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Methodist Urbanism: Ocean Grove
Here’s the ubiquitous American landscape with a dash of central New Jersey local color. It’s not the rain and dark skies that make it look so bleak. No amount of sunshine can brighten this much...
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California Becoming More Feudal, With Ultra-Rich Lording Over Declining...
In the imaginations of its boosters, and for many outside the state, California is often seen as the role model for the future. But, sadly, California is also moving backward toward a more feudal...
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The Dos and Dont's of Civic Branding
A Manhattan Institute paper that I wrote earlier this year and presented in Akron is on the dos and don’ts of civic branding and is now available online. It’s part of our Urban Policy 2018 book as...
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California Ranks #1 In Sending Dollars Abroad For Energy
The USA is now a net exporter of crude oil, with crude oil exports exceeding imports. This oil boom is beneficial to 49 states, but not to California. The American shale boom has important security...
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Length of Residential Tenure: Metropolitan Areas, Urban Cores, Suburbs & Exurbs
America is becoming less mobile than in the past, but there are some major metropolitan areas --- and areas within them --- that have fewer people move in and out than others. US households tend to...
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Middle East Cities Should Look Forward—and Back
The Middle East may well be the birthplace of cities, and maybe capitalism itself, but for the most part, it continues to lag in developing a modern, workable urbanism. Yes, the region has produced...
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California Feudalism: The Squeeze on the Middle Class
Is the California Dream unraveling? Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky warn how California is headed towards an increasingly feudal future in their latest report, "California Feudalism: The Squeeze on...
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The American Republic Has Lost Adult Supervision
The ship known as the American Republic sails on, but its crew is made up of irresponsible and vicious children cast from “Lord of the Flies.” Prisoners of their own emotions, they increasingly seem...
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Can “Renewables” Dent The World’s Need For Electricity?
All 7.8 billion on this planet want affordable, scalable, reliable electricity. And for countries like the United States, China, India, most of Africa and the European Union (EU) the cheapest way to...
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Inputs vs. Outputs
An article in CityLab purports to show “why public transit works better outside the U.S.” However, it never actually demonstrates that public transit does work better in other countries; it merely...
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One Nation, Two Economies
Almost all news coverage of the current election season has focused on cultural issues such as gender, race, and immigration. What the media have missed are deep socioeconomic trends driving parts of...
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United States Is The Most Competitive Economy: World Economic Forum
The United States is rated as the world’s most competitive economy according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2018, which is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The World Economic Forum...
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Responding to External Reality
Among my many friends here in San Francisco is a guy who works in the field of affordable housing. In the parlance of the profession he identifies and empowers stakeholders to work synergistically to...
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How About A Fusion Party In The Golden State?
Once upon a time, the California Republican Party was a fearsome political instrument, forging the ground for two presidents. But today the California GOP is fighting rearguard actions to save its last...
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Carmel, Indiana’s Billion Dollar Bet
Carmel, Indiana is an upscale business suburb of Indianapolis that I’ve written about previously, noting them as a paradigm of the new aspirational suburb. Strong Towns and Charles Marohn have been...
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Understanding California’s Housing Affordability Crisis
According to an October 21, 2018 Los Angeles Times article, experts “agree that the fundamental issue underlying the state’s housing crisis is that there are not enough homes.” In contrast, according...
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Driverless Cars Threaten Guru’s Vision
Urban planning guru says driverless cars won’t fix congestion,” says the New York Times. Naturally, the Times is referring to Peter Calthorpe, one of the few people who might be considered an urban...
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The Causes of California's Housing Crisis
The homeownership rate in California equaled the national rate from 1950 well into the 1960s. Yet, by 2005, California’s homeownership rate was 13.3 percent below the national average and the 49th...
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Miami’s New Temples
I scratched my head over this one for a while before I eventually came around. Give me a minute to come full circle here.This is the latest architectural statement in Miami’s trendy Wynwood...
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The Golden State Won’t Glitter for Republicans
California’s Republican Party was once a force to be feared, not only in the state, but across the country. Nowadays, it’s at most a mild irritant and sometimes a convenient whipping boy for the...
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