[skysoar]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Having grown up in western Pennsylvania, and being somewhat familiar (mainly eastern OH; Cleveland and Youngstown areas) with Ohio, it was always notable to me how PA had a higher population than OH... considering how many sizable cities OH had/has in comparison to PA.



Based on geography, no, Cleveland is not the center... but its fortunes govern the rest of the area's fortunes. Cleveland is the primary market influencer, and it is becoming increasingly prominent in that position, as we continue to develop into more of a regional city-state economic structure throughout the country (and it's especially unique in the rustbelt, as it's a matter of maintaining relevance/survival).

Historically, the connection did not exist as prominently because each individual city had more of their own economic independence, population, attributes, and thus, culture and identity. But incremental regional consolidation happens in the rustbelt in a very interesting way -- independent places grow closer together due to the decline we've experienced since the 1960s. It's regional growth via city decline. Cleveland/NE OH is a textbook example of this.

With incremental consolidation that occurs in rustbelt regions, comes an incremental erosion of individual city identity (however unnoticeable it is in any particular moment). In this way, Akron is, or is in the process of becoming, a "ring city" of Cleveland... no matter how prominent its historical position was and strong its own identity was/is).

Becoming part of the Cleveland media market and losing its own local TV stations is a major indicator; media absorption happens for a reason. And when there's no compelling reason to maintain separate media markets, well, it's easy to draw conclusions...

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To me, regarding Youngstown... it seems much, much less connected to Cleveland than Akron does. Youngstown is that "in-between" Cleveland and Pittsburgh area... and arguably more connected regionally with western PA. The Mahoning/Shenango/Beaver Valley steel towns in PA, like Sharon, Farrell, and New Castle are basically part of Youngstown.

I will say whatever relationship between Akron and Cleveland is , ring city is not the correct category. In the age of cablevision even sales marketing is not locked into a cities influence based on television broadcasting alone. Clevelands fortunes does not govern Akrons in any way, if anything it probably hinders it. Akron is its own jobs generator, its in the midst of a new housing boom, its zoo is growing at a tremendous pace, and along with Canton it is the growing influence below the Ohio Turnpike to points far south. And Clevelands influence is diminishing. Evidence is in the jobs commuting between Cleveland Metro into the Akron Metro area is down to 19 per-cent ( per NOACA, a leading Cleveland regional organization), meanwhile the jobs commuting between Akrons Metro and Cantons Metro is 39 per-cent and growing (per Summit and Stark counties chambers of commerce. With this growth, it is the major reason why Akron/Canton has applied to O.B.M. to be one metro of about 1.2 million people. Also with Amazon adding between 2,000 to 3,500 new jobs at Rolling Acres off of i-77 ,with close proximity to Stark, Wayne, and Portage counties this melding of Akron/Canton will be accelerated. I know Akron and Cleveland will have some contact in the region. but it is not as a ring city, there must be a better terminology than that...