The author of the "The Rise of the Creative Class" and the "New Urban Crisis" says cities have had their moment.
[Updated September 5, 2017] "As it turns out, the much-ballyhooed new age of the city might be giving way to a great urban stall-out," according to an opinion piece written by Richard Florida.
While many, if not most, large cities grew faster than their suburbs between 2000 and 2015, in the last two years the suburbs outgrew cities in two-thirds of America’s large metropolitan areas, according to a detailed analysis of the latest census data by the demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution. Fourteen big cities lost population in 2015-16 compared with just five in 2011-12, with Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, hemorrhaging the most people.
Florida presents more data to support this depiction of urban areas before examining some of the causes of this reversal of fortune. "Foremost is a recent uptick in violent crime," according to Florida, and then there's the fact that "the most desirable cities have become incredibly expensive places to live."
"Finally, the anti-urban mood in Washington and many state legislatures is making things worse for cities at the worst possible time," writes Florida to end the argument about the causes of the urban malaise. The opinion piece, however, is concluded with an appeal to the importance of cities in the national economy.
Florida's take on the national zeitgeist is echoed in another recent article from Bloomberg that pins much of the current demographic trends on choices made by the Millennial generation.
[Post updated with the correct title of The Rise of the Creative Class.]
FULL STORY: The Urban Revival Is Over
The Return of Suburbanization
The "back to the city" movement of the past decade or so could prove to be the outlier, as Census data shows population growth slowing in the biggest cities while suburban areas lead population growth in more metropolitan areas.
Pushing Back on 'Suburban Triumphalism'
Interested observers have been predicting a crest of the American "back to the city" movement for years now—the idea that as Millennials come of age they will lose interest in urban lifestyles and seek the comfort of the suburbs.
Population Decline in the Latest Census Estimates
Not only are suburbs growing, many of the larger, older cities that had reversed decades of population decline, are now losing population, again. The biggest losers: counties with the greatest population densities.
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
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.
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