Not Re-engineering Akron Ohio

From the Wall Street Journal - - a book review of The Smartest Places on Earth by Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker.  The review was written by Marc Levinson.

"I have no reason to doubt that Akron has become a hub of innovation in polymers.  But in their enthusiasm for Akron's comeback story, the authors gloss over some facts.  The population of Summit County, of which Akron is the seat, has barely changed in two decades.  The statistics show no influx of brainy young innovators.  The county has aged faster than the country as a whole since 2000, and its median age, 40.6 years, is three years above the U.S. average.  While a small number of scientific and technical jobs have been added, total employment peaked nearly a decade ago, and wages remain below the national average.  In short, after 15 years the economic benefit of becoming a "brainbelt" seems to be limited."