NEW YORK (TIP):
New York City’s population has hit a record high of 8,405,837, according to an estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The city’s population, as of July 2013, increased by 230,704 people, or roughly 2.8%, since 2010. Each of the city’s five boroughs posted population gains, with both Queens and Staten Island reporting new population highs. An analysis of the data from the New York City Department of City Planning showed the largest change occurred in Brooklyn, where the population grew by 3.5%, or 87,400 people; followed by Queens (2.9%, 65,500 people); Manhattan (2.5%, 40,300 people); the Bronx (2.4%, 33,600 people); and Staten Island (0.8%, 3,900 people).

City officials attributed the population increase, in part, to a decline in the number of people leaving the city and a continued surplus of births over deaths. “These population increases underscore the need to spur creation of housing for all New Yorkers, something which we are focusing on as part of the mayor’s mandate to provide 200,000 affordable apartments over the next 10 years,” said Carl Weisbrod, chairman of the Planning Commission.

In 2007, Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, released a document called PlaNYC, an initiative aimed at preparing the city for 1 million more residents by 2030. The document outlined efforts to combat climate change and ensure New Yorkers leave a healthier and cleaner city for generations to come.