The Evolving Nature of Cities

Brookings says that the old distinctions no longer apply; we're headed into an era of "Next Frontier", "New Heartland" and "Diverse Giant" metros.

1 minute read

June 7, 2010, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


The terms "Rust Belt" and "Sun Belt" are dead, says a new report from the Brookings Institute titled The State of Metropolitan America. Brookings divides metro areas into seven new categories, including the "Mid-Sized Magnet" metro:

"Mid-Sized Magnet metro areas: These areas 'have experienced high growth, but exhibit lower shares of Hispanic and Asian minorities, and lower levels of educational attainment. Like many Border Growth centers, many of these 15 mid-sized, mostly Southeastern locations got caught in the growth spiral of the 2000s that ended abruptly with the housing crash.'"

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