[justinph]

  But...how much do those things matter in a modern world?

I think they're going to start mattering a lot more in the future. The drought in the west is likely to continue to get worse. Water isn't exactly abundant in many cities in the south and west, either. Other metro areas that are built on endless sprawl like Phoenix or Atlanta are in trouble when oil gets expensive again (and it will). They have no natural resources and no strategic reason to exist. Detroit does.

[selectodude]

Detroit has the same sprawl with no public transit issue as Phoenix, and unlike LA, Dallas, Miami, etcetera, isn't doing anything to fix it. If it's about water and natural resources, along with an urban environment and car-free lifestyle, Chicago is really the only place to be.