Poor Suburbs, Rich Cities: Popular Fiction

The false dichotomy of rich cities and poor suburbs is reductive and damaging.

2 minute read

November 3, 2016, 12:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Manhattan

Songquan Deng / Shutterstock

The rebound of the American city has been exaggerated, according to a story by Joe Cortright in City Observatory. While it's true that "inner cities" can't be called "a disaster.. in every possible way," it's just as true that they aren't all glittering "playgrounds of the rich." Cortright cautions: "As a description of the direction of change, these stories are right: many city neighborhoods are attracting more better-educated and higher-income residents," it also needs to be said that "the narrative of 'rich cities, poor suburbs' represents a vast overstatement of the scale of these changes," according to Cortright.

Furthermore, it's easy to manage the numbers to exaggerate the trend, looking at the case of a Brookings Institution report, Cortright found serious issues: "Dividing all urban space into just two categories (city and suburb) and reporting totals for each makes it seem like poverty is somehow increasing and evenly spread in every suburb. But that’s not true. Some poor suburbs are the older, first tier towns just outside the larger central city." He cites Hoboken, New Jersey and East Hartford, Connecticut as older cities, classified in Brookings study as suburbs.

The "so what" of all this change in cities is that it poses a real opportunity. Not for planners and urbanists to pat themselves on the backs for bringing people back to cities, but "to invest in city neighborhoods, commit to city schools, and exercise citizenship, there’s a huge opportunity to leverage this momentum to address the city’s poverty and segregation problems."

Thursday, October 20, 2016 in City Observatory

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

15 minutes ago - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

1 hour ago - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

2 hours ago - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.