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"To dedicated urbanites, thriving on the culture, street life and energy of the city’s downtown, suburbs can seem like a bland and boring alternative. Who would trade the intensity, hybridity and vibrancy of the core for the sterile sprawl of the periphery?  read more »

"One of the most frequently mouthed claims about high-speed rail is that it is enormously profitable. Judging by the claims made by proponents, you might wonder why all the world's capital has not "beaten a path" to the station, says Wendell Cox, a senior fellow with the Heartland Institute."

Wendell Cox on NCPA

"
Land-rich boomtowns, like Dallas, can offer the same kind of value proposition that Cincinnati can bring to the table. Read a little Ed Glaeser or Joel Kotkin and you will get the gist of the comparative advantage. The assets of shrinking cities are a bit more complicated. I recommend saving a few dollars and watching Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations". First city to embrace Rust Belt Chic as a branding campaign wins."

Joel on Burgh Diaspora

"He then linked his argument to a Joel Kotkin book of 1992 that saw Indians as one of five ethnic groups “particularly well adapted to succeed within today’s progressively more integrated world economic system.” In 2009, those final seven words would be replaced with just one: globalisation. Never mind; Kotkin, and Adhikari, had the idea right."

Joel on Folks

"But the early neoconservatives were right to defend mainstream liberalism against countercultural radicalism. Like today's right, the '60s and '70s left was emotional, expressivist and anti-intellectual. (One of its bibles was Abbie Hoffman's "Steal This Book!") Like today's right, the '70s left favored theatrical protest over discussion and debate. The prophets of the Age of Aquarius and the "population explosion" were every bit as apocalyptic as Glenn Beck. And just as today's right-wing radicals play at Boston Tea Parties, so Abbie Hoffman dressed up as Uncle Sam.  read more »

"California may yet be a civilization that is too young to have produced its Thucydides or Edward Gibbon, but if it has, the leading candidate would be Kevin Starr. His eight-part “Dream” series on the evolution of the Golden State stands alone as the basic comprehensive work on California. Nothing else comes remotely close."

Joel on TruthDig

"In this week’s column, Kotkin discusses the larger philosophical debate taking place across the county over the future of 'exurbs' like the High Desert and communities on the outskirts of Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento."

Joel on the Victorville Daily Press

"'San Francisco, in a weird way is the most conservative place in America,' he says. 'People went there for a particular ambiance and, even though it really is not what it was, they are desperate to hold on to it.'"

Michael Lind on the Associated Press

"Now and then a moment occurs that clarifies the nature of American politics like a flash of lightning over a prairie landscape. Such a moment occurred on Sept. 9 during President Obama’s televised address to a joint session of Congress about healthcare. As the president explained that illegal immigrants would not be eligible for benefits under the plan he supported, Joe Wilson, a conservative Republican member of Congress from South Carolina, shocked the chamber and the television audience by shouting, 'You lie!'"  read more »

"If the great Greek chronicler and 'father of history' Herodotus were alive today, he would have whiplash. In less than a lifetime, we have seen the rapid rise of a host of dynamic new global cities--and the relative decline of many others. With a majority of the world's population now living in cities, what these places do with their new wealth ultimately will shape this first truly urban century."

Joel on Forbes