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How cities can drive opportunity for the bulk of their citizens
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Urban Reform Institute
3900 Essex Lane, Suite 1200
Houston, Texas 77027
Urban Reform Institute is a 501c3 Non-Profit organization
that exists to promote approaches that enable cities to
drive opportunity for the bulk of their citizens.
METRO Need to Support Higher Priorities for Houston
in Politics & Policy, Urban Issues/by Tory GattisMETRO has way too much money for too few riders, and the City could desperately use that money to be redeployed to much higher priorities, like police, street repairs, or just closing the chronic budget gap.
Save Our Cities
in Demographics, Urban Issues/by Joel KotkinTo save our cities, it’s time to create better neighborhoods where people will want to spend their time — instead of building ever bigger high-rise office buildings.
Urban Sprawl, the Environmentally Friendly Answer to Expensive Housing
in Housing, Planning, Suburbs, Urban Issues/by Joel KotkinWhere governments have embraced such things as “urban growth boundaries” and greenbelts that restrict new housing on the fringe, expensive housing is the result.
Demographia United States Housing Affordability – 2023 Edition Released
in Demographics, Economics, Housing, Reports/by Wendell CoxDemographia United States Housing Affordability rates housing affordability using the median multiple, a measurement of income in relation to housing prices, or 174 major markets (metropolitan areas) for the third quarter of 2022.
The Future of Appalachia
in Demographics, Reports/by Aaron M. RennNew trends — sunbelt growth , remote work, combined with traditional assets such as cultural tourism or even high-tech growth — provide reasons for optimism for the future in significant parts of Appalachia.
More on METRO’s Uptown BRT Failure
in Urban Issues/by Tory GattisA Houston bus rapid transit (BRT) route over dedicated bus lanes is attracting less than 10 percent of the riders that were projected for it.
Los Angeles City Council and Under-representation
in Demographics, Politics & Policy/by Cruz GarcíaConcerns over public safety can be one of the most polarizing policy issues that divide Americans. The past years of mainstream journalism would have convinced the people that inefficient police forces are the source of the problem…
Housing Costs vs Fertility, YIMBY Righteousness and more
in Planning/by Tory GattisHousing costs show a strong correlation with fertility decline: as economies grow and people get wealthier, they want more space per person, and if they can’t afford it, they shrink their family size to compensate.
The Value that Mobility Adds to Quality of Life, and more
in Planning/by Tory GattisThe value that mobility adds to a person’s quality of life is considered in a study on access to jobs via driving or transit, with the finding that, “larger accessibility (via more possible trips within a given time frame) leads to greater economic productivity.”
Public Perceptions on Crime are more Legitimate than Politicians Think
in Politics & Policy, Urban Issues/by Cruz GarcíaConcerns over public safety can be one of the most polarizing policy issues that divide Americans. The past years of mainstream journalism would have convinced the people that inefficient police forces are the source of the problem…