Page 30 - The City of Greensboro Conditions and Trends

CITY OF GREENSBORO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONDITIONS & TRENDS

Foreign Born

America has always been a country of immigrants, but the places people emigrate from and the rate at which they do so
are changing rapidly. The bulk of immigration into the United States since 1990 has been from Mexico, but between 2009
and 2014, the Pew Research Center reports that the net migration flow reversed. More immigrants that are Mexican
returned home than arrived in the US during that 5-year span. Asians are currently the only major racial or ethnic group
whose immigration numbers are rising. In Greensboro, the foreign-born population is primarily of Hispanic or Latino
descent. Immigrants to the US each year collectively make significant positive economic impacts as creators and innovators.
Greensboro’s immigrant population is an important aspect of its economic vitality.

Home-Ownership and Family Structure

Family structure in the United States is moving away from the traditional nuclear family. Marriage rates have been declining
for decades and the number of American adults who have never married is at an all-time high. Simultaneously, two parent
households are on the decline, and approximately 33% of American adults are single. The shift in household structure will
create greater demand for different types of housing stock. Cities will have to become more innovative and thoughtful
regarding both the location and the types of new housing units constructed.

What This Means for Greensboro

Like other urban areas, Greensboro will need to adapt and be forward-thinking about how city services are provided and
distributed. Population growth will create denser living environments, changing family sizes will create a need for different
types of housing stock, and age composition will drive demand for walkable, connected environments. Cities that recognize
these needs and plan progressively, as opposed to reactively will be successful, vibrant places.

DRAFT -30- March 15, 2018