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Man we’re going about the geographic organization of the lower 48 ALL wrong.
We have clear and defined, economic/ecological areas in the country but were organized into thousands of tiny pieces comprised of state, county/parish, and municipal governments.
Regional pacts between areas that are apart of the same geographic footprint (thing the Great Lakes Watershed) would help maximize quality of life AND profitability. We’d become more efficient share goods and ideas quicker...
Imagine if Chicago, Milwaukee, Gary, Detroit were all apart of one jurisdiction with goals to make these cities and their surrounding metro areas the most effective that they could be?
Suddenly, Gary isn’t hamstrung by the rest of Indiana (and they’re off the dime of Indianapolis), Chicago is separated from downstate (a cultural victory for all), Detroit is no longer the singularity in its respective area, and Milwaukee can grow because of the increased
Deregulation due to this all being ONE singular entity. There’s corporations, natural resources, research universities, population bases, and it’s an international trading hub due to the proximity to the major Canadian cities (Toronto, Montreal).
Linking the footprint of the Great Lakes Megaregion into one economic/free travel/focused entity like the EU would mean this region could remove the notion that its only home to old, decrepit factories and people who eat various cured meats. It could reestablish itself as the
Engine that allows America to right the ship and maintain our ability to compete on a global scale. There is just so much untapped and overlooked potential here it boggles my mind.
Perfect example of a smaller, successful project that echoes this sentiment was the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). They used hydro electric power to provide electricity to an underserved populace and increase quality of life by providing cheap power. It’s the same concept w/
The GLM but on a larger scale.
