The story of the success of American cities is more complicated when we look at the details.
On a county-by-county level, the highest wages tend to be in urban counties, but that's not the whole story. On average, counties that are part of large metro areas have the highest wages, while rural counties have to lowest salaries, but rural counties have the edge in wage growth. "Rural communities have seen significantly faster growth in wages and salaries than their urban counterparts," Richard Florida writes in CityLab. When it comes to the fastest wage growth, "Nearly 275 rural counties are in this top 10 percent (including more than 100 small rural counties that are not adjacent to metro areas), compared to just 41 urban counties," Florida reports.
FULL STORY: Wages Are Higher in Urban Areas, But Growing Faster in Rural Ones
Dense Cities Have Less to Offer Low-Skilled Workers Than They Once Did
A study from economist David Autor finds that the higher wages once offered workers without college degrees or special skills are mostly gone. Workers in cities often earn what they would in rural areas.
Low Pay, High Housing Costs: Not a Good Equation for Teachers
The rising cost of housing, along with the pandemic, has transformed the lack of housing affordable to teachers in expensive parts of California from bad to worse. Solutions so far only address half the problem or don’t go far enough.
Could Inflation Spur an Urban Rebound?
Inflation is hitting rural areas particularly hard. One expert sees the possibility of rural residents reconsidering cities as a place to avoid higher costs associated with rural mobility and to make more money.
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