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Revisiting Two Forces of Modern Urban Transformation
Few factors have had a greater impact on recent urban growth than communications technology (ICT) and property investment strategies. The evolution of both is transforming space and social interaction...
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The Evolving Urban Form: Sprawling Boston
Few terms are more misunderstood than "urban sprawl." Generally, it refers to the spatial expansion (dispersion) of cities and has been use to describe urbanization from the most dense (least...
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Chicago’s Great Financial Fire
My latest piece is online in City Journal and is called “Chicago’s Financial Fire.” It’s a look at the ongoing financial crisis in that city, which has all of a sudden gotten very real thanks to a...
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The Cities Creating The Most White-Collar Jobs
In our modern economy, the biggest wellspring of new jobs isn’t the information sector, as hype might lead some to think, but the somewhat nebulous category of business services. Over the past decade,...
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LA’s Tale of Two Cities
It’s the best of times and the worst of times in Los Angeles.Los Angeles is now attracting notice as a so-called “global city,” one of the world’s elite metropolises. It is ranked #6 in the world by AT...
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Special Report: The Laissez Faire New Orleans Rebuilding Strategy Was Exactly...
Urban risk may be understood as a function of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.1 In metro New Orleans, Katrina-like storm surges constitute the premier hazard (threat); the exposure variable entails...
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Presidential Candidate Jim Webb is an Old-time Democrat
Will Rogers famously stated, “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.” And he was not so far from the truth. The old Democratic Party was a motley collection of selected...
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Blaming Foreigners for Unaffordable Housing
In a number of Western world cities, there is rising concern about foreign housing purchases which may be driving up prices for local residents. Much of the attention is aimed at mainland Chinese...
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The Cities Leading A U.S. Manufacturing Revival
Manufacturing may no longer drive the U.S. economy, but industrial growth remains a powerful force in many regions of the country. Industrial employment has surged over the past five years, with the...
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In Comparing Metro Areas, the Devil is in the Details
Frequently I see examples of metro areas comparing themselves to other, more successful metro areas. Metro area movers and shakers take a deep dive into the intricacies of what makes a "good" place...
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The Geography of Ideology Ultra R, Ultra D and 50 to 50
Recently I grouped all US counties into several categories, from True Believers R and D, R and D leaning groups, and also those areas that are more equally divided. In anticipating the 2016 election, I...
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Latino Politicians Putting Climate Change Ahead of Constituents
Racial and economic inequality may be key issues facing America today, but the steps often pushed by progressives, including minority politicians, seem more likely to exacerbate these divisions than...
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The Evolving Urban Form: Jing-Jin-Ji (Dispersing Beijing)
China's cities continue to add population at a rapid rate, despite a significant slowdown in population growth. Although overall population is expected to peak around 2030, the urban population will...
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The Incompetence Hypothesis to Explain the Great Recession
Seeking an understanding of the Great Recession, I am finding that most of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath can be explained by incompetence. In the final weeks of writing a book on the...
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Special Report: Maximizing Opportunity Urbanism with Robin Hood Planning
This is the first section of a new report authored by Tory Gattis for the Center for Opportunity Urbanism titled Maximizing Opportunity Urbanism with Robin Hood Planning. Download the full report (pdf)...
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What Jane Jacobs Got Wrong About Cities
Few people have had more influence on thinking about cities than the late Jane Jacobs.The onetime New Yorker turned Torontonian, Jacobs, who died in 2006, has become something of a patron saint for...
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Rethinking the Scandinavian Model
During a tour to Paris, Bruce Springsteen explained that his dream was for the US to adapt a Swedish style welfare state. The famous musician is far from alone in idealizing Nordic policies. The four...
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Historic Districts: The Past or The Future?
Preservation seems like an easy idea to support. Who would be against it? History, character, and a sense of place are what great communities are all about. They generate tourism and makes us all...
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Congratulations Boston!
Congratulations Boston! Your rejection of the "honor" of representing the US as its candidate for the 2024 Summer Olympics is an inspiring example of government performing its obligation to taxpayers...
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More Local Decisions Usurped by Ideological Regulators
In hip, and even not-so-hip, circles, markets, restaurants and cultural festivals across the country, local is in. Many embrace this ideal as an economic development tool, an environmental win and a...
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