How Baltimore grows

Many city neighborhoods are thriving, and the rest can learn from what's happening there

•Broad appeal. The affordability (average home price of $167,968) coupled with the convenience and quality of life amenities commonly sought in cities continues to make Baltimore a solid choice. Approximately 2,200 homes have sold to date in 2012, with the top-selling neighborhoods being Canton (213 homes), Riverside (86), Belair-Edison (56), Patterson Park (46), Hampden (42) and Frankford (37).

•Interest beyond Baltimore: In the past year, one-third of Live Baltimore's new customers came from outside the Baltimore metro region: 26 percent indicated they were from a state other than Maryland, while an additional 7 percent claimed the District of Columbia as their origin.

Clearly, Baltimore's population loss over the past decade is not the same as its decline of the 1950s and 1960s. While Baltimore has experienced a reduction in the total number of residents, it is still a city of neighborhoods, and many of those areas are thriving. Data show accessibility, diversity and quality housing are the primary reasons why these places are attracting people to the city. It is important to understand these key positive trends about the quality of life in our neighborhoods and focus the conversation on strategies that can be effective to grow the city over the next decade.

Seema D. Iyer is associate director of the University of Baltimore's Jacob France Institute. Her email is [e-mail]. Steven Gondol is executive director of Live Baltimore. His email is [e-mail].