Tomorrow Never Came

In 1868, Jesup W. Scott claimed that by the year 2000, “Toledo would be the largest city in the world.”Unfortunately, Scott’s vision of Toledo never came true. At least, not fully.In 2000, Toledo, Ohio, was not the largest city in the world.Today, Toledo is not the largest city in the world. It’s only the 81st-largest city in the United States, and its population has shrunk by more than 100,000 people over the last 50 years.The problem is not just that people are leaving Toledo. Population decline is actually quite common — last year, researchers predicted that half of all U.S. cities will face depopulation by the end of this century.Welcome to episode one of Brain Drain, a Midstory podcast that explores the city of Toledo through the eyes of the people who’ve left it behind. In this episode, we untangle Toledo in its past and present — and perhaps most importantly, in all its dissonance.Visit www.midstory.org/braindrain to explore interactive data visuals and listen to bonus content.