Utah seems to be on track to become more diverse as time goes by. When you look at the “at-a-glance” graph on the first page, you can clearly see that while the population will grow across all races and ethnic groups, it is projected to grow the most among Hispanics, African Americans, and those who consider themself to have 2 or more races. While Utah will still be predominantly white, the minority population will grow and get bigger over the next 50 years. This increase in population from many different races and ethnicities will mean there will most likely be an increase in the types of jobs available, different restaurant options to cater to a more diverse crowd, and many different companies coming to Utah to employ the new influx of workers available.
The article also states that the most growth will happen among a younger generation and that the older generation will mainly remain the same as it is right now and will not grow much. With more people coming to Utah who are part of a younger generation, this will mean we will need an increase in schools and teachers to handle this new influx. Colleges and Universities will need to grow with this new demand as well, and this will hopefully create more jobs for many. Another important thing that will need to increase is the homes available to house the many newcomers. Already now I am seeing more apartment and condo-type places being built instead of single-family homes. With the amount of growth that is expected to happen, having a larger number of homes available will be beneficial, and you can definitely fit more living spaces on top of each other than next to each other.
When just looking at Utah County, we can see there is going to be a serious influx of people moving here. With this influx of new residents will also come more opportunities for jobs. Out of all the different areas in Utah that were looked at during this research, Utah County will be growing the most when it comes to job opportunities available. According to the research, one in three new jobs in Utah will be in Utah County. In all the tables provided on pages 4-6, Utah County ranks in the top 4 every single time. Many of the people living in Utah County will be between the ages of 25 and 64, which makes them perfect for the booming job market that will be there.
Utah
County is only so large, and we have already filled up a lot of the viable
spaces with
homes that have been around for a long time. All the cities tend to merge
together, and there really isn’t any place between the cities that shows where one ends and the next one starts. Some of the negative side effects from this
immense growth will be finding space for all these new residents and the new
employers looking to make Utah County their home as well. A lot of growth has
already been achieved on the “other side” of Utah Lake. There is still a lot of
land that can be developed as more growth is coming, but will Utah have enough
water to support that growth, as most of that land is in a very dry part of the
state? The additional cars that will be occupying the existing roads will also
create more problems, as we can already see with the growth we are
currently experiencing. If you live on the other side of the lake but work in
Orem, it could potentially take you 45 minutes to get to work, and even longer
during rush hour. Utah will need to make sure the roads and highways grow with
the population that is expected to come to Utah.
As a positive, a lot of the older areas of Utah County will probably be revitalized as old homes will make way for newer ones. Roads will be enlarged, and maybe that bridge Utahns have talked about for a while now will actually happen across Utah Lake to create a faster alternative than the busy road that goes around it. I really hope Utah County will also grow more when it comes to public transportation, as that will really help alleviate the stress of more vehicles. I use public transportation a lot as I live in Provo and have good access to it, but many people don’t, and so a better system will be beneficial to many. More money will come to Utah in the form of taxes, which will help build more schools and roads as they will be needed. Hopefully, more tourism money will also find its way to Utah, as we do have some amazing mountains to get lost in. As the population grows in Utah County, so will the entertainment and nightlife, which will be great for the younger generation, will stimulate the economy that way as well. I chose to live in Provo as I have two daughters who are part of that demographic, and Provo is definitely starting to be more hip and cool for that crowd. As I am seeing the larger condos and apartment complexes built there, where old large businesses were before, it is super cool as it is revitalizing the city and making it more attractive to the younger crowd. Even though age-wise I am not part of that crowd as I am in my 40s, I do enjoy the smaller living spaces that are created, as many newcomers will most likely have smaller families and will see Provo as a great hub to live and work in.
[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
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