The death last week of former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan is a reminder of both how low the city’s political culture has sunk and how strong leaders can help turn around a seemingly hopeless situation. read more »
Urban Issues
Things Are Different Downtown
We are entering a new urban epoch, with the potential to disrupt city life in ways not unlike that created in the shift from an industrial to what Jean Gottman described in 1983 as the “transactional city.” read more »
The Future of Cities: Utah and Salt Lake City Policy Innovations in Homelessness, Poverty, and Health
The proper size of government permeates public policy discussions about homelessness, poverty, and health care. The left and right debate varying degrees of government involvement, typically failing to act and often deteriorating into a state of policy paralysis. read more »
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California Growth and Domestic Migration: Changing Trends
For nearly all the 20th century, California was the national growth leader. In every census from 1930 to 2000, California added more residents than any other state. read more »
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The Future of Cities: A New Path for Black Urban Voters?
For decades, a large majority of black Americans have aligned with the Democratic Party, but the modern-day Democratics Party's leftward shift may cause a reevaluation of that relationship. read more »
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Restaurant Revolution
Nokmaniphone Sayavong started her business, Nok’s Kitchen, during the worst of times—the Covid pandemic—and in a state that often treats small businesses with the delicacy of a cat torturing a mouse. Yet she has found a way to thrive. read more »
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The Future of Cities: False Dawn – The Future of Work and Cities After the Illusions of Globalization
“The future ain’t what it used to be,” Yogi Berra famously observed. Nowhere is that truer than regarding the future of work, particularly in cities. read more »
Calgary City Council: Reimagining the CBD
In a previous post, I commented on the difficulties faced by the Calgary CBD (downtown), with its huge office vacancies resulting from the mid-decade oil bust read more »
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The Housing Plot
Oregon’s new governor, Tina Kotek, has made housing her top priority and has proposed a number of unrealistic and idiotic remedies to high housing costs and homelessness. read more »
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The Future of Cities: Housing Unaffordability – How We Got There and What to Do About It
From the end of World War II until 1970, owner-occupied housing was broadly affordable across the entire country. The standard measure for measuring affordability —the price-to-income ratio— was at about 2.8 in 1950, 2.5 in 1960, 2.6 in 1970, 3.4 in 1980, and 4.2 in 2020. read more »
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