Carmel Convo
My wife and I were blessed with a daughter in December and when I look at her face, I often wonder what the world will look like when she’s my age.
It’s important to look to the future. All too often we see leaders only look at the next four years instead of considering the next 40.
I recently looked at a study done by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute and they projected what the state of Indiana, and each county, will look like in 2040.
Indiana’s population will grow, but that doesn’t mean much since the entire nation’s population will grow over time. In fact, Indiana’s population is expected to grow 13 percent from 2010 to 2040, but nationwide the population will grow 30 percent and the Midwest as a whole will grow in population by 29 percent. That means we aren’t expected to grow at the same rate and people might be choosing other places to live.
Rural counties will be hit hardest in Indiana. Hamilton County is actually expected to grow sizably, especially in terms of workforce. Hamilton County is expected to see a 58 percent increase in workforce population from 2010 to 2040. Many rural counties will see double-digit decreases in workforce population during that same period.
Why are employees and companies relocating to Carmel? Well, partly because we’ve nailed the basics, which include well-maintained roads, low crime rates and top-ranked schools. But it’s also about amenities such as parks, trails and exciting small businesses. It’s about communities that are safe, attractive, authentic, walkable, vibrant and well-planned.
We need to make sure we’re anticipating future trends instead of just reacting to things that are already happening. Are we accurately predicting growth and do we need to make improvements to infrastructure? What about technology and trends that aren’t here yet? Years ago nobody predicted the rise of Uber or Airbnb and we saw cities across the United States scramble to write laws to react to these marketplace disrupters. Now we’re seeing the same in Indianapolis where the influx of scooters have caused some to wonder what should be done.
We have to be prepared and look forward instead of backward to keep our county and each of our cities vibrant for years to come.