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Study Redefines How We Talk About U.S. Cities
With the lines between city and suburb and even rural areas increasingly blurred, the National League of Cities, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, recently analyzed nearly 1,000 U.S. cities to come up with classifications that will be helpful to policy makers, particularly in their examination of local land use.
Re-examing traditional perceptions of city types, “From Meltingpot Cities to Boomtowns: Redefining How We Talk About America’s Cities,” found that today’s cities can be divided into six groups:
- Spread Cities. The most prevalent type of city in the country, accounting for a full 41% of municipalities, these have average populations in the 50,000-65,000 range, low densities of about 2,880 per square mile, few households with children and few immigrant residents (less than 10%). Examples of spread cities are Greenville, S.C.; Pinellas Park, Fla.; and LaCrosse, Wis.
- Gold Coast Cities. The second most prevalent city type, these tend to be suburban communities in metropolitan areas with a population that is older (average median age of 38), wealthier (average median income of $62,000) and more educated (27% of people over 25 having a bachelor’s degree). Walnut Creek, Calif. in the San Francisco Bay area; Coral Gables, Fla. in the Miami area; and Wheaton, Ill. in the Chicago area are examples.
- Meltingpot Cities. These cities have populations of 75,000-100,000, are ethnically diverse (with 33% foreign-born residents), dense (an average 8,000 people per square mile) and have many families with younger children (47%). These cities are primarily located in the Pacific region and include cities like Hawthorn and Norwalk, Calif.
- Metro Centers. Representing 9% of American cities, these are large (more than 200,000 people), core cities in metro areas with a diverse population and an older housing stock (44 years old). Norfolk, Va. and Tacoma, Wash. are in this group.
- Boomtowns. With populations of 75,000-100,000, these are identified as rapid population growth cities, with new housing stock (21 years old), wealthy residents and families with children (43%). Gilbert, Ariz. and Broken Arrow, Okla. are examples of boomtowns.
- Centrevilles. With populations smaller than 50,000, these are primarily core cities in micropolitan areas with densities of 2,000 people per mile, the smallest in the study. They function similarly to principal cities of metropolitan areas, but they maintain their rural character. Paducah, Ky. and Richmond, Ind. are examples.
Among the reasons that prompted the study, the League said, were a diverse citizenry, shifting service demands and evolving economic structures at a time when policy makers and researchers need a more useful framework for understanding local challenges, discovering innovative strategies and identifying policy options.
Christiana Brennan, co-author of the report said, "There is no longer a 'typical' city, just as there are no helpful one-size-fits-all approaches to the varying issues that cities face. As a result, policy decisions or programs based on distinctions such as central city, suburb and rural, and metropolitan and non-metropolitan labels are not as useful to decision-makers and others attempting to understand and ameliorate local challenges."
For example, both Huntington Beach, Calif. and Henderson, Nev. are similarly sized suburban cities, with populations around 190,000. "But when you begin to look more closely at them, you can see how very different they are," Brennan said. "Huntington Beach, with its older, wealthy population is a Gold Coast city. Henderson is a residential Boomtown located at the edge of one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. They may be similar in size, but their service mix, goals and the people they serve are not. Local officials in each of these cities would probably take a very different approach to governing and to providing services and programs for their citizens," Brennan said.
There are 19,000 cities in the U.S. today.
For more information on the study, e-mail Carlos Gutierrez at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8242.
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