In 2009, smaller metro areas benefited from increased government spending while many of the country’s wealthiest areas saw incomes decrease.
Over the past few years, small cities with economies are buoyed by military- and government-related funds have seen per capita income rise while cities across the country generally experienced income decreases. While the wealthiest individuals still tend to be concentrated near large cities with strong finance and business sectors, state capitals, military towns and college towns have more recession-resistant economies, according to Venessa Wong. The recent uptick in personal incomes in cities like Manhattan, Kansas and Jacksonville, North Carolina can be attributed in part to across-the-board increases in federal and military salaries.
Wong writes:
'Of large metropolitan areas with populations of 1 million or more, only three had an increase in both net earnings and personal income in 2009: Washington, D.C., San Antonio, and Virginia Beach-all areas with significant government and military presences.'
FULL STORY: The Money's in Manhattan. Manhattan, Kansas
Americans Continue to Move to Smaller Cities
Cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 continue to see an influx of migrants lured by lower costs of living and high quality-of-life metrics.
Legacy Cities, Post-Pandemic
The question of how the pandemic and all of its corresponding crises will alter the future of cities and planning has persisted since March. This article rightfully focuses those large, challenging questions of the Legacy Cities of the United States.
U.S. Cities Where Homeowners Stay Put the Longest
A study identifies cities where people stay in their homes longer, and they tend to be at either end of the income and home values spectrum.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
