What Is the Best Cleveland Can Hope For?

Recently I read an interesting assessment of Cleveland's current economic situation, which is far from good by any measure. One statement stood out in the article, and I think many cities suffer from the same problem:

"In the year since I've been back, I've found Cleveland to be a maddening mix of swagger and insecurity. In a sense, Clevelanders suffer from middle-child syndrome: We don't always feel as loved as our midwestern sisters Chicago or Minneapolis. But at other times we love to brag about the low cost of living here or our first-rate hospitals and metroparks."

I think there are many middle-child cities across America, and as Joel Kotkin and other informed observers have said, many are not likely to make it unless they get on a new path. Many, even despite an invigorated development effort, will not succeed.

More here.