Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
by political analyst Kevin B. Phillips [PHI 69], the term initially referred to the
insolent prosperity, great migratory attraction, and neoconservative-dominated
politics of all southern states from North Carolina to California. Far beyond its
initial meaning, the word now refers to a number of fast-growing regions, despite
their extreme disparity - for example, Seattle is the US city with the least sunny
days per year. A number of geographers justify the categorization by using the
isotherm 0°C (32°F, or freezing point) in January to demarcate the Sun Belt. Indeed
the economic development of these states was hugely stimulated by the
establishment of US Air Force military bases after 1940. The choice of location for
the military installations was based on minimal exposure to winter freezing. The Sun
Belt's mild climate is one of its major assets, whereas the climate of the Snow Belt
is not an asset. The common characteristic of the Sun Belt states is their above-
national-average economic and population growth. Such designation does not seem
appropriate for states like Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, which certainly
enjoy warm climates, but the economic growth of which is far from outstanding. Yet
the theory endures, in spite of a negative migration balance in California, especially
compared to states with harsh winters such as Nevada. It would be more accurate to
rename the heterogeneous interregional area Southern Rim in opposition to the
Heartland, based on the diversification of current population migrations rather than
on weather specificities.
Sun City
: The concept of a suburb reserved for seniors was developed northwest
of Phoenix, Arizona, in 1959 by real estate magnate Del E. Webb. In order to buy a
home in Sun City the head of the household must be at least 65 years old, and the
household may not include children under 18 years. The success of the original
project led the developer to undertake construction of the subdivision of Sun City
West in the late 1970s, followed by Sun City Grand in the late 1990s. The 2000
census reported a population of more than 38,300 in Sun City, 98% of whom were
Caucasians. The average income per capita is close to $26,000. A significant portion
of Sun City residents came from the Midwest. The concept was developed by Del
Webb in seven other states in the United States, mainly in the South and Southwest,
although there is a Sun City in Huntley (Illinois) - a suburb of Chicago.
Sustainable Development
: According to the 1987 Brundtland Report [BRU 87],
which greatly contributed to the popularization of this concept, sustainable
development is an economic growth pattern that “meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Unfortunately, the concept has been overused and sometimes is converted into a
mere marketing slogan, such as the “clean coal” advertising campaign.
