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The Young and Restless in Connecticut

More young people are moving to the heart of cities, according to a report from think tank City Observatory. This includes cities that we usually think of as “economically troubled,” like Buffalo, Cleveland, and, yes, even Hartford. Some of these cities have been losing their overall population, but gaining in their numbers of college graduates in their 20s and 30s.

A report in The New York Times said the number of college-educated people moving to city centers has surged, up 37 percent since 2000, even while their populations have shrunk slightly.

What’s behind that trend, and is it happening in Connecticut? Join us as economist Joe Cortright takes a look at the numbers, and explains why young people matter to urban areas. We take a look at the Hartford region, which made Cortright's list of places making modest gains in attracting college-educated young people, and what it takes to attract and keep a young demographic. 

GUESTS:

  • Joe Cortright - Economist, City Observatory
  • Julie Daly Meehan - HYPE Executive Director, MetroHartford Alliance
  • Diana Deng - Policy and communications analyst, Partnership for Strong Communities

John Dankosky, Tucker Ives, Chion Wolf, Josh Nilaya, and Colleen Mason contributed to this show.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.