Urban Exodus

Silicon Valley

Bay Area Workers are Moving Back

Many of the tech employees who left Silicon Valley during the pandemic are making their way back to the Bay Area–and so are higher rents.

July 27, 2021 - New York Times

Mt. Rainier

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities

The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

June 4, 2021 - The Seattle Times

California State University, Los Angeles

COVID Vaccines Are Already Changing Cities

Here are just a few ways urban environments are transforming and reinventing themselves in the wake of the coronavirus.

May 23, 2021 - Devin Partida

Empty Road

Americans Are Moving, but Staying Close to Home

Despite fears of a mass exodus, most cities are seeing only modest population losses, with the majority of movers staying in the same metro area.

May 6, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

California Shelter-in-Place

Retaining Skilled Workers in Urban Areas

Over the past year, there's been a mass exodus out of major urban areas. In states like New York, Illinois, and California, more than 59% of migration was outbound.

April 15, 2021 - Devin Partida

California Shelter-in-Place

Two Stories From 2020: Which Is True?

Have all cities lost people due to COVID-19, or just a few high-cost ones?

March 1, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Moving

Expect a Big Year for Moving Companies, Survey Says

A recent City Monitor survey says the pandemic is inspiring a growing number of people to consider new locations for living and working.

February 11, 2021 - City Monitor

California and Nevada

'Zoom Towns': Paradigm Shift or Age-Old Pattern?

In California, housing prices have shot up in resort areas like Lake Tahoe and Big Bear and in suburbs like Mountain House and Rancho Cucamonga. Are urbanities fleeing, or are young adults doing what young adults have always done?

February 2, 2021 - California Planning & Development Report

Sutter Street from above

San Francisco's Housing Crisis is Deepening, Despite Falling Rents

Despite the purported exodus of untethered Silicon Valley workers from the Bay Area, rents in the city are still the highest in the United States.

January 24, 2021 - The Guardian

Ski Town

Pandemic Disrupts Ski Town Life in More Ways Than One

The working class that make ski towns run are getting squeezed out of work by public health restrictions while wealthy newcomers push real estate markets to crazy new heights.

December 30, 2020 - Adventure Journal

Spain

Abandoned Rural Spain Rebounds With People Fleeing Cities

COVID-19 is leading an exodus to rural areas, according to this article. The shift could hurt the economies of cities, but it also presents opportunities for younger residents and people looking for a more sustainable lifestyle.

October 23, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Wyoming

Real Estate Market Setting Records in One of the West's Most Desirable Escapes

Jackson Hole, Wyoming is seeing a pandemic bump in real estate prices that mirrors the experience of vacation and tourism towns all over the United States.

October 22, 2020 - Jackson Hole News & Guide

Second Home

The State of the Market for Second Homes, Prior to the Pandemic

Half of the nation's second homes are found in nine states, according to recent data analysis by the National Association of Home Builders, and building is likely to increase in vacation areas soon, according to one expert.

October 19, 2020 - National Association of Home Builders Eye on Housing

Coronavirus Protest

Do We Know Any More About the Future of Cities Than We Did in April 2020?

The conversation about how the pandemic might alter the direction of planning and urbanism, unlike the spread of the coronavirus, has remained steady since March.

October 12, 2020 - James Brasuell

Manhattan Skyline

Condo Sales Drop Everywhere in New York City, But Least of All Outside of Manhattan

A clearer picture of the economic downturn's effects on New York City real estate is emerging. So far, new buyers are betting on boroughs not named Manhattan.

September 16, 2020 - The New York Times

New York City Coronavirus

The Media Can't Stop Talking About the End of Cities

The latest installment of Planetizen's ongoing effort to track the stories about the future of planning in a world forever changed by COVID-19 notices a recurring theme.

September 2, 2020 - James Brasuell

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.