Cities are back. For the first time in decades, and, for three consecutive years, cities in the United States are growing faster than their surrounding suburbs. The innovation occurring in cities is critical to the ongoing economic recovery. Nonetheless, legacy problems stemming from the historical decline of America’s cities in the second half of the 20th century, coupled with obsolete governance, persist. Cities will likely continue on their new path and prosper in the coming years, but the failure to address the legacy issues as well as the new challenges of affordability in today’s prosperous cities will be costly in the long run for cities, their surrounding suburbs, and the U.S. economy overall. 

Image: https://flic.kr/p/6jYmzJ