ABSTRACT
The national and global trends of work and production, knowledge and creativity and the importance of good quality of life can support Baltimore's comeback. In cities like Baltimore, whose budget depends to a large part on property and payroll piggyback taxes, population growth is a key metric that influences most other metrics of prosperity and well-being. Baltimore's good news is that in spite of strong differences on the neighborhood level, on average, population loss has come to a halt for some years now. Catastrophic events, such as Baltimore's unrest and the renewed national debate about racial inequality, tend to unite disparate forces around similar efforts and propel a city forward. Embedded in a nationwide economic recovery, Baltimore is at a tipping point. In housing, revitalization, transportation, production and innovation, Baltimore already has momentum and can create virtuous cycles that pull other metrics up as well.
