"Back in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, several commentators began to promote the “urban doom loop” theory, suggesting that the demographic and economic vibrancy of big cities would continue to wane. This perspective arose in reaction to the pandemic-related exodus of residents from such cities, the rise of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, and an abatement of city living. Yet newly released U.S. Census Bureau statistics through 2022–2023 reveal that—contrary to the urban doom loop theory—many cities have arrested the demographic declines they suffered during the peak of the pandemic and have begun to turn a corner."