City Population Exceeds 600,000 for First Time Since '70s

Today is Tuesday, April 5. Here are five things you need to know today.

1. The 2010 Census numbers have been trickling out in media reports over the last week or two. The news for Boston? Population rose by 4.8 percent to 617,594 residents. This is the first time since the 1970s that the population exceeded 600,000. Fifty-three percent of the population is non-white or Hispanic; 47 percent identified as white. That’s a shift from 2000 when the split was 51 percent to 49 percent. Some other facts: Since 2000, the city issued permits for 19,070 units of housing and 5,468 of them were affordable. The city added 9.8 million square feet of office space to its total. And the university student enrollment grew by 16,559 students or 12.3 percent.

2. It’s a busy week for community meetings. Tonight’s the for the Charlestown Neighborhood Council. That starts at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus. Got a question, concern or complaint? Bring it to the public comment portion of their meeting. And on Wednesday, there’s a . Come meet with the city’s Neighborhood Watch director and organizers from local watch groups. That one starts at 7:30 p.m.

3. Hey, who doesn’t like sunshine? If preserving in city parks it matters to you, you might want to sign a petition filed by Reps. Marty Walz and Byron Rushing supporting a bill that would prohibit new construction that casts a shadow over a certain length in designated parks.

4. Still need a recycling cart? Public Works crews are still accepting requests for them. If you live in a building with up to six units, you can ask for an additional cart whle supplies list. Call 617-635-4500, or click here to file the request online.

5. More rain today, but the high will be around 53. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

For more info on what's happening around the neighborhood, check out our events calendar.