rustbelt
Shuttered factory region
The Rust Belt is a region of the northeastern and midwestern United States—centered on states like Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—where heavy manufacturing declined sharply in the late twentieth century.
The name evokes abandoned factories rusting in place.
The term often carries political connotations, as these areas became pivotal in elections: Rust Belt voters swung the election.
Also spelled Rust Belt or rust belt.
North-central American region
- Great LakesFive connected inland seas
- PittsburghWestern Pennsylvania industrial city
- DetroitMichigan automotive hub
- ClevelandNortheast Ohio metropolis
Buffalo · Youngstown · Gary · Akron · Erie · Toledo · Ohio · Pennsylvania
Loss of industrial capacity
- factoryIndustrial production facility
- steelCarbon-hardened iron alloy
- automobileSelf-propelled passenger conveyance
- manufacturingIndustrial product creation
assembly line · machinery · production · mill · plant · foundry · forge · automation
Plant disease causing decay
- brownfieldsPolluted ex-industrial land
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- vacancyUnoccupied space or position
- disinvestmentWithdrawing capital from assets
urban decay · poverty · depopulation · foreclosure · white flight · suburban sprawl · dereliction · economic collapse
Manual labor workforce
- unionJoining into one
- steelworkerFactory metal producer
- autoworkerVehicle factory employee
- workforceAll available workers
machinist · welder · assembly · shifts · overtime · strikes · pension · layoffs
Restoring vigor or vitality
- gentrificationWealthy influx displacing locals
- redevelopmentRebuilding an existing area
- adaptive reuseRetrofitting buildings for new functions
- tech hubRegion dense with startups
startup scene · urban farming · arts district · renovation · comeback · reinvention · diversification · green energy
Midwest
North-central American region
- Great LakesFive connected inland seas
- PittsburghWestern Pennsylvania industrial city
- DetroitMichigan automotive hub
Cleveland · Buffalo · Youngstown · Gary · Akron · Erie · Toledo · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Michigan
deindustrialization
Loss of industrial capacity
- factoryIndustrial production facility
- steelCarbon-hardened iron alloy
- automobileSelf-propelled passenger conveyance
manufacturing · assembly line · machinery · production · mill · plant · foundry · forge · automation · decline
blight
Plant disease causing decay
- brownfieldsPolluted ex-industrial land
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- vacancyUnoccupied space or position
disinvestment · urban decay · poverty · depopulation · foreclosure · white flight · suburban sprawl · dereliction · economic collapse · recession
blue-collar
Manual labor workforce
- unionJoining into one
- steelworkerFactory metal producer
- autoworkerVehicle factory employee
workforce · machinist · welder · assembly · shifts · overtime · strikes · pension · layoffs · unemployment
revitalization
Restoring vigor or vitality
- gentrificationWealthy influx displacing locals
- redevelopmentRebuilding an existing area
- adaptive reuseRetrofitting buildings for new functions
tech hub · startup scene · urban farming · arts district · renovation · comeback · reinvention · diversification · green energy · tourism
rustbeltSilicon Valley
Bay Area tech corridor
tech corridor · boomtown · emerging market · Pacific Coast · economic powerhouse