Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-295) and index.

Hundred million Americans -- The cities of aspiration -- The archipelago of villages -- The resurgent heartland -- Post-ethnic America -- The 21st century community -- America in 2050. Visionary social thinker Joel Kotkin looks ahead to America in 2050, revealing how the addition of one hundred million Americans by midcentury will transform how we all live, work, and prosper. In stark contrast to the rest of the world's advanced nations, the United States is growing at a record rate and, according to census projections, will be home to four hundred million Americans by 2050. This projected rise in population is the strongest indicator of our long-term economic strength, Kotkin believes, and will make us more diverse and more competitive than any nation on earth. Drawing on prodigious research, firsthand reportage, and historical analysis, this book reveals how this unprecedented growth will take physical shape and change the face of America--focusing not on power brokers, policy disputes, or abstract trends, but rather on the evolution of the more intimate units of American society: families, towns, neighborhoods, industries.--From publisher description.