Nashville’s Star Rises as Midsize Cities Break Into Winners and Losers

Nashville and others are thriving thanks to a mix of luck, astute political choices and well-timed investments, while cities like Birmingham, Ala., fall behind.

Nashville, right, and Birmingham, Ala., left, were peers 40 years ago. The success of superstar cities like New York and San Francisco and substars like Nashville has come at the expense of Birmingham and other smaller cities.CreditLynsey Weatherspoon for The New York Times