| Central Ohio Growth | |
It's hard to go anywhere in the Columbus area without seeing signs that Central Ohio's population is growing. It often seems today's cornfield is tomorrow's shopping center.
Many Columbus area residents probably don't realize this growth is out of the ordinary in Ohio. Of Ohio's eight largest cities, Columbus is the only city that didn't show a population decline since 1970. Franklin County's population growth has even surprised the experts--in 1983, Franklin County's population was projected to reach 907,000 in 1995; it actually reached 1,040,000. Statistics show this population growth is fueled both by whites migrating from other areas and by immigration.
What effect has growth had on Columbus and surrounding communities? I believe Columbus has changed dramatically since I moved here in 1985. Columbus seems to represent itself as immune to the problems growth has caused other cities. Yet I see Columbus developing growth-related problems; congestion, suburban sprawl, crime, decay in the inner city areas, and more importantly, I believe Columbus residents are developing that cold, "big city" attitude that didn't exist in 1985. Columbus doesn't feel like a small town any more, at least to me.
And here are two growth-related problems: MORPC Plan Predicts Continued Highway Congestion and the Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio loses 70 acres of farmland every day to development.
