The public health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus are threatening to further entrench inequality in America—between regions and within cities.
According to Clara Hendrickson and Mark Muro, "the pandemic might intensify the unevenness of America’s divergent economy, with disturbing implications."
Because the coronavirus first spread through affluent urban centers—San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City—some have wondered whether the pandemic would bring about a more geographically balanced economy by inspiring white collar workers will move in droves to less expensive parts of the country that could badly use the economic boost. "Don't bet on it," write Hendrickson and Muro. "Despite the increasing adoption of digital technology in American workplaces, economic activity has become more—not less—concentrated," according to the duo. As for why:
...while the density of large cities may be a disadvantage in fighting the spread of the coronavirus, it likely will remain an advantage in a 21st century knowledge economy, where the biggest places with the richest exchanges of ideas among highly educated workers have enjoyed the greatest economic returns.
The article also examines the pandemic's unequal consequences within cities (i.e., not just the inequality between cities and regions)—as neighborhoods in some of these cities, filled by blue collar workers keeping the economy afloat while bearing the brunt of the public health consequences of the pandemic.
FULL STORY: Will COVID-19 rebalance America’s uneven economic geography? Don’t bet on it.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
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The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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