For decades, Americans have left cities to move to towns with more open spaces. But in recent years, a change has taken place as young adults and even some older ones eschew the suburban life to make their lives in the nation's cities.
According to an analysis of U.S. Census data by William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, the population of major cities grew faster than their suburbs beginning in 2011. Fifty-one cities with populations of one million people or more grew 1.1 between 2010 and 2012, according to Mr. Frey, while their suburbs grew 0.9 percent. Atlanta, Denver and Washington, D.C. were among the fastest growing cities with population growth exceeding their suburbs by about one percent.
A recent piece on the Quartz website attributed some (not all) of the challenges suburban malls face to the migration of consumers to cities. The trend has also affected mall-based retailers that cater to teens and young adults such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale, according to the article.
The Quartz piece concludes that while it's premature to predict the death of the suburbs based on recent trends, it is a development that is having an effect on retailers today.