Nate Berg looks at new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau that puts hard numbers behind what people across the country have observed: America's downtowns are booming again.
As Berg notes, the new figures [PDF] released by the Census Bureau show that across America downtown populations grew significantly between 2000 and 2010. "Together, the total metro population living within four miles of city
hall is more than 54 million – almost 21 percent of America's metro
population. That's 17.5 percent of the national population living within
a quick car ride, 30-minute bike ride or hour-long walk of the center
of a big city," writes Berg.
The downtown growth has not been consistent across all metro areas, however, with larger metro areas showing a higher growth rate. "[T]those with populations of 5 million or more, saw a collective growth
rate of more than 13 percent in the areas within two miles of city hall," reports Berg. While, "Metros
with fewer than 2.5 million people saw only modest increases (0.2
percent for the 500,000 to 999,999 group) or even decreases (-1.2
percent for the 1 million to 2.499 million group)."
It's worth noting that the notable downtown growth did not preclude the expansion of the country's suburban and exurban areas as population centers. "And that's especially true in the largest
metropolitan areas," writes Berg. "While the close-in areas in these metros' downtown
saw double-digit growth between 2000 and 2010, so did areas 30 miles and
beyond."
FULL STORY: It's Official: Downtowns Are Booming
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.