Conventional Economy

America has an overabundance of convention space. Since 1993, American cities have invested more than 23 billion dollars into gigantic convention centers to house business meetings, motivational speakers, collectors and other professional hordes. Boosters encouraged cities to subsidize facilities that would soon pay for themselves.

Not so, finds Josh Stephens, even before travelers and businesses began tightening their belts. Josh reports that these undistinctive buildings are not hitting revenue targets. And he found little connection between convention spaces and the culture or look of the cities they are meant to celebrate.

Josh’s article “Unconventional Thinking” appears in the current Next American City magazine, and Josh Stephens joined us to talk about it.

Next American City: Unconventional Thinking: Why Cities Shouldn't Buy Into the Convention Center Economy

(Photo by OZinOH via Flickr/Creative Commons)