Archinect - News

Residential construction activity declined in 2023, according to new census data

2024-01-19T11:42:00-05:00

Building permits and construction starts for residential projects in the United States declined by approximately 10% in 2023 versus 2022, according to new data by the U.S. Census Bureau. An estimated 1,469,800 housing units were authorized by building permits in 2023, which is 11.7% lower than in 2022. An estimated 1,413,100 housing units were started in 2023, which is 9% lower than the 2022 figure.

In December 2023, the U.S. saw 1,495,000 building permits issued for privately owned housing units, which is 1.9% above the previous month, and 6.1% above December 2022. Specifically, single-family home permit grants were 1.7% above the previous month, while authorization of units in buildings with five units or more was up 1.3% on the previous month.

Image credit: U.S. Census Bureau

With regards to housing starts, December 2023 saw commencement on 1,460,000 units, which is 4.3% below November 2023 but 7.6% above December 2022. Single-family housing starts numbered 1,027,000 units, which ...

U.S. Census Bureau changes its definition of an urban area, impacting 1,300 former cities and towns

2022-05-03T11:41:00-04:00

The U.S. Census Bureau has changed its definition of an urban area, which will cause hundreds of existing urban areas to be reclassified as rural. The change is centered on a new methodology for how urban areas are calculated, with the number of housing units being used as the key metric, rather than the number of inhabitants.

Under the century-old definition used prior to now, an urban area was classed as one with at least 2,500 people. Now, a place will need 2,000 housing units before being classed as urban, equivalent to around 5,000 people. In addition, the previous distinction between an “urbanized area” (50,000 residents or more) and an “urban cluster” (2,500 to 50,000 residents) will be removed, with all qualifying areas simply referred to as “urban areas.”

In addition, the Census Bureau has created three levels of definition for census blocks, the smallest geographic unit in the United States. Census blocks will be considered urban if they contain a density of 425 housing u...

Small and mid-size cities are attracting more millennials

2018-05-04T15:24:00-04:00

Mid- or second-tier cities, loosely defined as those under a million people that aren’t regional powerhouses like Austin or Seattle, are increasingly seen as not just places to find a lower cost of living, easier commute, and closer connections with family, but also a more approachable, neighborhood-oriented version of the urban lifestyle that sent many to the larger cities in the first place.

Census data shows that smaller metros are seeing more migration from millennials while larger cities are experiencing slower growth. These smaller cities have been attracting new growth in part due to investing in green spaces and parks, upswings in local tech hubs, and downtown redevelopment.

NCARB reveals diversity in the architectural profession has increased

2017-08-10T13:30:00-04:00

In 2016, 42 percent of new AXP participants and 30 percent of new ARE candidates identified as non-white—up three percentage points for both groups. However, diversity among newly licensed architects and NCARB Certificate holders remained the same. For comparison, 38 percent of the U.S. population identifies as either non-white or Hispanic, according to 2015 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

There are now more women and non-white participants in architecture as of 2016 according to the NCARB, which has just released its 2017 "By the Numbers" report. As NCARB notes in a press release:

“While several groups remain underrepresented within the profession, these trends point to growing diversity among licensure candidates, and eventually, future architects,” said NCARB President Kristine A. Harding, NCARB, AIA. “In response, NCARB will continue to ensure our programs balance inclusivity with the rigor needed to protect the public.”

Maricopa County in Arizona, home to Phoenix, experienced the largest population growth in 2016

2017-03-24T17:44:00-04:00

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maricopa County in Arizona had the highest annual population growth in 2016. Home to the city of Phoenix, the county gained 81,360 people, or 222 people per day. More than half were people who moved to the county from another area, while 25,428 were from natural increase (births over deaths). 10,188 people came from abroad.

Meanwhile, on the other side of things, Cook County, where Chicago is located, saw the largest decrease in population with a net loss of 21,324 people. Wayne County, home to Detroit, saw 7,696 people leave, while Baltimore had a decrease of 6,738 people.

Check out more demographic data here.

2015 U.S. population report shows return to pre-2000 patterns

2016-03-25T14:19:00-04:00

Today the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2015 population estimates for counties and metropolitan areas. After volatile swings in growth patterns during last decade’s housing bubble and bust, long-term trends are reasserting themselves. Population is growing faster in the South and West than in the Northeast and Midwest, and faster in suburban areas than in urban counties; both of these trends accelerated in 2015.

Biking to work in the U.S. has increased 60% over last decade

2014-05-14T13:14:00-04:00

Many U.S. cities are seeing an increase in bicycle commuters, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. Nationwide, the number of people who traveled to work by bike increased roughly 60 percent over the last decade, from about 488,000 in 2000 to about 786,000 during the 2008-2012 period. This is the largest percentage increase of all commuting modes tracked by the 2000 Census and the 2008-2012 American Community Survey.

If you're feeling wonky, you can read the full U.S. Census Bureau report here. It's the Census Bureau's first report to focus entirely on biking and walking to work, with statistics since 1990.

You can also explore commuting statistics for every U.S. neighborhood in the Bureau's Census Explorer, an interactive map that breaks down commuting by commuter age, census tract, type of transportation, and total time.