Cities and suburbs

Manhattan, New York City

Cities Are Back (At Least They Were Before COVID)

The 2020 Census results show that central cities were gaining population to a much greater extent than earlier Census estimates had suggested.

August 16, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Virginia State Government

Election 2019: Changing Demographics Explain Democrats' Victory in Virginia

It's not suburbs vs. cities but inner vs. outer suburbs that determined the outcome of elections in Virginia last Tuesday that flipped the General Assembly from red to blue.

November 12, 2019 - The New York Times

Manhattan, New York City

The View from Hudson Street—With Thoughts on Science and Orthodoxy

Anecdotal evidence isn't enough to make claims about the connection between density and crime, but the planning orthodoxy does so anyway.

October 17, 2018 - Fanis Grammenos

Cul-de-Sac

Two Simple Sentences Could Reshape Suburban America

A seemingly innocuous sentence embedded in almost every subdivision ordinance across the United States has disconnected neighborhoods and made cities unwalkable. Two sentences could change that.

October 3, 2017 - Modern Cities

Uptown Oakland

The Roots of Racial Transition

In some American cities, the white population is growing while the black population is declining. Is this a result of gentrification or of black upward mobility?

July 17, 2017 - Michael Lewyn

Moving Van

Ten Most Popular Millennial Moving Destinations

In addition to determining the most popular destinations for 18 to 35-year-olds, Mayflower (the moving company) found that 41 percent of this age group have no intention of staying at their selected cities permanently.

April 19, 2017 - Mayflower

The Villages Florida

How About Walkable 'Small Town-ism?'

With the high cost of land and housing in most major cities, why don't we just make the hundreds of "walkable" small towns in the United States more desirable places to live for average earners?

April 4, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Mansion

New ULI Report Classifies Differences Among Suburbs

The U.S. remains largely a suburban nation, though central cities are experiencing a great comeback after years of population loss. But what exactly is a suburb? A new report from the Urban Land Institute provides answers by providing subcategories.

December 9, 2016 - Urban Land Institute

Atlanta streetcar

Election Outcomes Put Atlanta Metro Region on Two Different Transportation Paths

Three sales tax measures in Fulton County all won on Nov. 8. Two city ballot measures sets a course for investment in public transit and active transportation for Atlanta, while Fulton County will invest in road projects to reduce traffic congestion.

November 28, 2016 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Old Timey Ticky Tacky

Tuesday's Election May Hinge on the Changing Demographics of Suburbs

Today's suburbs have changed dramatically from a generation ago. Younger, more diverse, and more liberal, they are "trending more Democratic." The PBS News Hour explores this critical demographic shift five days before Election Day.

November 7, 2016 - PBS NewsHour

Townhouses

Denser, More Urban Suburbs

Social changes in America relating to work, demographics and the family are changing the face of suburbs around the US.

October 19, 2016 - Curbed

Frank Lloyd Wright Oak Park

In Chicago, Suburbs Becoming More Liberal

Chicago suburban residents were long more conservative than the average Illinois voter but, over the last two decades, that has changed.

October 9, 2016 - City Notes

Fall Sprawl

If Housing Affordability Is Top Concern, Let Metro Regions Sprawl

Research from BuildZoom, a San Francisco-based contractors' website, shows that housing affordability increases with a region's ability to build outwards, as opposed to upwards. Densification largely has not accompanied efforts to curb sprawl.

September 16, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Suburban Woes Follow After Companies Depart for Cities

It's not bad enough that the Northeast is losing population to the South and West. As companies decamp from the suburbs, pristine communities, many where apartments are outlawed, are seeing a steady decline in housing values.

August 22, 2016 - The Atlantic

Tea party

Does Sprawl Make People Libertarian?

Criticizes the idea that suburbanization has made Americans more libertarian.

August 4, 2016 - Michael Lewyn

McDonald's

Big, Corporate 'Back to the City' Movement Continues

In the latest news, chemical company Chemours will remain in downtown Wilmington, Delaware's largest city. In June, McDonald's decamped from Chicago's suburbs for downtown. This latest corporate trend is the topic of a New York Times article.

August 3, 2016 - The New York Times

San Francisco Sprawl

The Real Reasons Affordable Housing Isn't Being Built in California

The policy tools used to address our nation's housing shortfall often seem to worsen the problem. But this is because they ignore the underlying infrastructure and financing to support growth.

July 7, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Chicago Blight

Black Flight From Gun Violence: Chicago's Loss Is Suburbia's Gain

Middle class African-Americans are fleeing Chicago due to crime, not due to being priced out, as is common elsewhere. "On average more than 10,000 African-Americans leave the city every," reports Brandis Friedman of WTTW for the PBS NewsHour.

May 23, 2016 - PBS NewsHour

Seaside Entrance

The Same Old Misconceptions

Misconceptions about New Urbanism persist.

March 7, 2016 - Michael Lewyn

McMansion

Empty Nesters Stuck in the Suburbs

Just when boomers are ready to return to the city to enjoy all its cultural offerings, they find themselves priced out. Many do downsize, however, from large single family homes to more urban areas close to home.

March 4, 2016 - The New York Times

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