Byron Brown on cities in politics
The largest 100 urban areas in this country represent only 12% of the land area of the country, but they are 65% of the population, 75% of our gross domestic product and provide 68% of the employment.
And, of course, “urban issues” doesn’t just mean poverty and minorities:
If you look at the riots that took place in the ‘60s, and the flight from our cities, since that time urban issues have definitely become synonymous with poverty, with minorities, whether it is African-Americans or Hispanics, and I think that has negatively shaped how urban issues are discussed, debated and looked at in the country.(Via Planetizen)There are now suburban communities that are experiencing some of the traditional urban problems of crime and poverty, and because of that … those issues are also important in the suburban communities.