Throughout the history of cities, there have always been stark contrasts between proximate conurbations. One can consider the dramatic differences between the cities of East St. Louis and St. Louis for such a study in socioeconomic contrasts. In fact, these differences have attracted the attention of policymakers, sociologists, geographers, and planners for decades. This recent report from The Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy program details the disparities among various groups of people within the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Authored by Rebecca Sohmer, the 44-page report looks at how the region does (and does not) work for different populations. In the report, Sohmer details three particular "gaps", namely race, class, and place disparities throughout the region. Sohmer notes that a dedicated effort committed to reducing these disparities may in fact promote a strong future workforce and build a healthier region.
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