The artisan economy and post-industrial regeneration in the US

Abstract

The 2009 Great Recession adversely impacted the post-industrial built landscape in the US. Globalization and international wage inequality also led to the closure and abandonment of numerous historic industrial districts. However, another more positive outcome came from the last economic crisis ‒ the rise of the artisan-based economy, which values highly crafted specialized goods and blends old manufacturing techniques with new digital technologies. Small companies producing high quality products are providing an alternative to American consumption based culture. This paper will present the current state of post-industrial regeneration in the US and discuss how the artisan-based economy is regenerating American post-industrial urban districts.

Notes

1. Webster’s Dictionary defines a millennial as a person born in the 1980s or 1990s, especially in the US.