Sun Belt

Sunshine State Overtakes Empire State as Third Most Populous State

William H. Frey, Brookings Institution demographer, writes on the latest Census Bureau demographic data. California and Texas remain number one and two respectively. New York had 19.7 million residents on July 1, 2014, Florida 19.9 million people.

January 4, 2015 - Brookings

The Fizzled Vision for a "Megapolitan" Sun Belt

Only 7 short years ago, planners in the Phoenix/Tuscon area were envisioning a region of 10 million people. Today they're scaling back the predictions, but still have hope for a recovery.

October 25, 2011 - The Arizona Daily Star

Housing and the Growth of the Sun Belt

Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show big growth in the Sun Belt of the Southwest. This piece from The New York Times looks into why.

December 30, 2010 - The New York Times

Troubled Times for Sun Belt Cities

Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that poverty is at a high point in America. Hit especially hard is the Sun Belt.

September 28, 2010 - Next American City

Population Loss in the Sun Belt

Census estimates show that St. Petersburg, Florida, lost population between 2008 and 2009 -- a decline that's expected to continue.

June 25, 2010 - St. Petersburg Times

Metro Areas Organizing Themselves Towards Regional Goals

Metropolitan officials in the Sun Corridor of Arizona are increasingly working together to form a self-organized super-region, according to this analysis.

February 22, 2010 - The New Republic

How The Housing Bubble Affected Demographics

Economist Edward L. Glaeser takes a look at how the housing bubble has affected changing populations in the Sun Belt.

January 16, 2010 - The New York Times

Tightening the Sun Belt

The real estate growth that had been feeding itself in the Sun Belt has come to an end. Now many places like Phoenix are drying up.

August 29, 2009 - The New York Times

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

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.