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.
Ownership and Opportunity: New Report from Urban Reform Institute

Ownership and Opportunity: A New Report from Urban Reform Institute

Ownership and Opportunity, a new report from Urban Reform Institute, explores the connection between homeownership and opportunity for upward mobility.
Cover of Urban Reform Institute's Report on Upward Mobility

Upward Mobility Report

In a new report, Upward Mobility — authored by Charles Blain, Wendell Cox and Joel Kotkin — examine how the choice of where to live affects upward mobility for middle and working-class citizens, especially historically disadvantage minorities.
Beyond Feudalism: a Strategy to Restore California's Middle Class

Beyond Feudalism: A Strategy to Restore California’s Middle Class

This new report, California Feudalism: A Strategy to Restore California's Middle Class by Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky examines how California has drifted toward feudalism, and how it can restore upward mobility for middle and working-class citizens.

2020 Standard of Living Index

Urban Reform Institute has developed the Standard of Living Index to facilitate comparisons between metropolitan areas. The Index combines a cost of living index with median household incomes in the 107 metropolitan areas with more than 500,000 residents.

A Policy of Delusion and Misdirection

A new report authored by Joel Kotkin, Ali Modarres, and Wendell Cox examines how California's planning policies are contributing to the affordable housing crisis. An excerpt follows and a link to read/download the entire report.
The Economist Cover Story on the Housing Crisis

Policy Brief: How Urban Planning Caused the Housing Crisis

This Policy Brief by Wendell Cox, Senior Fellow of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism responds to The Economist cover story on home ownership as a key factor in causing the housing crisis.

The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class

Joel Kotkin’s new book—The Coming of Neo-Feudalism—explores how societies around the world are reverting to a neo-feudal model. We are seeing the return to hierarchy and class rule, enforced by tech oligarchs and a powerful Clerisy. Can we slow or prevent it?
6th and Market, San Francisco — a less gentrified area of the city

Beyond Gentrification: Towards More Equitable Urban Growth

Since the 1970s, many core cities have experienced real turnarounds, particularly in the urban centers of our largest metro areas. Yet gentrification has often operated to the detriment of the original residents whose neighborhoods have been transformed.
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.
Houston Downtown

Houston: Resilient Region

As leaders and policy makers address post-Harvey issues, we present the steps they can take to make Houston more resilient, while still allowing it to retain its character as a region of opportunity.