A Decade After 9/11 Lower Manhattan Is a Magnet

Since the September 11 attacks, the areas in and surrounding Lower Manhattan have experienced an increase in the population of young, educated workers, reports Sam Roberts. Farther-off suburbs are seeing their share of such high-value workers shrink.

2 minute read

October 23, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT

By Jessica Hsu


"After suffering through a loss of jobs and residents in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks," writes Roberts, "Lower Manhattan has undergone a renaissance." According to the Census Bureau, the population within a two-mile radius of City Hall has increased by nearly 40,000 people in the past decade. A separate analysis by the Downtown Alliance found, "[t]oday, Lower Manhattan is surrounded by communities that have an increasing share of the region's high-value workers."

Lower Manhattan has grown "in part as a result of incentives, including subsidies and mass transit improvements, intended to spur a rebound after Sept. 11," notes Roberts. Within a 30–minute commute of downtown, the biggest population gains have happened in the Newport-Grove Street-Jersey City Heights area on the New Jersey waterfront and in Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn. Many parents are choosing to raise their families closer to the city as opposed to the suburbs, citing diverse communities and shorter commutes as benefits.

The Downtown Alliance found that the number of "college-educated people between 18 and 44 living within a 30-minute commute of Lower Manhattan" increased by more than 172,000 people between 2000 and 2010. "If these growth trends continue," the Downtown Alliance analysis said, "it will not be long before the young, educated population of areas surrounding Lower Manhattan outranks that found in all of Long Island; Hudson Valley, N.Y.; and southern Connecticut combined."

Friday, October 19, 2012 in The New York Times

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

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.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

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.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

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.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.