Note: To "suffer from" means to be affected by, in some detrimental sense. It isn't the same as "to suffer", and the author didn't use the phrase the elicit sym

Note: To "suffer from" means to be affected by, in some detrimental sense. It isn't the same as "to suffer", and the author didn't use the phrase the elicit sympathy the way you seem to interpret her. Reading between the lines, "suffering from a lack of diversity" really means that it's a monoculture, and that this is not good for the city.