Please consider the data map above. This is Indianapolis, and it has not been afflicted by some strange blue disease. Instead the map shows the population trends of the city with the movement of people continuing away from the city center and out towards the suburbs (blue in the graphic signifies population growth, red decline, grey no change). Classic urban flight to the suburbs, yes, but with a subtle difference: Stephen Von Worley at Data Pointed notes that while older neighborhoods may have emptied out for new developments, in the very center of many cities they've noted an increase in blue. "Apparently, at some point in recent history, a home address amongst the skyscrapers became desirable again," he says. It's not specific to Indianapolis either; Data Pointed's collection of maps confirm this interesting trend and are well worth checking out here.

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Eli Rosenberg