We had a tour of Ajo and listened to someone tell us about efforts to revamp the economy!
Ajo used to be a mining town; however, when the major industry ceased production, the area suffered enormous economic consequences. Being from West Virginia, the story of Ajo is not at all unfamiliar to me. Small towns are declining everywhere in America. On top of that, people are continuing to migrate to the cities, concentrating the American population in urban areas.
As we walked through Ajo, I was impressed by the strategies to improve the economic stagnation. The city has been putting a great emphasis on the arts, decorating the downtown section and encouraging people to stay in affordable housing and work on whatever projects occupy their time. I also admired how the city is trying to improve the infrastructure and appeal to organizations needing office spaces or headquarters.
Even though I saw hope in Ajo, the strategies for economic growth will probably not have a significant impact on the area. The reality of the changing locational demographics in America just means bad news for a place like Ajo.