Is the donut effect spreading to the suburbs? First it was older cities that lost population to their suburbs, but that flight now has spread to their greater metro areas. Paradoxically, gentrification occurs as the wealthy return to the cities.
The Census Bureau measured domestic migration -- people moving within the United States -- and discovered that nearly every large metropolitan area had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004.
"It's a case of middle class flight, a flight for housing affordability," said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "But it's not just white middle class flight, it's Hispanics and blacks, too."
The states that attracted the most new residents: Florida, Arizona, and Nevada. The states that lost the most: California, New York, and Illinois.
"New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago -- the three biggest metropolitan areas -- lost the most residents to domestic moves. The New York metropolitan area had a net loss of more than 210,000 residents a year from 2000 to 2004."
Richard Florida, a professor of public policy at George Mason University, said smaller, wealthier households are replacing larger families in many big metropolitan areas, driving up housing prices even as the population shrinks, and chasing away even more members of the middle class. "Because they are bidding up prices, they are forcing some people out to the exurbs and the fringe," Florida said.
Thanks to MTC-ABAG_Library, Oakland, CA
FULL STORY: Middle class flees U.S. cities, seeking affordable housing

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions