From Thai Towns to Little Ethiopias, cultural and ethnically-themed neighborhoods are increasingly sought by cities to lure economic activity and residents.
Developers and cultutral leaders are "negotiating with the city of Long Beach, east of Los Angeles, to create America's first Cambodia Town."
"If they succeed, it will join a fast-growing club. Before 2000 there were four signposted ethnic enclaves in and around Los Angeles: Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Koreatown and Little Saigon in Orange County. Since then a Little Armenia has appeared, together with a Thai Town, a Historic Filipinotown, a Little Ethiopia and a second Saigon Town. Other cities are following. Last week San Jose, in northern California, was considering a Vietnamese business district."
"Local officials have long seen such places as a cheap way of luring tourists. More recently, many have been influenced by Richard Florida, a sociologist who argues that young, educated workers are attracted to tolerant melting-pots."
FULL STORY: Ghetto fabulous
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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