The Colorado Demographer's Office is projecting big changes for the demographics of the suburban counties and cities surrounding Denver—even as overall growth for the region is expected to slow.

"Denver’s suburbs will be home to a more ethnically diverse population and a lot more aging Baby Boomers by 2040, even as the metro area’s growth slows from the torrid pace it has kept since the 1990s," reports John Aguilar to introduce the first story in an occasional series exploring the changes occurring in Denver's suburbs.
The primary narrative presented in this story: minorities arriving and putting down roots around the metropolitan area. Aguilar provides more detail: "In the next 10 years, the [Colorado] demographer’s office pegs expects growth across metro Denver for Latinos at nearly 30% over the next 10 years, Asians at 36% and the Black population at 13%. Population growth among non-Hispanic whites? Just 4%."
In the Denver metro area, Adams County has the most diverse population. "The state demographer’s office projects the county’s Latino population to overtake the white, non-Hispanic population in the coming decade by about 30,000 people — a growth rate of 35% versus 6% for white residents," reports Aguilar. In part of the city of Aurora, 160 languages are spoken in the school district.
Part of the reason so many Latinos are moving to Denver's suburban areas, according to Aguilar: the relentless escalation in Denver’s home prices in the last several years.
In addition to heaps of data, Aguilar also reports the human angle, talking to recent arrivals to the Denver suburbs—all of whom talk about their new homes in terms of opportunities for job and education.
And there is also the large numbers of Baby Boomers moving to the suburbs. "The demographer’s office projects that people ages 80 to 84 will leap in population between now and 2030 by 83.4% — the fastest rate by far of any age bracket in Colorado," according to Aguilar. "All told, the number of 65-and-up residents in Colorado is estimated to grow by 39% by 2030, wildly outpacing any other age group in the state."
FULL STORY: Denver’s changing suburbs: The future is older and more racially and ethnically diverse

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.

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

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.

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
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.