Urban Institute launches ‘Metro Trends’ Web site
A new Web site launched by the Washington-based Urban Institute (UI) aims to give policymakers access to timely, reliable information about how to revitalize the economy and alleviate hardship in their communities. UI’s MetroTrends includes information on a variety of social and economic trends in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas.
The primary topics covered by the site include jobs and housing, earnings and hardship, immigration and employment, children services, and mortgage lending. “Our overall aim is to catalyze informed, evidence-based discussion and debate about how metro areas are faring in the midst of economic recession and recovery, and how different regions and metropolitan areas are performing in comparison to one another,” UI said in a statement. MetroTrends will be updated frequently with new datasets and commentary, and users can sign up to receive e-mail notices when new content is available on the site.