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.
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.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
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