South and West Get More Influential

Yonah Freemark says that new Census data is revealing that the South and West are growing while the Midwest and East are shrinking, which could signal a shift in policy from traditionally urban areas to more exurban-centric regions.

1 minute read

December 25, 2010, 11:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


And yet, Freemark notes, the power shift may not be as dramatic as all that:

"For one, in many of the states that are growing quickly, cities are also doing well: Houston, Las Vegas, and Phoenix-among others-are all quickly densifying in their downtown cores. Between 2000 and 2009, for example, the City of Atlanta grew by 125,000 individuals: That's a 30% increase. And urban areas in the South and West need good public transportation and affordable housing subsidies just as much as do those in the Northeast and Midwest."

Friday, December 24, 2010 in Next American City

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