Photo: Springfield, Massachusetts Placemaking project
For those of us working in cities, new census data offer a lot to think about. It’s not a surprise that Americans continue to move to the south and west. But after many years of population decline, northeast and midwest cities are gaining residents. At the same time, the availability to work remotely means that previously overlooked, smaller cities are becoming attractive destinations.
A recent article in Bloomberg, “Record Wave of Americans Fled Big Cities For Small Ones in 2023” gives a broader perspective on the current situation. According to the article, remote work options allow Americans to move away from large metropolitan areas to smaller places. These smaller cities are often more affordable and provide a quality of life that people are looking for (less traffic, more access to nature, and great coffee, too).
Improving the quality of life in smaller, and older (legacy) cities is something I have been working on for many years with my students as part of my Urban Extension work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. My research and teaching focus on design projects to revitalize cities by providing active public spaces and vibrant neighborhoods. In addition to making cities physically attractive, these amenities provide the kind of “social infrastructure” and sense of community that make for healthier places to live.
For related information:
New census data:
https://www.census.gov/newsroo...n%20average%201.0%25
Bloomberg article:
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