homeless in LALaurie Avocado

The Unintended Consequence of the Green Movement is More Homeless

by Ronald Stein — The growing populations of homeless and families falling below the poverty line is obvious proof that California plans to go green, at any cost.
"Be Someone" Houston Graffiti

Should “Be Someone” Be Houston’s Official Motto?

by Tory Gattis — Most Houstonians are familiar with Houston's most famous piece of graffiti, the "Be Someone" message in giant letters on the Union Pacific bridge over I45 north of downtown.
anti Amazon graffiti, seen in New York

After Amazon: What Happened in New York Isn’t Just About New York

by Joel Kotkin — The fiasco surrounding Amazon’s recent escape from New York reflects a broader, potentially devastating trend. This new development is being driven by demographic shifts as cities become increasingly polarized with little room for a middle ground between the very rich and the very poor.
The Hollywood Sign, as seen from a nearby trail.

Homelessness in Hollywood

by Alicia Kurimska — The allure of Los Angeles may be good weather, beaches, and the glam of Hollywood. However, the area has about 50,000 who are currently experiencing homelessness. This video examines the extreme inequality of the area.
SMU, Dallas Hall

College Graduates Concentrated in Suburbs, Highest Educational Attainment in CBDS

by Wendell Cox — The nation’s high-density central business districts of the major metropolitan areas have the largest shares of adults over the age of 25 with bachelor’s degrees or higher, consistent with popular perception. However, such a small percentage of people live in central business districts, that most bachelors degree and higher adults live in the suburbs.
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.