What will be the Future of Cities?

The Future of Cities

Whatever the future holds for humanity, it is likely to take place in an urban context. Yet, there are many, and sometimes divergent, urban futures. This book is being published as a series, with permission of the American Enterprise Institute. Please return weekly to read each chapter as it is published.
Texas' $31BN Storm Barrier - known as the Ike Dike

Empty Downtowns, Blue-state Exodus Continues, and HTX Port Expansion

Empty downtowns persist as data shows strong economic incentives to continue the work-from-home revolution if jobs allow it, plus Houston port expansion seems to be paying off.
Pearland Town Center

Assessed Value of Pearland Overstated $1.3 Billion

The City of Pearland finds itself in an uncertain position after it was discovered that the taxable value of the city, used to calculate revenues and tax rates, was overstated by roughly $1.3 billion because of a “worksheet error.”
Houston #1 Standard of Living

Houston #1 Standard of Living Globally, HTX vs LA, and more

by Tory Gattis — Houston has the highest purchasing power at the lowest cost-of-living in the world... aka the highest standard of living in the world.

Demographia United States Housing Affordability – 2022 Edition Released

Demographia United States Housing Affordability rates housing affordability using the median multiple, a measurement of income in relation to housing prices, or 189 major markets (metropolitan areas) for the third quarter of 2021.
Post Houston busy with a diverse crowd in Houston

Post HTX Diversity, Housing Costs Hurt Education and more

by Tory Gattis — Big increases in housing costs since 2000 have likely eaten most of the wage premium return from getting a college education, reducing the incentive to invest in education.
Inner KATY BRT Plan

Metro’s Inner Katy BRT Plan, and Urban Exodus Trend

by Tory Gattis — Metro's Inner Katy BRT plan looks good except for TXDoT's duplicative plans for vehicle traffic lanes to replace lost access to existing HOV lanes. And, the urban exodus continues.
Houston's mini kaihatsu, sinking a false alarm

Houston’s Mini-Kaihatsu, Sinking False Alarm, and more

by Tory Gattis — Houston's reported rate of sinking may be a false alarm in terms of the city actually disappearing below sea level, and a new book notes similarities between Tokyo's mini-kaihatsu and Houston's townhouse developments.
Texas Highway Interchange Stack

Silliness of Induced Demand Arguments, NZ MUD Troubles, and more

by Tory Gattis — On the silliness of the induced demand anti-freeway-expansion argument; taxpayers *want* government to invest in infrastructure where there is demand!
Los Colimas area and exurbs beyond Irving, Texas

Ultimate Agglomeration Diseconomy: The Standard of Living

Wendell Cox — It is hard to imagine a more destructive agglomeration effect than reducing the standard of living. Yet this is what the loss of housing affordability does.
Las Colinas light-rail station in Irving, Texas

With Low Ridership, Should Metro’s Excess Cash Pile Go To Flood Control?

by Tory Gattis — In spite of ridership being cut in half due to Covid, Metro's financial position became stronger than ever due to a huge influx of federal grants, a total of $714 million in Covid relief in 2020 and 2021. Should this excess go to flood control?