Fact Check: What's Really Going on in 'Inner Cities'?

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump described inner cities as "a disaster education-wise, jobwise, safety-wise, in every way possible" during the second presidential debate, inspiring criticism from multiple experts on contemporary urbanism.

Emily Badger, for instance, debunks Donald Trump' mention of "inner cities" from several angles:

"Inner city," in short, is imprecise in describing today’s urban reality. It captures neither the true geography of poverty or black America, nor the quality of life in many communities located in central cities.

To prove the pint that neighborhoods previously thought of as "inner cities" are now performing very well economically, Badger cites a recent analysis by researchers at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which "found that home values have risen faster in the heart of big cities than anywhere else in the country over the last 25 years, a sign of their turnaround and a trend Mr. Trump, as a real estate developer, is likely to be aware of."

Kristen Jeffers has also written a critique of Trump's "inner cities" word choice, explaining the concentric city model and its importance to planning and development in the process.