Boomtowns refer to places that grow rapidly in population, job opportunities, and business activity in a very short period of time. The most common way a boomtown is developed is when a precious resource, like gold, silver, and oil, is found or when large companies open new facilities. Boomtowns start off as small towns but then the population grows because of people coming to these towns to seek job and business opportunities. These new jobs attract more workers and will also encourage local shops, restaurants, and services to expand their business. This loop will keep on going and boost all the businesses.
A boomtown represents a community that experiences enormous growth that results from emerging a new industry. A good example of this is the discovery of gold in California in 1848 which turned small towns like Sacramento and San Francisco into bustling cities in a very short time. As this news spread, thousands of people came to make a fortune believing that they could get rich fast. People, especially women, used their homemaking skills like sewing, cooking, and cleaning to make a living to meet the high demand of people.This caused towns near gold mines to grow rapidly due to oncoming people. Thousands of companies and adventurers flooded into towns like San Fransisico and these towns grew into gigantic cities almost overnight.
In my opinion, Boomtown has both positive and negative aspects. On one hand, economic growth not only creates jobs for prospectors, it also benefits the small local businesses. Meanwhile, People all around the world bring their goods and services to boomtowns, so overall living standards will go up. In the end, with an easier life and higher paying jobs a place like a boom town will grow and attract more people that have multiple talents. These types of skilled individuals will bring new skills and techniques that will eventually lead to a win-win. This cycle of increased economic opportunities and business growth is the greatest benefit of a boomtown.
While boomtowns create job opportunities for many local residents, rapid growth also brings challenges like unaffordable housing, increased population, and traffic. For example, several years ago, Amazon wanted to build a second headquarters at Long Island City but the citizens of Long Island City protested. According to research, Amazon will bring twenty five thousand high paying jobs and billions in tax revenue in over ten to fifteen years. However, local residents worry that the increasing population will cause overcrowding and resource shortage. One of Long Island's schools is already two hundred and twelve percent of the maximum capacity, so when more workers come then more schools will have to be built. Although the possible rapid growth brought by Amazon has lots of benefits, it brings more significant impact on the quality of life standards than the overall gain. The chances of becoming a boomtown were slim, the people of Long Island city made their own choice for their own good.
In conclusion, boomtown demonstrates vast opportunity for economic growth as well as challenge and cost if not managed well. On one hand, rapid growth will create more employment and raise life standards. It will even be possible for regular people to become wealthy at this special time. This would raise tax revenue and so the local government and the public institutions would benefit. They used the fund for public services and facilities. On the other hand, when a town expands in such a short time it will bring challenges to the local residents like housing shortage, sudden increase in population, and traffic. So, if boomtowns want to hold prosperity in the long run, balance is the key. Growth will benefit the local residents only if the government makes the right decisions and planning.
Source:
Will Amazon Ruin or Revitalize New York City? By Jenny Schuetz and Elizabeth Goldstein.
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