It's just a matter of time until Detroit is a leading population magnet, Matthew Kahn believes.
His time frame, however, exceeds eight decades.
Kahn is an environmental economist at UCLA and the author of "Climatopolis," a 2010 book thrust into the news this week by New York Times coverage.
The scholar foresees a population influx of "environmental refugees" as global climate change turns once-desirable cities into hot, dry, unappealing places. "San Diego has nicer weather than Detroit. But that's all about to change," the professor writes.
"Maybe we should consider buying Detroit land now, before this news become common knowledge," Kahn adds, quite seriously.
Jennifer A. Kingson of The Times recently interviewed the 48-year-old Los Angeles resident:
Professor Kahn predicts that when things get bad enough in any given location — not just the temperatures and extreme weather, but also the cost of insurance and so forth — people will become “environmental refugees,” fleeing cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego. By 2100, he writes, Detroit will be one of the nation’s most desirable cities.
Other elevated inland cities such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Buffalo and Salt Lake City also will benefit, he says.
Matthew Kahn: "A yuppie city will emerge, thanks to the shift in the city's underlying climate amenities."
We checked out parts of "Climatopolis" via Google Books and see index references to Detroit on 10 pages. Here's some of what the futurist expects by the next millennium:
Milder winter: "Climate change could help Detroit make a comeback. . . . The 'New Detroit' of 2050 will have a warmer winter and be at relatively little risk of flooding."
'Yuppie city will emerge:' "A city whose climate amenities improve due to climate change . . . will enjoy a windfall as more skilled people move to the area. The tax base will increase, financing improvements in local services such as public schools. If enough wealthy people move to the region, this local purchasing power will create a snowball effect, as fancier restaurants locate near such sophisticated consumers. A yuppie city will emerge, thanks to the shift in the city's underlying climate amenities."
Inland resilience: "Here is my list of the top five climate-resilient U.S. cities: 1, Salt Lake City 2. Milwaukee 3. Buffalo 4. Minneapolis 5. Detroit. It is no accident that these cities are away from the coasts. Although climate change will throw a variety of punches, sea level rise is the nastiest challenge of them all."
