Cities of 4 million or more people lost 600,000 residents to domestic migration.
More people moved to small U.S. cities and towns (those with populations less than 250,000) in 2023 than to larger cities, according to data from the University of Virginia. Writing in Bloomberg CityLab, Michael Sasso notes that the growth is attributed in large part to the persistence of remote work.
Towns under 250,000 people grew by 291,400. This is the first time small towns gained more population since at least the 1970s.“Areas with more than 4 million people were the big losers, shedding almost 600,000 people last year, according to Lombard’s research using US Census Bureau data.”
Read the full story: Record Wave of Americans Fled Big Cities for Small Ones in 2023
The Hollowing Out of Rural Georgia
America’s rural population is declining for the first time in history. In Georgia, it amounts to a demographic crisis.
Texas, Florida Saw Most Growth in 2021, Says U-Haul
Based on an index comparing inbound and outbound moving truck rentals, Texas had the largest population growth in the United States in 2021, while California and Illinois saw the biggest losses.
Is the built environment partly to blame for population decline?
The way communities are designed could be contributing to lower birth rates.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
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.
California’s ‘unrecognizable’ water plan may go down the drain
After four years of regulatory processes, water agencies say the plan to overhaul how cities and farms take water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has changed dramatically.
Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders
The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.
NYC bus network redesign speeds up Queens buses
Rush routes have seen a 4.6% speed increase after the redesign.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority