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.

Demographia International Housing Affordability – 2022 Edition Released

Demographia International Housing Affordability rates middle-income housing affordability in 92 major housing markets in eight nations: Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States). This edition covers the third quarter (September quarter) of 2021.
Wage growth in major U.S. metros

Road Subsidies, Challenging Parking Minimums, and Wage Growth

by Tory Gattis — Houston #3 for wage growth in the last year, maybe around the goldilocks zone of not too low or too high (which drives inflation).

HCTRA Annual Report Shows Impact of COVID and Toll Diversions

by Tory Gattis, with data from Oscar Slotboom — The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) fiscal year 2021 annual financial report shows impact of COVID, but it had a strong financial position prior to COVID, and easily handled the financial setback.
Golden Gate Bridge in the fog

Green Jim Crow

by Jennifer Hernandez — The daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers, I grew up in Pittsburg, California, a gritty industrial town on the outskirts of the San Francisco Bay Area, with a significant Latino and Black workforce. That California no longer exists.
Photo credit: Aerial vies of Irvine, Texas by La Citta Vitta, via Flickr

Texas and Houston Growth Secret, Texas Miracle is More than Oil

by Tory Gattis — Going beyond all the usual reasons given for Texas' high growth, here's the technical overlooked one that I think is a big key: Texas does not allow unincorporated counties to regulate land use (i.e. create zoning), which creates pretty much a totally free market in development just outside cities.
Housing elasticity and prices in 20 fast-growing U.S. metrosMarket Urbanism Report

Texas Startup Manifesto 2.0, Houston housing elasticity, remote work reshaping America, and more

by Tory Gattis — How does the Houston housing market achieve elasticity? Less regulation. The city famously lacks a zoning code, and many of its suburbs are also very pro-growth.
The Astrodome Conservancy starts campaign to repurpose the Astrodome

Astrodome Campaign Ideas, MaX Lanes, Pandemic Migration and More

by Tory Gattis — The Astrodome Conservancy starts a campaign to re-engage the public on what to do with the Astrodome. Will they go big? Or, propose a more modest, affordable plan?
Houston, city of the future

Increasing Venture Capital in Houston and More

by Tory Gattis — Houston employers can now offer an option to their employees in their 401k plans that would channel their retirement savings into Houston-focused venture capital.
Austin Downtown July 4th

Houston’s Ugliness Serves a Purpose, Austin = next Silicon Valley?

by Tory Gattis — Is Austin poised to become the next Silicon Valley? The city is currently attracting an influx of tech companies and workers from California.
Costly housing in California unaffordable for working class

Making America California

by Joel Kotkin — As the Biden administration settles in and begins to formulate its agenda, progressive pundits, politicians, and activists point to California as a role model for national policy. If the administration listens to them, it would prove a disaster for America’s already-beleaguered middle and working classes.