The Future of Appalachia
New 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.
Entries by Aaron M. Renn
The Future of Cities: Indianapolis
Indianapolis was an unlikely candidate to emerge as a midwestern demographic and economic leader. It is an artificially created city, chosen by fiat as a centrally located capital for the state of Indiana.
The Pandemic and the Strengths of Our Networked Government
by Aaron M. Renn — America’s system of federalism provides plenty of opportunity for fighting among various levels of government. But as the coronavirus response is showing, this system also has underappreciated strengths that we should take care not to overlook.
The Lifeblood of America
by Aaron M. Renn — Shutdowns mandated by the coronavirus are a pending apocalypse for small businesses, which employ 48 percent of American workers. Businesses that either can’t reopen or are suffering a big drop in revenue will soon be insolvent. Some have already announced that they will be shutting down.
Midwest Success Stories
by Aaron M. Renn — My latest report has just been released by the Manhattan Institute. It’s called, “Midwest Success Stories: These 10 Cities Are Blooming, Not Rusting.” It’s a look at 10 cities in nine states in the greater Midwest that are doing well economically and demographically.
We Need More Family Friendly Cities
by Aaron M. Renn — My latest piece is now online at the Institute for Family Studies. It’s a look at what it would take to make more family friendly cities.
Local Empowerment Should Be About Local Matters
I’ve generally been someone who wants to see local governments have more power and flexibility to meet local needs. My rationale is simple. States are full of diverse communities that are a bad fit for one size fits all policies. Chicago, Danville, Peoria, Cairo, etc. are radically different places. They have different circumstances, needs, and […]
The Quest for Food Freedom
by Aaron M. Renn
Mariza Ruelas currently faces up to two years in jail in California for the crime of selling ceviche through a Facebook food group. Welcome to the mad world of American food regulation.
The Real State of America’s Inner Cities
The New York Times ran a piece in today’s paper about the state of America’s inner cities – and of course Donald Trump. Their conclusion is that the landscape of America’s cities, and of American blacks – the “inner city” is clearly a racially loaded term – is complex. I agree with that. I’ve classified […]
Urbanophile Reviews Texas Way of Urbanism
by Aaron M. Renn
Texas cities are places many urbanists love to hate. I worked in Houston several years ago and it wasn’t my personal cup of tea. I much prefer living in a higher density, traditional urban pattern…