The most pronounced dynamic shaping U.S. cities heading into 2024 is “the donut effect” — a hollowing of the urban core as people, jobs and retailers flee to the suburbs and exurbs.

Why it matters: For all the talk of 2023 being the year of downtown recovery, the reality looks more like a swirl of experiments in how to attract residents, commuters and visitors to cities where the pulse beats differently than it did pre-pandemic.