In this MegaVote for Ohio's 10th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes
Upcoming Congressional Bills
| |
| Recent Senate Votes | |
| Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act - Vote Passed (59-39, 2 Not Voting) The Senate passed this bill that would overhaul the nation's financial regulatory system. The bill must now be reconciled with the House version. Sen. George Voinovich voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Sherrod Brown voted YES......send e-mail or see bio | |
| Recent House Votes | |
| Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass; America COMPETES Reauthorization Act - Vote Failed (261-148, 22 Not Voting) The House fell short of the 273 votes needed under suspension rules to pass this bill that would reauthorize science research programs. Republicans argue too many of the $48 billion bill’s programs are duplicative while Democrats argue the bill will increase economic competitiveness. Rep. Dennis Kucinich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio | |
| Upcoming Votes | |
| Supplemental Appropriations bill - H.R.4899 The Senate is expected to spend most of the week working on this supplemental spending bill. American Workers, State and Business Relief Act - H.R.4213 The House is scheduled to take up this bill to extend certain tax cuts and benefits extensions that are set to expire soon. Defense Authorization Act, FY2011 - H.R.5136 The House is also scheduled to work on this $760 billion measure authorizing defense spending for the upcoming fiscal year. America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 - The House may also vote for the third time on this bill that would reauthorize science research programs. | |
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Legislative Action: 10th District and State - 052410
"CSU picks developer for $50 million first phase of North Campus Neighborhood"
Repost from Cleveland.com:
Cleveland State University is negotiating a ground-lease deal with Polaris Real Estate Equities, a Highland Heights developer, on 6.8 acres along Chester Avenue between East 21st and East 24th streets. Polaris will lease the land, now used for parking and the university's Theater Arts building, and build 275 to 300 market-rate apartments and retail on it. The project is the first phase of CSU's North Campus Neighborhood. This artist's rendering shows how the retail portion between East 22nd and East 23rd streets might look.
View full sizeThe buildings along Chester Avenue would have retail space at street level and apartments above.
Cleveland State University picks developer for $50 million first phase of North Campus Neighborhood
By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Construction could start next year on a $50 million apartment-and-retail project intended to be the first phase of a new neighborhood at Cleveland State University.
The university has selected Polaris Real Estate Equities, a developer in Highland Heights, to remake 6.8 acres along the north side of Chester Avenue, between East 21st and East 24th streets. Polaris will lease the property from the university and will build 275 to 300 market-rate apartments, aimed at graduate students, faculty members, staff and young professionals. The buildings could open in summer 2012.
The project is the first step in CSU's vision for its North Campus Neighborhood, where more apartments and a new baseball field eventually could replace a sea of surface parking. Since early 2009, the university has been seeking developers, assessing proposals and considering how much construction is possible in a challenging economy. And from the start, Polaris has been angling to participate -- first to develop all 27 acres, then to build on the strip along Chester, after CSU downsized its initial plans because of concerns about the cost of new parking and infrastructure.
View full sizeThe buildings along Chester Avenue would have retail space at street level and apartments above."This location along Cleveland State, on the campus, it doesn't get any better," said Polaris partner Guy Totino. "We normally don't pursue [requests for proposals], that's usually not our thing. But we're in Cleveland, and we've watched Cleveland State's transformation over the last 10 years or so from a commuter college to a residential campus."
In addition to new academic buildings and a student center slated to open in July, CSU has been adding 1,038 student beds to its campus in renovated and new dormitories. The North Campus will extend that growth, but the buildings will be owned by private developers, who bear the responsibility for financing and maintaining the projects. The university will receive lease payments for use of its land.
Totino is confident that he and partner Rob Vadas can find construction money, even though developers in Cleveland and across the country are strapped and struggling. Proximity to CSU and the university's 6,000-strong graduate-student population gives the campus project an edge, Totino said. Polaris is considering financing a deal through the Federal Housing Administration and private lenders.
One-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in the neighborhood could rent for $850 to $1,550 per month, according to information provided to CSU by Polaris. Jack Boyle, the university's vice president for business affairs, said CSU was focused on making the project desirable and affordable for law students, international students, young families and workers from nearby institutions such as Cuyahoga Community College and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.
"We don't want four single bedrooms and a community kitchen," Boyle said.
Along Chester, Polaris will build 10,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet of ground-level restaurants and stores, such as a dry cleaner and other student-serving businesses. The project also will include 300 parking spaces, tucked into one or two low-lying garages surrounded by five apartment buildings.
Two structures, the dilapidated Doan building on East 22nd Street and CSU's Theater Arts Building at East 23rd Street and Chester, occupy the site. If Cleveland planning officials approve, Doan will be demolished. CSU hopes to move its art department, theater classrooms and rehearsal space to better digs in PlayhouseSquare, thereby broadening the university's reach into the theater district.
CSU has been negotiating a deal for the building at 1901 E. 13th St., owned by Middough Inc., an architecture, engineering and management company. The university hopes to move performances to the Allen Theatre, a remodeling project being tackled by PlayhouseSquare and the Cleveland Play House.
"We haven't completed a deal with either PlayhouseSquare or the owners of the Middough building," Boyle said Tuesday. "But we're in the process of trying to bring resolution to these two issues."
If the relocation drags out or stalls, Polaris could start construction around the Theater Arts building.
Four other developers submitted proposals for the first phase of the North Campus Neighborhood. They were Signet Enterprises of Akron; the Geis Cos. of Streetsboro; Place Properties of Atlanta; and Associated Estates Realty Corp., a publicly traded apartment company in Richmond Heights.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Early medical mart and convention center plans preserve lake view | cleveland.com
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
legislative Action: 10th District and State - 051710
| May 17, 2010 In this MegaVote for Ohio's 10th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes
Upcoming Congressional Bills
| |
| Recent Senate Votes | |
| McCain Amendment; Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - Vote Rejected (43-56, 1 Not Voting) The Senate rejected this amendment to the financial reform bill that would have established a time frame for ending the government’s support of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Senate continues work on the bill this week. Sen. George Voinovich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Sherrod Brown voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Durbin Amendment; Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - Vote Agreed to (64-33, 3 Not Voting) The Senate adopted this amendment to the financial reform bill that would require the Federal Reserve to establish rules for "reasonable and proportional" fees that credit card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, charge to merchants. The Senate continues work on the bill this week. Sen. George Voinovich voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Sherrod Brown voted YES......send e-mail or see bio | |
| Recent House Votes | |
| Motion to Recommit; America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 - Vote Passed (292-126, 12 Not Voting) The House voted to send this bill that would reauthorize science and technology research programs back to the House Science committee with instructions to freeze funding at fiscal 2010 levels and to only fund the bill for three years, rather than the original five. House leaders are planning to bring the measure to a vote again this week. Rep. Dennis Kucinich voted NO......send e-mail or see bio | |
| Upcoming Votes | |
| Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - S.3217 The Senate is expected to complete its work on the financial reform legislation this week. The American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act - H.R.4213 The House is scheduled to work on this bill that would extend unemployment insurance and COBRA health care subsidies through December 31 and would prevent a cut in physicians’ Medicare reimbursement rates. America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 - H.R.5116 The House is scheduled to vote again on this bill to reauthorize science and technology research programs. | |
Monday, May 17, 2010
Bicyclists' commute to Cleveland about to get easier, more secure and arty | cleveland.com
Friday, May 14, 2010
Are Japanese bullet trains coming to the US?
Repost from USDoT:
Now, to be fair, I may have started this buzz by riding a couple of Japan's lightning fast trains while visiting that country earlier in the week. And I have to say, those trains are fast. Very fast.
My short answer to the question? No, Japanese and Chinese trains are not coming to the US.
I think that makes sense. After all, rail companies in Asia and Europe have high-speed experience that American rail companies just haven't had yet. Do I look forward to the day when American companies have that experience? You bet.
The Japanese media sure was interested in what I thought of my high speed train ride
Riding the rails in Japan, China
Are Japanese bullet trains coming to the US? This is a question I've seen being asked more than once in themedia this week.
Now, to be fair, I may have started this buzz by riding a couple of Japan's lightning fast trains while visiting that country earlier in the week. And I have to say, those trains are fast. Very fast.
I'm also looking forward to riding to the Shanghai airport later today on China's maglev train.
My short answer to the question? No, Japanese and Chinese trains are not coming to the US.
BUT, Japanese and Chinese high-speed rail technology and expertise may be on its way. And, when an American high-speed rail system is up and running--thanks to President Obama's initial $8 billion down-payment and future rail grants authorized by Congress--those familiar with Japan's Shinkansen or Spain's AVE or Germany's ICE or Russia's Sapsan may find similar designs and components.
I think that makes sense. After all, rail companies in Asia and Europe have high-speed experience that American rail companies just haven't had yet. Do I look forward to the day when American companies have that experience? You bet.In the meantime, if we do end up benefiting from foreign expertise, whether it's Japanese or Chinese or Canadian or European, another thing you can bet on is those trains and their components will be made by skilled American workers.
How do I know this? Because last December we received assurances from over 30 companies in the rail business that high-speed rail will contribute to US rail manufacturing should they be awarded contracts.
The Japanese media sure was interested in what I thought of my high speed train ride
Sure, those of us who saw the Japanese trains are impressed with the railroad system in Japan. And we do look forward to opportunities to partner in America with experienced rail companies from abroad. But we're only interested in partnerships that use American workers in American facilities.
I have now ridden several of the world's fastest trains, and I have seen how effectively they deliver passengers from city to city. And I am looking forward to the day when we secure those partnerships and create those jobs and revitalize an American rail manufacturing industry. And build those trains.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
From indieWIRE: CIFF = One of the 50 leading Film Festivals in the World
50 Film Festivals - indieWIRE
"Held in mid to late March, the Cleveland International Film Festival is probably not what some call a “destination festival” such as similar-timed events that take place in warmer climates, but what the festival lacks in high temperatures, it makes up for in hospitality and eager audiences."
Posted using ShareThis
From indieWIRE: CIFF = One of the 50 leading Film Festivals in the world
"Held in mid to late March, the Cleveland International Film Festival is probably not what some call a “destination festival” such as similar-timed events that take place in warmer climates, but what the festival lacks in high temperatures, it makes up for in hospitality and eager audiences."
Posted using ShareThis
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Legislative Action: 10th District and State - 051210
In this MegaVote for Ohio's 10th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes
Upcoming Congressional Bills
| |
| Recent Senate Votes | |
| Shelby-Dodd Amendment; Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - Vote Agreed to (93-5, 2 Not Voting) The Senate voted to remove a part of the financial reform bill that would have created a $50 billion fund for the FDIC to cover the cost of liquidating failing financial companies. The Senate voted on several other amendments, and will continue its work on the bill this week. Sen. George Voinovich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Sherrod Brown voted YES......send e-mail or see bio | |
| Recent House Votes | |
| Home Star Energy Retrofit Act - Vote Passed (246-161, 23 Not Voting) The House passed this measure that would authorize a $6.6 billion rebate program for energy-efficient home renovations for households with incomes up to $250,000. The bill now goes to the Senate. Rep. Dennis Kucinich voted YES......send e-mail or see bio | |
| Upcoming Votes | |
| Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 - S.3217 The Senate will continue its work on this financial regulatory overhaul legislation. America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 - H.R.5116 The House is scheduled to vote on this bill to reauthorize science and technology research programs. | |
White Paper: "Do You Need To Build New Tracks For Ohio To Operate Passenger Rail Service At 110-MPH?"
From Linkingohio.com:
Do You Need To Build New Tracks For Ohio To Operate
Passenger Rail Service At 110-MPH?
There has been a lot mentioned in the media recently about the speed of Ohio’s passenger rail service. Most recently, there has been some confusion over whether Ohio would need to build new tracks to achieve service at 110-MPH. The current plan is to roll-out passenger rail service along the Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus-Cleveland at speeds of 79-MPH. The simple answer to the question about whether new tracks would be necessary for achieving speeds of 110-MPH is "no."
Too much emphasis has been placed on maximum speeds. Experience with other new start passenger rail services show that improved reliability, frequent service, convenience and service amenities are also important factors in attracting riders.(1)
The 3C “Quick Start” Project has consistently been communicated as a first step to bringing high-speed passenger rail to our state. In order to quickly offer this travel option to 6.8-million Ohioans living along the 3C corridor, Ohio can implement speeds at 79-MPH by making some initial upgrades to the existing tracks now being used solely for freight transportation.
The 3C “Quick Start” Project calls for upgrades to freight bottleneck areas, rail signaling and improvements in safety at grade crossings. By making these upgrades, as well as preparing the corridor for the typical passenger rail amenities (i.e. stations, parking, last-mile transportation options, etc.), Ohio can start offering passenger rail service as early as 2012.
Once the initial service is up and running at 79-MPH, the state will begin implementing additional corridor upgrades to achieve 110-MPH using the existing track infrastructure. However, there are steps and negotiations with freight railroads that will need to be navigated in order to increase speeds.
Freight railroads routinely allow passenger trains to operate at speeds up to 90-MPH on their existing tracks with some negotiations needed.(2) However, some freight railroads (particularly NS and CSXT which own the majority of Ohio’s freight system) require that passenger rail service that operates at speeds greater than 90-MPH within their corridor be operated on separate, dedicated tracks. This is why freight railroads have cited this point in the MOU’s submitted as part of their support of the Ohio passenger rail application submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) by ODOT/ORDC. However, to lift this freight railroad policy statement out of context as a blanket prohibition against allowing 110 mph speeds on their tracks is inappropriate, belies experiences in other states, ignores the negotiations that are part of Phase 2 planning, and federal law.
Section 24308 of Title 49 of the United States Code provides that if a rail carrier refuses to allow accelerated speeds on their tracks by trains operated by or for Amtrak, Amtrak may apply to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board for an order requiring the carrier to allow the accelerated speeds.(3) The Surface Transportation Board is charged with determining whether the accelerated speeds are safe or unsafe and which improvements would be required to make accelerated speeds safe and practicable.
After an opportunity for a hearing on the matter, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) may establish the maximum allowable speeds of Amtrak trains on terms the STB decides are reasonable.
To allow for either outcome – whether or not the freight railroads and STB agree to allow Ohio to operate 110 mph passenger service on existing freight railroads – ODOT/ORDC needs to plan for the inevitability of having dedicated tracks at 110-MPH. To pre-judge the outcome of freight negotiations or a decision by the STB is premature and such questions will not be visited or even raised until Phase 2 negotiations are completed for 3C. It is possible that the 3C rail route could eventually use a combination of existing, upgraded freight tracks and new track dedicated to passenger rail service based only on the outcome of these negotiations and hearings.
A scenario where new tracks would be required is when Ohio makes the decision to implement speeds up to 125- MPH. The current state-of-the-art rail technology would permit diesel trains to operate up to 125-MPH, but would require separate tracks and sealed corridors. To go beyond 125-MPH, service would have to electrify and might as well be built on a separate railroad. Speeds of 250 mph make more sense for origins and destinations 4 separated by at least 200 miles to allow for maximum operation of the train.(4) Because of the short travel distances between Ohio’s major population centers, trains would not have enough time or distance to reach full travel speed before they would have to slow down again.
Ohio’s rail corridors are consistent with the goals outline for Regional High Speed Rail in the US Department of Transportation’s “Vision for High-Speed Rail in America,” which focuses service on population centers 100-500 miles apart, with speeds in the 110-150 mph range.
With additional upgrades to improve signalization and grade-crossing protections, and with deliberate negotiations with the freight lines and the STB, Ohio may be able to use existing tracks for speeds up to 110 mph. Ohio’s 3C “Quick Start” approach is prudent and fiscally conservative, and is encouraged by the FRA and Congress, 5 following best practices of rail systems throughout the U.S. and the world.(5) Starting a passenger rail line at 79-MPH and taking an incremental approach to higher speeds is a typical strategy in high-speed rail development.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1)Key US examples are the increase in service frequency and reliability seen on the Capitol Corridor between Sacramento and San Jose, as well as the Keystone service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, and the Pacific Surfliner between San Luis Obispo and San Diego. Each route has seen a combination of frequency increases, travel time reductions, reliability improvement and targeted increase in top speed.
(2)Burlington Northern Santa Fe allows 90mph speeds over portions of its track in Kansas and Colorado (operated over by the Southwest Chief), as do the owners of the San Diego-Los Angeles corridor operated over by Metrolink and the Pacific Surfliner service. Freight railroads operate on the same Northeast Corridor tracks where Amtrak operates 150 mph (Same track). NS operates on Amtrak owned tracks in Michigan where the passenger trains operate at 95 mph today and will increase to 110 mph later this year. (Same track) BNSF owns the tracks that the Amtrak Southwest Chief operates on at 90 mph. Same tracks on NEC, Michigan and New York where Amtrak owns the track.
(3)http://uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml. See Title 49 Section 24308, and reference subsection (d) on Accelerated Transportation. Also, see CSXT and NS comments on the Richland/Hampton Roads Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 2010.
(4)Japan’s “bullet trains,” operating at speeds up to 186-mph, generally reserve their highest speeds for trains operating at least 200 miles between station stops (such as suburban Tokyo and Nagoya). China, which recently introduced 217-mph service between Wuhan and Guangzhou operates most service nearly 600 miles without stopping. Western Europe, Korea, and Taiwan all have services operating at speeds of at least 186-mph combined with “local” trains that operate at lower, conventional speeds.
(5)See the commercial feasibility study published by the US DOT in September 1997: “High-Speed Ground Transportation for America."
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Canal Basin District Plan Approved with Unanimous Vote by CPC
Repost from Downtown Cleveland:
Cleveland City Planning Commission Approves the Canal Basin District Plan
On Friday last week, the Cleveland City Planning Commission, by unanimous vote, adopted the Canal Basin District Plan. The plan, which is sponsored by Downtown Cleveland Alliance, the City of Cleveland and Ohio Canal Corridor, was presented by Greg Calpino of the nationally prominent landscape architecture firm JJR. The overview of the project and the plan was given by Tom Yablonsky, Executive Vice President of Downtown Cleveland Alliance.
The centerpiece of the Canal Basin District Plan is the proposed Canal Basin Park, which will include the current Settlers Landing Park and expand it to a new 24 acre signature park for the city. In addition to the park, the plan coordinates necessary linkages to nearby neighborhoods and from the last phase of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
“This plan is significant because it builds on our city’s legacy of the Emerald Necklace,” said Tom Yablonsky, Vice President of Downtown Cleveland Alliance. “In that spirit, the Canal Basin District Plan proposes a dynamic and comprehensive framework of trail investments that build upon the proposed Canal Basin Park. Together, the park and its trail linkages will become the northern terminus of both the Towpath Trail and the 110 mile Ohio & Erie Canalway. The plan provides the vision for access to world-class parks for Downtown and Cleveland’s most central neighborhoods, access that Cleveland’s surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs have enjoyed for decades.”
The Canal Basin District Park Plan identified and evaluated all possible trail linkages that could connect Canal Basin Park to adjacent Downtown amenities and nearby city neighborhoods. Based on public input and subsequent planning and engineering analysis, three strategic trail loops have been proposed:
Cleveland City Planning Commission Approves the Canal Basin District Plan
View of the Towpath along Scranton Road facing Downtown
On Friday last week, the Cleveland City Planning Commission, by unanimous vote, adopted the Canal Basin District Plan. The plan, which is sponsored by Downtown Cleveland Alliance, the City of Cleveland and Ohio Canal Corridor, was presented by Greg Calpino of the nationally prominent landscape architecture firm JJR. The overview of the project and the plan was given by Tom Yablonsky, Executive Vice President of Downtown Cleveland Alliance.
The centerpiece of the Canal Basin District Plan is the proposed Canal Basin Park, which will include the current Settlers Landing Park and expand it to a new 24 acre signature park for the city. In addition to the park, the plan coordinates necessary linkages to nearby neighborhoods and from the last phase of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
“This plan is significant because it builds on our city’s legacy of the Emerald Necklace,” said Tom Yablonsky, Vice President of Downtown Cleveland Alliance. “In that spirit, the Canal Basin District Plan proposes a dynamic and comprehensive framework of trail investments that build upon the proposed Canal Basin Park. Together, the park and its trail linkages will become the northern terminus of both the Towpath Trail and the 110 mile Ohio & Erie Canalway. The plan provides the vision for access to world-class parks for Downtown and Cleveland’s most central neighborhoods, access that Cleveland’s surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs have enjoyed for decades.”
The Canal Basin District Park Plan identified and evaluated all possible trail linkages that could connect Canal Basin Park to adjacent Downtown amenities and nearby city neighborhoods. Based on public input and subsequent planning and engineering analysis, three strategic trail loops have been proposed:
- Lakefront Loop: which links Canal Basin Park to Nautica, Wendy Park and Edgewater Park. The loop also incorporates the proposed West Shoreway Improvements.
- Downtown Loop: which links the park to downtown neighborhoods through key links to the Flats East Bank, The Historic Warehouse District, Northcoast Harbor, Public Square and the Convention Center/Medical Mart
- Canal District Loop: which links the park to key river front projects including the newly proposed Cleveland Rowing Foundation location, Hart Crane Park and the proposed ParkWorks Lake Link Trail.
For a map of the proposed loops, click here (PDF - 1.76 MB)
Monday, May 10, 2010
"White flight? Suburbs lose young whites to cities"
Repost from The Huffington Post:
White flight? Suburbs lose young whites to cities
HOPE YEN | May 9, 2010 12:52 AM EST
WASHINGTON — White flight? In a reversal, America's suburbs are now more likely to be home to minorities, the poor and a rapidly growing older population as many younger, educated whites move to cities for jobs and shorter commutes.
An analysis of 2000-2008 census data by the Brookings Institution highlights the demographic "tipping points" seen in the past decade and the looming problems in the 100 largest metropolitan areas, which represent two-thirds of the U.S. population.
The findings could offer an important road map as political parties, including the tea party movement, seek to win support in suburban battlegrounds in the fall elections and beyond. In 2008, Barack Obama carried a substantial share of the suburbs, partly with the help of minorities and immigrants.
The analysis being released Sunday provides the freshest detail on the nation's growing race and age divide, which is now feeding tensions in Arizona over its new immigration law.
Ten states, led by Arizona, surpass the nation in a "cultural generation gap" in which the senior populations are disproportionately white and children are mostly minority.
This gap is pronounced in suburbs of fast-growing areas in the Southwest, including those in Florida, California, Nevada, and Texas.
"A new metro map is emerging in the U.S. that challenges conventional thinking about where we live and work," said Alan Berube, research director with the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, a nonpartisan think-tank based in Washington. "The old concepts of suburbia, Sun Belt and Rust Belt are outdated and at odds with effective governance."
Suburbs still tilt white. But, for the first time, a majority of all racial and ethnic groups in large metro areas live outside the city. Suburban Asians and Hispanics already had topped 50 percent in 2000, and blacks joined them by 2008, rising from 43 percent in those eight years.
The suburbs now have the largest poor population in the country. They are home to the vast majority of baby boomers age 55 to 64, a fast-growing group that will strain social services after the first wave of boomers turns 65 next year.
Analysts attribute the racial shift to suburbs in many cases to substantial shares of minorities leaving cities, such as blacks from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Whites, too, are driving the trend by returning or staying put in larger cities.
Washington, D.C., and Atlanta posted the largest increases in white share since 2000, each up 5 percentage points to 44 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Other white gains were seen in New York, San Francisco, Boston and cities in another seven of the nation's 100 largest metro areas.
"A new image of urban America is in the making," said William H. Frey, a demographer at Brookings who co-wrote the report. "What used to be white flight to the suburbs is turning into 'bright flight' to cities that have become magnets for aspiring young adults who see access to knowledge-based jobs, public transportation and a new city ambiance as an attraction."
"This will not be the future for all cities, but this pattern in front runners like Atlanta, Portland, Ore., Raleigh, N.C., and Austin, Texas, shows that the old urban stereotypes no longer apply," he said.
The findings are part of Brookings' broad demographic portrait of America since 2000, when the country experienced the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a historic boom in housing prices and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
Calling 2010 the "decade of reckoning," the report urges policymakers to shed outdated notions of America's cities and suburbs and work quickly to address the coming problems caused by the dramatic shifts in population.
Among its recommendations: affordable housing and social services for older people in the suburbs; better transit systems to link cities and suburbs; and a new federal Office of New Americans to serve the education and citizenship needs of the rapidly growing immigrant community.
Other findings:
_About 83 percent of the U.S. population growth since 2000 was minority, part of a trend that will see minorities become the majority by midcentury. Across all large metro areas, the majority of the child population is now nonwhite.
_The suburban poor grew by 25 percent between 1999 and 2008 – five times the growth rate of the poor in cities. City residents are more likely to live in "deep" poverty, while a higher share of suburban residents have incomes just below the poverty line.
_For the first time in several decades, the population is growing at a faster rate than households, due to delays in marriage, divorce and births as well as longer life spans. People living alone and nonmarried couple families are among the fastest-growing in suburbs.
___
On the Net:
Brookings Institution report: http://www.brookings.edu/metroamerica
Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
