Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

"A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Research on velocity of "new" DC residents in terms of moving out of the city

The Washington Post reports ("How fast are newcomers moving out of the District? Real fast") that more than 70% of "new" DC residents as of 2004 didn't file a 2012 tax return.

But the significant rise in DC's population has occurred over the past 3 or so years and so the cohort from 2004 precedes significantly newer cohorts represented in the recent rise in demand for urban living and significant growth in the city's population.

I don't know how interesting or important this information is.

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5 Comments:

At 5:22 PM, Anonymous Christopher said...

I would be one of those. Of the people that I know that arrived in 2004 or there abouts, some have stayed but outside the city (for various reasons: school aged kids, being closer to parents, or suburban jobs. Even a few that just wanted voting representation.)

Some like me came to DC from California, ready to change the world and became disillusioned with politics. (Not a new story, the log cabin in Malcolm X Park is from Joaquin Miller I believe. Same story, but a 100 years ago.)

Another factor of DC is there are new presidential administrations every 4-8 years, so that changes a whole bunch of people in town (and allegiances). This is something I failed to predict from leaving the DC scene in 1998 and returning in 2004. It was like a different city in ways way beyond the physical changes.

Moving to DC and from it, it's practically a collective story in other parts of the county. My own family has several. I have often had that conversation with New Yorkers as well. It's just part of the culture of the place? Not unlike the "why I left" stories about NYC.

 
At 6:44 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

very good point. there is a lot of "natural" turnover. But at the same time, there is some stickiness that occurs too. People come here fresh, and when their circumstances change, some stay too.

 
At 12:24 PM, Anonymous charlie said...

I don't know if Presidental appointees are much of a factor. Congressional staff turnover is likely 10x larger.

Given that the study uses income tax returns, I suspect it is substainally understates the amount of migration. Diplomats, IMF/World Bank, military, and people who don't bother to file for the year they live in the city are all huge compenents.

In terms of the secular change,

http://www.businessinsider.com/we-have-reached-peak-urban-millennials-2015-1

 
At 7:10 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

my family does not move

 
At 12:32 PM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

yes, the desire to live in the city isn't a constant forward increase. (And I was shocked in my brief walk in the Hollins area of Central Baltimore.)

 

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