The Economic Innovation Group has released its 2020 Distressed Communities Index.
"A shocking 70% of the nation’s 1,036 majority-Black ZIP codes are considered 'distressed,' while only 19 — 1.8% — rank as 'prosperous,'" according to an article by Andy Olin.
Olin cites the most recent Distressed Communities Index (DCI) from the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), in addition to focusing on the fact that two of the prosperous zip codes are located in Fort Bend County, Texas.
"Distressed communities are characterized by widespread poverty, high rates of unemployment and low levels of educational attainment. They also face stagnant or negative economic growth, which means little to no change in the prospects of those who live there," according to Olin's explanation.
"The seven metrics used to calculate a community’s score on the index were no high school diploma, housing vacancy rate, adults not working, poverty rate, median income ratio, change in employment and change in business establishments." Four out of the five most prosperous majority-Black ZIP codes in the country are located in Maryland, according to these metrics.
In total, the report estimates that 50.5 million Americans live in distressed zip codes, compared to 50 million in 2016. The report makes the case that the gap between prosperous and distressed grew in the United States over the course of the past decade, but despite the high ratio of distressed majority-Black ZIP codes, the share of the U.S. Black population living in distressed zip codes dropped between 2010 and 2018, according to the report.
FULL STORY: There are only 19 prosperous majority-Black ZIP codes in the US. The Houston area is home to two
A Better Way to Tackle Social and Economic Inequality
Building community wealth from the bottom up is a more effective way to turn struggling communities around.
A Map of the Most Economically Distressed Communities in the United States
The economic recovery of recent years has not reached all corners of the country—it hasn’t even reached all corners of many cities. A new report plots a new map of the nation's distressed communities.
Putting the Myth of the Redlining Maps to Rest
Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps have long been blamed for racial inequities in today’s Black neighborhoods, but recent research shows that’s misleading.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service