A Look at How 'Resilient' DFW Is (Or Isn't)

A Look at How "Resilient" DFW Is (Or Isn't)

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Jul. 18 2011 at 11:33 AM

Categories: News

Developed by the University at Buffalo Regional Institute, State University of New York.

Click to embiggen UC Berkeley's Resilience Capacity Index map

Patrick "Car-Free" Kennedy directs our attention to this University of California Berkeley look-see at the resiliency of the major metros in the U.S. And by "resiliency," researchers are referring to a dozen indicators (among them: economic diversification, business environment, civic infrastructure, voter participation, the number of resident living in poverty) heaped into three categories (Regional Economic Capacity, Socio-Demographic Capacity and Community Connectivity Capacity) to which scores are assigned and the list was compiled.

Using those criteria, Dallas-Fort Worth comes in fairly low: 245th our of 361 metros ranked, with Rochester, MN, ranking placing first and College Station coming in dead last. Indeed, several of the so-called modern-day boom towns, Houston chief among 'em, rank low. Why? Says here that:

Traditional performance metrics, such as population or employment growth, yield rankings favoring fast-growing metropolitan regions in the South and West. The RCI favors attributes, including metropolitan stability, regional affordability, homeownership and income equality, often found in slower-growing regions.

Writes Kennedy, ordinarily no fan of lists, "it's a pretty good list of data sets as far as so many of those generic city rankings come."

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Brian

Since the list favors length of residency and number of civic organizations as key factors, it naturally favors areas in decline and is thus inherently flawed. Civic organizations are created roughly in proportion to population, and tend to stay in existence even after the population is no longer there to support it. Think of all the empty churches in Europe. Declining cities like Cleveland, Flint, Detroit and Youngstown (all highly ranked in this survey) only have people born there left. All their young people have moved to "weak" cities like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Phelps

Also, any study that ranks Maryland as highly resilient is smoking some of the same crack you might find in Prince George's County.

Phelps

Funny, I measure resiliency using different indicators. Stored food, first aid supplies, ammunition, whiskey stockpiles, body armor...

Howard

"Texas miracle" my ass. It's the red states that are going to bring down the rest of this nation now.

GusMitchem

Funny thing is the Red States got so red when northern folks moved to them to make lots of money and own a bunch of shit, thus they think they are instant conservatives

Its like our entire country has become a moralistic small town

stagnation = stability = resilience

Yeah, right.

Mike

Those residents don't have an investment mentality. They are stuck there.

Buckeye

This map looks about right. One has to be pretty damned resilient to stay in places like St. Louis, Cleveland or Detroit. Ever been to Rochester, NY? Very resilient bunch of folks living there.

Ghost of Warren Culbertson

This map depicts annual snowfall amounts.

Juan Valdez

HAHA Good one.

SteveT

I agree that we need to change our view of what makes a good place to live from "high-growth" to other values; especially since "growth" as we've known it (more people buying and using more stuff and creating more waste) has not yeilded more contentment and happiness, and is not possible in a biosphere with limits.

GusMitchem

Steve thats a great idea, it really is interesting how much of our society is concerned with GDP growth, which means simply more, more goods, more money more land more people. Manifest Destiny alive a well 150 years later

Handsome Lance Manion

This map also looks like the data from the survey they took at UC Berkley when they asked , "Dude rank the places where do you want to live when you graduate."

ray

I think this is interesting and would like to read more. It appears that this study is showing residents who have an 'investment' in their community as opposed to those who are just in for a short period or just could care less. Having lived in one of those 'high' zones for a long time, I do see a difference in civic pride, involvement, and an investment attitude. I think this is something Mayor Mike will probably want to read and use as a guide.

scottindallas

yeah, he'll be getting right on that...

ray

I had tongue pressed firmly in cheek.

Ken325

I like the idea of resilient communities but I think this study is not using the term correctly. To me the term resilient community means a community with a high degree of self sufficiency that is not dependent on outside systems of support. Most people use the term resilient communities to refer to a community that is preparing for peak oil and all of the resource shortages that will occur when oil becomes very expensive. I would look at categories like local food production, use of renewable energy, and a moderate climate that does not require the imported of water. I would also consider security and access to transportation that will be viable is a post peak world (rail, rivers, and sea ports). This study looks at social issues like percent insured, income equality, education, % with disability, poverty and voter participation. It looks like Berkley is trying to hijack the term to fit the social justice agenda.

Ken325

Sorry about the grammer mistakes. I was having problems using cut and paste on this web site.

LaceyB

I'm surprised we ranked "low" rather than "very low". Even with gas being so high, people are still ponying up to the pump. With the business economy staying stagnantly in a shit pool, it's a wonder what it'll take for us to get anywhere close to "resilient".