METRO low ridership taking budget that needs to be spent on higher priorities

METRO Need to Support Higher Priorities for Houston

METRO has way too much money for too few riders, and the City could desperately use that money to be redeployed to much higher priorities, like police, street repairs, or just closing the chronic budget gap.
Empty downtown areas persist as economic activity moves to the periphery in emerging new cities

Save Our Cities

To save our cities, it’s time to create better neighborhoods where people will want to spend their time — instead of building ever bigger high-rise office buildings.
Suburban neighborhoods

Urban Sprawl, the Environmentally Friendly Answer to Expensive Housing

Where governments have embraced such things as “urban growth boundaries” and greenbelts that restrict new housing on the fringe, expensive housing is the result.
Houston Silver Line, a METRO BRT failure: the line is attracting only 10% of its projected ridership

More on METRO’s Uptown BRT Failure

A Houston bus rapid transit (BRT) route over dedicated bus lanes is attracting less than 10 percent of the riders that were projected for it.
Photo credit: Nserrano

Public Perceptions on Crime are more Legitimate than Politicians Think

Concerns over public safety can be one of the most polarizing policy issues that divide Americans. The past years of mainstream journalism would have convinced the people that inefficient police forces are the source of the problem...
Metropolitan area traffic congestion

Induced Demand Debunked

Does "induced demand" make road projects futile? Most new demand on expanded roads comes from new population, new employment and economic activity — which is normally considered to be a good thing.
Today's cities face an uncertain future if they do not adapt and change

Urban Doom Loop Coming for Cities with Commercial Real Estate Crash

As cities experience a rapid decline in commercial real estate value; they face difficult choices that could make them less attractive, triggering a “urban doom loop” that pushes more people away, hurts revenue, and perpetuates a cycle of decline.
Future of Cities Series: Conclusion

The Future of Cities: Conclusion

Over five millennia, cities have demonstrated their essential resiliency. They now are transforming to a pattern based on digital commuting.
Next Generation American Suburbs

The Future of Cities: Next Generation American Suburbs

Next generation suburbs can be designed to preserve the environment, and advantage that urban core cities could never achieve.
Utah and Salt Lake City Policy Innovations in Homelessness, Poverty and Health Care

The Future of Cities: Utah Policy Innovations in Homelessness, Poverty and Health

The proper size of government permeates public policy discussions about homelessness, poverty, and health care. The left and right debate varying degrees of government involvement, typically failing to act and often deteriorating into a state of policy paralysis.