Downtown Neighborhoods Lead In New Apartment Construction

Neighborhoods in urban cores are seeing the highest rates of new apartment construction in the last five years, signaling a continued interest in downtown living despite fears of an 'urban exodus' brought on by the pandemic.

1 minute read

November 10, 2021, 6:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Los Angeles High Rise Construction

Kit Leong / Shutterstock

A recent analysis by RentCafe shows that 'hyper-urban' downtown neighborhoods have seen the most active apartment construction in the last five years, reports Florentina Sarac.

"Despite the fact that downtown areas haven’t always been desirable places to live in, that has certainly changed in the last decade," writes Sarac. The article lists the top 20 neighborhoods for apartment construction in the U.S., led by downtown Los Angeles with 10,136, or a whopping 39% of the city's new apartment supply and twice as many apartments as any other neighborhood. Other popular areas include Midtown Atlanta, Hunters Point in Queens, New York, and Downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The neighborhood with the highest share of new apartments in its city was San Jose, California, where tech workers continue to fuel an intensely competitive housing market.

These numbers show that despite concerns about COVID-19 transmission, urban cores remain attractive places to live. Once the bastion of 9-to-5 workers, some experts say central business districts will likely transform into multi-purpose neighborhoods as the demand for physical office space falls.

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 in RentCafé

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

People vote in Chicago behind blue privacy screens

Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners

Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents

November 5 - Block Club Chicago

Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks into a microphone. He wears a gray suit.

NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting

New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.

November 5 - The City Reporter

People in Los Angeles going to the polls, following a sign with an "I Voted" design

California appears to reject Prop. 45

The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.

November 5 - Cal Matters