Wednesday, July 30, 2014

LeBron James Migration: Big Chef Seeking Small Pond

The return of LeBron James to his hometown doesn't make him a pioneer at Pacific Standard magazine.

Theme: Return migration and economic development.

Subject Article: "Chefs Move Beyond New York."

Other Links: 1. "Cleveland has been on the rebound even before LeBron James news."
2. "Irrational Choice Theory: The LeBron James Migration From Miami to Cleveland."
3. "Who says Cleveland needs saving?"
4. "Fleeing Los Angeles for Harrisburg."
5. "Ironic Migration: Invisible Inflows."
6. "Think people, not place in rural migration."
7. "Dispatches from the Field: Return Migration in Mexico."

Postscript: LeBron James coming home to Northeast Ohio might catalyze more return migration. If others start looking into return migration, I think they will find a well-established trend that defines the current economic epoch. The psychogeographic pivot in Buffalo:

Signs of a new Buffalo became obvious in no time: cranes all around town and local enthusiasm beyond typical civic pride. From its industrial heyday in the early 1900s, Buffalo sank to downtrodden at best. Its population is about half what it was in the 1950s. But today, residents are excited about the makeover underway, and everyone seems to know college graduates moving back to the city, or people coming here for jobs.

Emphasis added. Residents of Rust Belt cities are finally noticing return migrants.

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