Articles - Joel Kotkin

Golden State losing it's shine; upward mobility easier outside California

Tarnishing the Golden State

March 16, 2022/in California, Politics, The Economy

The Golden State is losing its shine as minorities and other middle and working-class residents find better opportunity for upward mobility outside California.

by Joel Kotkin and Hügo Krüger — We are returning to something resembling the “Great Game” of the 19th century, which saw Britain and Tsarist Russia struggle over the resources of central Asia, as other European nations strove to expand their empires into commodity-rich Africa.

Empty retail stores at Times Square during COVID lockdown

Long COVID

March 9, 2022/in The Economy

COVID-19’s impact on our economy, our way of life, the state of democracy and the world will resonate for years to come and could have some unexpected wrinkles.

The Limits of Libertarianism

March 7, 2022/in The Economy, Urban Affairs

Over the past half-century, libertarians have played a critical role in the ever-growing war against governmental nonsense. But, nowhere is the disconnect between libertarianism and its traditional base of small-property owners more obvious than in housing.

Unaffordable housing is becoming the key economic issue facing America's beleaguered middle class

You Can’t Fix Housing with New Houses. We Need New Cities

February 25, 2022/in California, Politics, The Economy, Urban Affairs

Housing is rapidly becoming the key economic issue facing America’s beleaguered middle class. Even as interest rates rise, rents are on a wild binge, up near 20 percent in the past year or more in some cities. We need a new approach to cities and housing policy.

Exurbia Rising

February 23, 2022/in Demographics, The Economy

Perhaps nowhere is the gap between America’s cognitive elite and its populace larger than in their preferred urban forms. For nearly a century—interrupted only by the Depression and the Second World War—Americans have been heading further from the urban core, seeking affordable and safe communities with good schools, parks, and a generally more tranquil lifestyle in “exurbia”.

Webinar: The Case for Suburbia

February 22, 2022/in Urban Affairs

The seeming success of compact cities and the supposed dangers of sprawl to the climate have led to pushback against sprawling, car-dominated cities. Join us as we discuss the environmental case for suburbia.

The Tech Breakdown

February 22, 2022/in California, The Economy

Is a tech breakdown here? The recent Meta stock meltdown suggests turbulence in the tech world and a difficult period ahead for the company formerly known as Facebook.

Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin work toward a Eurasian century

The New Eurasian Century

February 18, 2022/in Politics, The Economy

An emerging Eurasian century encompasses Russia and its expanding list of recovered satellites, as well as China, the world’s premier dictatorship and workshop.