Aaron M. Renn

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Archives for February 2020

Cities, Culture and Dynamism

February 27, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

If you haven't done so, please sign up for Heartland Intelligence, my monthly research briefing on this critical region of the country heading into the 2020 election. My latest report is now available from the American Enterprise Institute. It's a look at the role of the culture of cities in economic dynamism and resiliency. I examine a few case studies, and from these try to draw out some cultural traits that seem to be relevant to success, notably an open social structure, invested leadership and institution building by civic elites, and a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Urban Culture

The City of Tomorrow

February 17, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

Last fall I moderated a panel on the city of tomorrow at Propmodo's Building the Future event that was part of NYC Real Estate Tech Week. Propmodo is a trade publication focused on the proptech industry. Proptech is heavily concentrated in a few cities like NYC. But if you are in the real estate business, following the proptech world in Propmodo or elsewhere helps give you a sense of the profound change in the real estate business being driven by technology. In the panel we talk about the disconnect between the radically different urban … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Planning, Transport, and Environment

How Cities Lost Control of the Urban Revolution (or, Three Generations of Smart Cities)

February 11, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

I was a columnist in the print edition of Governing magazine for about five years. Sadly, the publication closed last year. But the company who owned it has relaunched Governing as an online only publication focused on the intersection of technology and public policy. I'm delighted to be able to contribute to this new platform. My first column is online and is about how cities lost control of the urban tech movement. In I trace three generations of "smart cities," and how while the government was in the drivers seat in the first two, they … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Governance and Public Services

Five Things to Know About the Midwest

February 6, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

Richard Longworth of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and author of the book Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism, just released this short video about the Midwest. If the video player doesn't display for you, click over to watch on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsyiLXQ5Imw&feature=emb_title … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development

The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side

February 2, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

Sign up for Heartland Intelligence, my monthly research briefing on the greater American Midwest. Chicago is known as one of America's great cities for architecture. But other than the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, designed by Mies van der Rohe, very little of the architecture of the South Side is included in the public's mind when thinking about it. Lee Bey, former architecture critic of the Chicago Sun-Times and a South Side residents, aims to change this with his book Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chicago, Demographics and Economic Development, Urban Culture

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About Aaron M. Renn


 
Aaron M. Renn is an opinion-leading urban analyst, consultant, speaker, and writer on a mission to help America’s cities and people thrive and find real success in the 21st century. (Photo Credit: Daniel Axler)
 
Email: aaron@aaronrenn.com
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