Why Diverse Cities Have Emerged As the Drivers of Growth

Urban and rural economies are much like the proverbial fox and the hedgehog. Like the hedgehog, rural economies do essentially one thing very well. But like the fox, urban areas can do many things well. More than any other factor, that may explain why cities have emerged as the driver of economic growth.

For some, it may seem hard to believe that at one time not that long ago rural America saw itself as the bulwark of the U.S. economy. Indeed, at one time rural Americans were largely characterized by contempt for city dwellers, whom they saw as dependent on farm communities for sustenance and even survival.