How Seattle Transform Itself by Edward Glaesor - Essay Example

How Seattle Transform Itself by Edward Glaesor The article How Seattle Transform Itself written by Edward Glaesor describes the story of how Seattle was able to achieve economic success. The 2010 Census revealed that Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in America. The Seattle region is growing faster than other metropolitan areas in the United States of America. During the early part of the 20th century Seattle’s economy was mostly based on the transportation industry. One of biggest companies in the air transportation industry, Boeing, has its corporate headquarters located in Seattle.

In the 1950’s more than half of all jobs in Seattle were provided by Boeing. Another industry that provided many jobs for the people of Seattle was the lumber industry.The economic model used by Seattle in the 21st century changed a lot since the early part of the 20th century. The key element that differentiates Seattle from other cities in the United States is that Seattle concentrated its efforts in creating an economy based on knowledge. The focus on education helped Seattle because it led to a flurry of innovations that led to the founding of some of the most innovative and successful companies in America.

Companies such as Amazon, Starbucks, and Microsoft were founded in Seattle. The author is correct in his assertion that smart people look for each other and they learn from their interaction. Seattle is also home to one of most prestigious universities in America, University of Washington. The percentage of people with college degrees in Seattle is 56%. This figure is very large considering that only about 33% of the US population has a college degree. Seattle is a very attractive region for investors because it has a high population of educated workers.

The model used by Seattle of educating its citizens should be followed by other cities in America if they want to compete in the global economy. Work Cited PageGlaeser, E. 8 March 2011. “How Seattle Transform Itself.” The New York Times. 29 March 2011.