While the Twin Cities area continues to rank highly among U.S. metro areas for impressive employment and homeownership rates and low poverty rate, it also has the nation’s largest disparities.
Metropolitan Council analyses of U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) show a consistent finding: while the Twin Cities area continues to rank highly among U.S. metro areas for impressive employment and homeownership rates and low poverty rate, it also has the nation’s largest disparities between white residents and residents of color in these measures.
Despite gains among some groups on some measures, there have been no notable changes in the overall pattern of these racial and ethnic disparities, a testament to their persistence in the Twin Cities metro.
Further, this lack of substantive progress is unique: other metros have shown that they are closing gaps while the Twin Cities region falls behind.
“Our analyses show if we brought outcomes of people of color up to the levels of white residents by 2040, we would have 181,000 fewer people living in poverty, nearly 187,000 more homeowners, 80,000 more people holding jobs and $35.5 billion more earned in taxable income,” said Libby Starling. “These factors affect the region’s livability, prosperity and well-being for everyone.”
The Council’s Research staff have published an interactive data visualization that includes the most recent (2017) ACS data.
FULL STORY: Twin Cities Metro Area stands to gain by eliminating racial and ethnic disparities
A Tale of Two Chicagos
Acknowledging that many neighborhoods in Chicago have seen dramatic improvements in livability and income levels, one writer could still identify two Chicagos: “Global Chicago” and “Rust Belt Chicago.”
AI’s Growing Threat to Climate Justice
Emerging technologies like AI have great promise for climate innovation, but also a hidden environmental footprint could lead to disproportionate harm to low-income and marginalized communities.
New Houston Housing Report Tells a Story of Under-Investment
A new report from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research highlights the state of housing the Houston and Harris County, and more specifically, the historically Black neighborhood of Settegast in northeast Houston.
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?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions