Welcome to the Next American Blog, a space dedicated to urban enthusiasts, planners, community builders, flaneurs, and anyone interested in shaping the direction of the next American City.

This blog will be a daily amalgam of the latest developments in the urban planning world — far-reaching in scope, whimsical in content, scrappy in delivery.

Have you ever wondered why old people move to retirement communities? Maybe its not the promise of endless jello salad and afternoon shuffleboard games that lures them. Maybe city living is inherently ageist, given the competition with younger workers, unforgiving public transportation, and high cost of living. But certainly all cities are not created equal.

So what makes a city age friendly? The World Health Organization has tackled this question and came up with a ranking to measure quality of life for older persons. Portland, Oregon scored high on this list, winning accolades for its ample greenspace, wide sidewalks, and its city-wide use of the term “Honored Citizen” in lieu of “senior citizen.”

By 2050, 22% of the population will be 60 or older. Will your city embrace its aging population, or will it send them packing?

Urban forecast: Ghosttowns on the horizon.

As anyone with a pulse knows, things are not looking good for the housing market, with sales slumping and foreclosures abounding. However, things look particularly bleak for those living in neighborhoods with a high percentage of loan defaultors. Parts of Cleveland are now devolving into chaos as a result of predatory lending practices that made homeowners out of people who couldn’t afford it. Many have abandoned their homes, and left chaos in their wake. “Houses — 800 at last count — then entire streets were abandoned. Crime increased as vacant properties offered shelter to people who had a reason to hide.” Given residential segregation patterns, we could certainly see this happen elsewhere.