Media is full of stories about people fleeing the city for suburban or even rural climes during the pandemic. The data from real estate search sites tell a different story.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, writers have predicted that downtowns and urban areas would fall out of the favor that had defined the past decade-plus in the United States. According to an article by Marie Patino that cites multiple data sources, those predictions haven't yet come true:
A new report by City Observatory researcher Joe Cortright, made available as an interactive dashboard, suggests that such hand-wringing may be premature. Searches for urban properties on real estate website Zillow increased in 29 of the 35 largest U.S. metropolitan markets in April, compared with April of last year. Data from another website, Apartment List, show that more people were looking to live in New York City during that same month, the darkest one in terms of lives lost in New York, and much of the northeastern U.S.
The article includes soundbites from Cortright explaining the significance of the data reported in the new interactive dashboard, along with the significance of the ongoing preference for city living exhibited by young people.
FULL STORY: An Urban Exodus? Not Yet, New Research Shows
Biden Signs Legislation Ending Covid 19 National Emergency
The Covid 19 national emergency enacted by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 was officially ended on Monday by President Joe Biden.
Study: Poor Air Quality Fuels COVID Transmission
Communities exposed to higher levels of air pollution experience higher rates of infection, particularly in areas with high population density.
Don't Call it a Comeback: Big Cities Are Outlasting Predictions of Demise
As the new world order of working from home and vaccine hesitancy settles in, it's time to reevaluate assumptions from early in the pandemic about the effect of the public health on the economic health of large cities.
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.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie