Unlike previous generations that fled cities, in part over of fears of crime, today people leave many cities because they can't afford them.
Cities like Austin are seeing their growth move from the city center to the suburbs. Hays County, southwest of the city is growing instead. "The county, where builders have transformed farmland into gleaming new subdivisions with slogans like “Where Austin goes to grow”, expanded by 5% between July 2016 and July 2017," The Economist writes.
They see this change, the scale of which was shown by Brookings Institution, as driven in large part by prices. "Growth in America’s three largest metropolitan areas is sluggish. Los Angeles grew by just 0.19% from 2016 to 2017, while New York expanded by 0.23% and Chicago actually shrank by 0.14%. In 2017, five times as many Americans moved to New York’s suburbs as moved to the Big Apple," The Economist reports. They point out that the stereotype of millennials who hate cars and love cities is exaggerated as millennials are more likely than the generation before them to opt out of living in cities as young people.
FULL STORY: High prices in America’s cities are reviving the suburbs
Texas, the Bellwether State
With its rapid economic growth, dynamic cities, and increasingly diverse population, Texas could offer a model for the future of the United States.
A Frank Discussion About Struggling Suburbs
Many suburban areas outside thriving urban cores are struggling to deliver vital services and maintain property values as job and population growth stagnates. It's time to confront the realities of those communities, according to this article.
The Myth of the 'Childless City'
It is conventional wisdom that suburbs are more attractive to families with children than cities. But in fact, the most dense urban cores are gaining children to a greater extent than their suburbs.
The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.
The ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for Office Conversion
A formula for the ideal office-to-housing candidate.
Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.
Millennials Now Majority Homeowners
Just over half of people in the ‘Y’ generation now own homes, but the largest generation also continues to dominate the rental market.
Minnesota Lawmakers Propose New Ridehailing, Delivery Fees
The proposed fees on transportation network companies and delivery services would help cover buddget shortfalls for transportation and transit in the state.
Part of Houston’s Main Street to Be Permanently Pedestrianized
A seven-block stretch downtown will remain closed to cars after the success of a pandemic-era outdoor dining program.
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Strategic Economics Inc
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.
