The rise of remote work and a need for new talent may be pushing tech companies away from their traditional hubs, but 'superstar' cities continue to lead the way.
Mark Muro and Yang You summarize an analysis from Brookings that evaluates the potential for a dispersal of tech jobs from a narrow group of employment hubs. "Overall, tech fundamentally remains a 'winner-take-most' employment sector even amid widespread disruption, including the national remote-work explosion," but there are encouraging signs that tech employment is starting to disperse.
"A group of nine increasingly sizable 'rising stars' grew as fast as the superstars in 2020. Mostly in the interior or Sun Belt, rising stars Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Fla., San Diego, Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, and Salt Lake City all gained ground through the first year of the pandemic." The article notes that several regional hubs also saw growth in the tech sector, and small towns with high quality of life factors experienced growth as remote workers flocked to better climates, small-town amenities, and affordable housing costs.
"Far from definitive, the new information provides real world, at least temporary evidence for what AOL co-founder and investor Steve Case calls 'the rise of the rest'—the spread of tech activity into the heartland." It remains to be seen whether this shift will become a long-term trend. "If the next few years find these firms targeting new talent in new places by boosting their presence in metro areas far from the usual superstars, that could by itself alter the current narrow geography of tech."
FULL STORY: Tech jobs spread out during the pandemic, but future dispersal isn’t guaranteed
Which Cities Have the Most Remote Workers?
Across the country, a median of 12.5 percent of workers continue to perform their jobs remotely.
Housing Scarcity in Rural America
With the growth of ‘Zoom towns’ and the sharply rising demand for small-town living, rural communities are facing pressure to maintain housing affordability for long-time residents and boost housing production.
How Remote Work Could Reshape American Cities
If projections about remote work hold true, the resulting migration could shift economic centers, disperse housing market pressures, and transform the politics of small communities.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service