For a generation, Texas has been the stronghold of the Republican Party. Democrats hoped to break its grip this year, but despite media fixation on a new, Democratic Texas, the state is not about to turn blue, as some progressives believe—though a purple future seems plausible. read more »
Houston
Texas is Still Texas — For Now
- Login to post comments
Two Decades of Interstate Migration
America is still a mobile nation. Back in the 2000-2010 decade, 12.9 million people moved interstate, nearly five percent of the total population. In the 2010s the population has been a bit less mobile, with net domestic migration of 11.7 million residents, slightly under four percent. Nonetheless, 11.7 million is a large number. This is nearly equal to the population of Ohio, with only five states being larger read more »
- Login to post comments
The Heartland's Revival
For roughly the past half century, the middle swath of America has been widely written off as reactionary, backward, and destined for unceasing decline. read more »
- Login to post comments
The Twilight of Great American Cities is Here. Can We Stop It?
The dreadful death of George Floyd lit a fire that threatens to burn down America’s cities. Already losing population before the pandemic, our major urban centers have provided ideal kindling for conflagration with massive unemployment, closed businesses and already rising crime rates. read more »
- Login to post comments
Houston Is Now Less Affordable Than New York City?!
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." -Mark Twain read more »
- Login to post comments
Organic Urbanism is the Cure for New Urbanism
New Urbanism is like a virus. For 50 years it keeps coming back in mutated forms. It needs a cure. read more »
- Login to post comments
Of Niche Markets and Broad Markets: Commuting in the US
The six transit legacy cities - mostly urban cores that grew largely before the advent of the automobile - increased their concentration of transit work trips to 57.9% of the national transit commuting, according to the 2018 American Community Survey. At the same time, working at home strengthened its position as the nation’s third leading mode of work access, with transit falling to fourth. The transit commuting market share dropped from 5.0% in 2017 to 4.9% in 2018. read more »
- Login to post comments
On the Houston Chronicle's Editorial Crusade Against Fossil Fuels
“A recent Politico article on the bad messaging of Democrats on climate and energy, Democrats Bite on Burgers and Straws–and Republicans Feast, is fair warning. It is high time the hometown paper of the center of the oil and gas industry stop the blatant bias against the very energies that consumers naturally prefer.” read more »
- Login to post comments
Population Growth Slowing in Largest US Municipalities
The 2017 Census Bureau population estimates shows that population growth in the nation’s largest municipalities (incorporated cities and equivalent) has declined substantially relative to the healthier gains posted earlier in the decade. read more »
- Login to post comments
Doing Houston Wrong
Last August, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, causing massive flooding in the Houston area and likely becoming one of the most expensive disasters (current estimate: $81.5 billion) in U.S. history. In the aftermath, Houstonians rallied to rebuild and look after one another, but they did so with the echoes of a persistent chorus of criticism ringing in their ears: Houston, critics said, was partially to blame for what had happened. read more »
- Login to post comments