There is a central and unacknowledged problem in urban transportation: The price is wrong. Underlying traffic congestion, unaffordable housing, and the shortage of great urban places is the key fact that we charge the wrong price for using roads. Nowhere are the effects of mispriced roads more apparent than on-street parking. Only for car storage […]
Parking: The Price is Wrong Read More »
The Myth: Traffic congestion is getting worse The Reality: Congestion has declined almost everywhere It’s a common movie trope – a busy commuter rushes out of his downtown office at 5pm, hoping to get only to enter a citywide traffic jam. In reality, traffic congestion across the country has been in steady decline thanks to
The four biggest myths about cities – #4: Traffic is getting worse Read More »
The Myth: Crime in cities is on the rise The Reality: Cities are getting safer For decades, the common perception about cities is that they were dangerous, dirty, and crowded. A look at the facts tells a different story: our cities are cleaner, safer, quicker, and healthier than ever. Today I’ll take a look at
The four biggest myths about cities – #3: Crime is rising in cities Read More »
Akron, Ohio! With a 20.2 percent increase in post-secondary degrees awarded over the past three years, Akron outpaced the 56 other metro areas entered in the Talent Dividend Prize contest. As the winner of the Talent Dividend Prize, Akron will receive one million dollars to promote further efforts to raise college attainment in Northeast Ohio.
And the Talent Dividend Prize Winner is . . . Read More »
The Myth: Cities are polluted and have dirty air The Reality: Urban air quality has improved dramatically since 1990 For decades, the common perception about cities is that they were dangerous, dirty, and crowded. A look at the facts tells a different story: our cities are cleaner, safer, quicker, and healthier than ever. Today I’ll
The four biggest myths about cities – #2: Cities are dirty Read More »
If your impression of cities came entirely from watching the evening news, you might think that cities are saddled with ever-increasing traffic congestion and rising crime rates. From talking to your Great Aunt Ida at Thanksgiving, you’d think that New York was more dangerous for children than the suburbs and that Los Angeles was still
The four biggest myths about cities – #1 Cities aren’t safe for children Read More »
The Young and Restless—25 to 34 year-olds with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education—are increasingly moving to the close-in neighborhoods of the nation’s large metropolitan areas. This migration is fueling economic growth and urban revitalization. Using data from the recently released American Community Survey, this report examines population change in the 51 metropolitan
Young and Restless Read More »
Welcome to what matters for city success. Our original analysis and in-depth research on cities and urban issues is designed to inform community leaders, policy makers, policy wonks and the rest of us.
Welcome to City Observatory! Read More »
In the next few weeks, look for new City Observatory reports addressing city job growth, the unfolding process of neighborhood change, and the changing way we create, use and interact with public spaces in cities.
Forget the quirky, slacker stereotype, the data show people are coming to Portland to start businesses. A recent New York Times magazine article “Keep Portland Broke,” echoed a meme made popular by the satirical television show “Portlandia” asking whether the city will always be a retirement community for the young. Far from being a retirement
Is Portland really where young people go to retire? Read More »
