The race to remodel the Rustbelt is on. And Chicago clearly remains in the lead. The city just announced a new 1.3 mile park along Lake Michigan for hiking and cycling. But Cleveland, Gary, Detroit, Milwaukee, Duluth, Buffalo, Toronto, they all have waterfront redevelopment plans too. One entreprenuer in Toledo already is operating river taxis. In fact, wherever you look in the Great Lakes region cities are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to cleanup up riverfronts, restore lakefronts, and reorient their communities around the water resource.
They are tearing down obsolete factories, redesigning highways, and reclaiming polluted properties to provide more access and opportunity at the waterfront. The phenomenon is perhaps the most visible sign of the increasingly important role that clean, fresh water plays in the region's push to improve quality life, attract talented workers and modern companies, and boost global competitiveness.
