Chapter 1
The Shape of American Cities
Shaping Tomorrow’s Cities: Fostering Resilient and Vibrant Urban Environments
5 Minute Read
Most U.S. metros are sprawling by international standards. The U.S. population grew rapidly in the 20th century, alongside development of the automobile and the highway system. Infrastructure growth, plentiful available land and the American Dream of single-family homeownership pushed development away from city centers and into suburban and exurban areas. As the suburbs became favored places for families to grow, many cities were relegated to primarily being business and cultural hubs.
Only 30% of residents in large U.S. metros live within 15 miles of the city center, compared with 50% in most global cities.
Figure 2: Population Concentration - U.S. vs. International
Share of population living in urban areas varies greatly across the U.S.
The scale, concentration and location of urban density (people per square mile) vary significantly across U.S. metros and their core cities. This report groups 19 U.S. markets into four archetypes based in part on these urbanization patterns:
- Super Cities: Los Angeles, New York
- Mixed Majors: Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C.
- Sprawling Darlings: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Phoenix
- Developing Destinations: Austin, Charlotte, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa
New York and Los Angeles stand out for their sheer size as well as their large urban populations, with over 70% living in areas of urban density. Other U.S. markets are much smaller and less urban. Less than 20% of the population in the Sprawling Darlings and Developing Destinations (other than Miami) lives in an urban area, including 5% or less in Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte.
Figure 3: Population Size and Urban Share by Market
Source: CBRE, IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota, Data for Good at Meta, 2024.
Explore the below interactive tool to see how the population of the largest U.S. markets has changed since 1970.
Figure 4: Regional Population Growth – 1970-2020
Figure 4: Regional Population Growth – 1970-2020
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