In this post on The Infrastructurist, Peter Kageyama looks at a recent listing of 10 "dying" cities, and how the metrics used to rate these places can be and have been misinterpreted.
"This under-18 measurement is highly problematic – a recent USA Today analysis of the 2010 census found that 95% of U.S. counties lost population in the under-18 demographic. Overall, the under-18 population remained relatively static despite an overall 9.7% growth in total U.S. population. Households with children dropped from 36% in 2000 to 33.5% in 2010. To find the areas that have gained population in the under-18 group, "all you have to do is look for Latino immigrants. They are the only group in the U.S. that is producing children above replacement rates" said Kevin Stolarick, Research Director for the Martin Prosperity Institute in Toronto.
Yes, population loss is a metric that needs to be tracked and measured - but it should not be equated with death. If that were simply the case, Chicago would be a dying city, since it lost nearly 7% of its population from 2000 to 2010. As human beings we stop "growing" in our early 20s, yet we hardly think of a 25-year-old as dying - still, at a cellular level, they are dying in the same way that these cities are dying."
He argues that losing population is not the same as losing, hope, purpose, or the livelihood of cities.
FULL STORY: The Surprising Life in America’s Supposedly ‘Dying’ Cities
Is This Urbanism?
Chuck Wolfe ponders a recommended subscription list of Substack urbanists and wonders — as have others — about the utility of the "urbanist" moniker.
Survey: US Public Spaces Not Meeting Community Needs
A lack of funding prevents many U.S. parks and public spaces from playing a more significant role in helping residents meet daily needs.
Is the Urban Form Sustainable?
One author offers a framework for resilience that rethinks common assumptions about the inevitability of cities as we know them.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie