The Hollowing Out Of The American City: The Cities Losing Their Residents To The Outer Suburbs

The city of Ottawa risks being hollowed out by the federal government

Without a clear office policy for workers, too much space is sitting unused and limiting the city’s growth

The Hollowing Out Of The American City: The Cities Losing Their Residents To The Outer Suburbs

In the past decade, suburban population growth far outpaced urban population growth. While from 2013 to 2023 the populations within the boundaries of principal cities rose 5.9%, the number of residents living in the boundaries of the outer suburbs of those principal cities rose 11.9%. In some metro areas, however, the disparity is even more pronounced, with suburbs growing at a fast pace even as the inner city loses residents. In 47 metro areas,…