[edale]

So much can change in 30 years. People thought Detroit was going to continue to boom and become one of the world's biggest cities up through the 1950s. I don't think anyone in 1950 thought the Atlanta or Miami metro areas would be bigger than Boston or Philadelphia in just a few decades time. It's impossible to know what will happen.

I do think water availability is going to come into play more and more in coming decades. Many western metros are on very shaky ground when it comes to water resources, and extended period of droughts could definitely shift growth patterns. Of course, a major earthquake could also change everything overnight. It's fun to play the 'what if' game, but there are just so many unknowns that it's not very productive.