Building the New America: Report on trends shaping the migration of people and jobs

Report: Building the New America

How do we build a new urban model for America — one that is better aligned with the aspirations of most Americans? This newly released report examines the housing trends that are driving today's migration of people and jobs.
Apartment building in Westwood area of LA.Photo credit: Brian Wallace

Killing the California Dream

by Randal O' Toole — Californians need to give up on their dream of a “ranch-house lifestyle” and an “ample backyard” and the state should become “more like New York City,” writes LA Times columnist George Skelton. After reading his article, the Antiplanner has just one question: Why?
Financial District, New York City

The Cure for Inequality is More Laissez-Faire

by Sami J. Karam — "Inequality is not necessarily bad in itself: the key question is to decide whether it is justified." states Thomas Piketty. If some inequality is desirable, how much is enough and how much is too much? And who gets to decide?
Millennials in Downtown Houston

Where Millennials Really Go For Jobs

by Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox — Contrary to media hype, young workers aren't flocking to "superstar" cities. In fact, a new Brookings study shows millennials are moving away from metros with dense big cities.
Photo Credit: LoneStarMike (Wikipedia Commons)

The Tech Economy’s Untold Story

by Joel Kotkin — Trends in tech economy job creation are not nearly as favorable to the “superstars” as some urbanists imagine. If one looks at data, a more nuanced picture emerges...
2018 Standard of Living Index, Top 20 and Bottom 20

2018 Standard of Living Index

by Wendell Cox — The Center for Urban Opportunity (COU) has developed a measure (the "COU Standard of Living Index") that estimates the purchasing power of real average pay in metropolitan areas compared to that of the average employee who moves to a new residence.
Aerial view of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Highest 2016 Home Ownership Rate in Grand rapids, Los Angeles Last

by Wendell Cox — Home ownership is finally increasing in the United States, following the housing bust.
Interstate 110 in Lost Angeles

Employment Access in US Metropolitan Areas (2017)

by Wendell Cox — Economic growth of metropolitan areas is enhanced by employment access --- the greater the number of jobs that the average worker can reach in a particular time, the better the economic performance. Recent advances in data have made it possible to measure the effectiveness of access systems in metro areas.
Gavin Newsom at Web 2.0 Summit

California Needs a New Economic Model

by Joel Kotkin — California, epitomizes what economist Thomas Piketty has aptly called “the Brahmin left,” which trades in digits, images and financial transactions. This works well for the top earners, and their offspring, but most Californians are left out of the boom.
Occidental Oil Wells, Elk Hills CA

California Supports “Foreign” Big Oil

by Ronald Stein — California is home to the largest crude oil reserves in America, but its choice not to drill for that oil has in-state manufacturers “exporting” billions of dollars annually to foreign countries to import oil to meet energy demands.
London auction of Lehman BrothersJorge Royan

Ten years After Lehman Collapsed, We’re Still Screwed

by Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox — The collapse of Lehman Brothers 10 years ago today began the financial crisis that crippled and even killed for some the American dream as we had known it; middle-income homeowners did not see their wealth restored when the economy turned around.