How will the future of cities look?

A Series of Essays on the Urban Future

The Future of Cities

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. The size of government matters, but so does the nature of what government does and, even more importantly, what people do.

This book is being published as a series, with permission of the American Enterprise Institute. Each week a new chapter will be published, with links to each chapter.

Click or tap a link below to read or download each chapter. (PDFs open in new tab or window)

Utah and Salt Lake City Policy Innovations in Homelessness, Poverty, and Health – Natalie Gochnour (new this week)


Natalie Gochnour serves as an associate dean at the David Eccles School of Business and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

Read the Series:

Introduction: Welcome to the Urban Future – Joel Kotkin

I. The Big Picture for Global Geography

American Aspiration is Metropolitan – Ryan Streeter

The Urban Future: The Great Dispersion – Wendell Cox

The Future of the Big American City is Not Bright – Samuel J. Abrams

II. The Variety of Urban Experiences

The Future of Chinese Cities – Li Sun

Africa’s Urban Future – Hügo Krüger and Bheki Mahlobo

Recalibrating Expectations: Lessons from Youngstown, Ohio – Sherry Lee Linkon and John Russo

Indianapolis – Aaron M. Renn

The Texas Triangle: An Emerging Metropolitan Model in the Lone Star State – J. H. Cullum Clark

The Evolution of New York City Politics – Harry Siegel

California’s Inland Empire: Harbinger of the New Multiracial Suburb – Celia López del Río and Karla López del Río

III. The Policy Agenda

Housing Unaffordability: How We Got There and What to Do About It – Tobias Peter and Edward J. Pinto

False Dawn: The Future of Work and Cities After the Illusions of Globalization – Michael Lind

A New Path for Black Urban Voters? – Charles Blain