Investigating the Relationship between Urban Form and Economic Mobility in Forsyth County, NC

Abstract

Forsyth County, NC, is the third lowest ranked county in the United States for upward economic mobility. Urban scholars argue that sprawling development is an obstacle. This paper includes a focused analysis of the census tracts in Forsyth County. Using a spatial autoregressive model, we find some evidence that less sprawling tracts have higher rates of upward mobility. We find that tracts with more bus stops and less brownfields have higher rates of upward mobility. Though there are data limitations, findings still offer insights for policies and programs that may help in reversing the county’s low mobility rates.