaths is due to the inability of the local administration to ensure Dayton is a safe place for both local residents and potential investor. The city is struggling to handle the postindustrial problems (Exner). The plight of the small and middle-sized postindustrial city like Dayton tells a lot of how a failed administration can contribute further downfall of the bleeding urban center like Dayton. Instead of addressing some of the major problems that have contributed to the deeper fall of the city. For instance, the signs of Dayton coming of time started during the first wave of deindustrialization as businesses locate to new places.

In conclusion, Dayton Ohio is a city on its death bed. The city that was highly celebrated and considered the industrial hub of Ohio has soon lost its glory. Some of the major factors that led to the collapse of the city include the migration of hi-tech industries to other parts of the world that they considered favorable for their growth and development. The investors also feared for their safety because the city comprises of the few investors and a large population of poor people who struggle to sustain themselves and their families. Due to the fear of high incidences of insecurity, the hi-tech manufacturers shifted their activities to other places they considered safer.

References

Cuy Castellanos, D., Jones, J. C., Christaldi, J., & Liutkus, K. A. (2017). Perspectives on the development of a local food system: the case of Dayton, Ohio. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 41(2), 186-203.

Exner, Rich. Every Ohio school district ranked from 1 to 608, with Solon, Ottawa Hills, Indian Hill at the top; cleveland, https://www.cleveland.com/news/erry-2018/09/3946c3c5f21431/every-ohio-school-district-ran.html . Accessed 16 Oct., 2019.

Neumann, T. (2016). Remaking the rust belt: The postindustrial transformation of North America. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Nicosia, Chloe. Why is the Opioid Crisis So Bad in Ohio?; betteraddictioncare, https://betteraddictioncare.com/2017/10/why-is-the-opioid-crisis-so-bad-in-ohio/ . Accessed 16 Oct., 2019.