Census Bureau data indicates that the shift to Sun Belt suburbs is still the majority preference. Turns out warmth, jobs, and affordable housing are a powerful triumvirate.
Although places like Seattle now enjoy an influx of urban-loving migrants, apparently the pre-2008 Sun Belt bonanza is back in full swing. Neil Irwin writes, "Where is the population growing fastest? Places that are warm, places that have ample affordable housing and places that are popular retirement destinations. It is an old story."
These trends continue a growth pattern very familiar to most of us. "Consider this: If you know how quickly a place added population from 1980 to 2000, you can predict with pretty good confidence how quickly its population grew in 2014." According to Jed Kolko, chief economist at Trulia, there is an 82 percent correlation between these two figures.
The inner-ring housing that infill advocates prefer is inexpensive, but often lies in areas that have shed jobs. "If, like the major cities of Texas, you have affordable housing because building laws allow developers to respond to higher demand by building more, then inexpensive housing is a draw. If, on the other hand, housing is inexpensive because there are so few job opportunities, then cheap housing will tend to coincide with population outflows."
FULL STORY: The Giant Retirement Community That Explains Where Americans Are Moving
Urban Millennials Stuck in the Three Largest U.S. Metros
For a variety of economic reasons in addition to urban preferences, young people are not leaving the country's three major metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and that's not good for the nation's economy nor the individuals.
Leaving New York
Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau showed New York with an estimated population of 19.5 million people as of July 1, 2019, making it the fourth largest state in the country, but also showed that New York’s population dropped.
2019 Year-End Census Estimate: Slowest Growth in 100 Years
The 12-month period ending July 1, 2019, saw the lowest population growth rate, 0.5 percent, since 1918, reported the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday. Natural increase (births minus deaths) was the lowest in decades. Ten states saw population declines.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research