Is Newark a City?

It is not, according to Wendell Cox, as posited in a recent article he's written for the website New Geography. Tim Evans looks at Cox's "creative use of Census geography" in his attempts to refute evidence of the growing urban comeback.

1 minute read

April 23, 2012, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Evans sees Cox's recent article as an attempt to "muddy the waters" that demonstrate increased interest in urban living, and struggling far-flung exurbs.

Evans argues that for urban commentators who feel "threatened" by these trends, Wendell Cox and Joel Kotkin among them, "The 'problem'... (and this is only a problem if you're seeking to discredit the notion that there might be people out there who don't want to live in spread-out, single-use, cul-de-sac suburbia) is that people moving back into denser, downtown-style small towns and older suburbs supports the idea of a return to a pre-Interstate Highway-era settlement pattern."

Which brings Evans to Newark. In their efforts to disprove the rise in urban living, "sprawl apologists" define "suburb and exurb" so broadly that it includes everything but the biggest cities. "By doing so, you are effectively taking data that contradicts your preferred narrative and using it instead to bolster that narrative. That's what Joel Kotkin has been doing, and it's what Wendell Cox is doing in this more recent New Geography article. Cox's concept of a 'suburb' is even more inclusive than Kotkin's, capturing not just Jersey City (among others) but Newark, New Jersey's largest city."

Friday, April 20, 2012 in New Jersey Future

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view of red brick multi-story power plant building in Pittsburgh, PA.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower

A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

July 4 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cyclist on protected bike lane in middle of street in Washington D.C. with Washington Monument obelisk visible in background.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”

The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

July 4 - Streetsblog USA

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business