One of the most popular terms in planning is “automobile dependence”. The premise asserts that most people in most places in the United states are involuntarily dependant on their cars – with no other option, and that in an ideal world, in which everyone would be happi...

We aggregated 22 different sets of rankings of the "best" cities in the world, as measured by a range of criteria - dynamism, livability, beauty, and other overall qualities. Here's what they revealed. Welcome the debate.

The aggregate consensus "best" cities in the wor...

Cities for people or people for cities?

An unlikely marriage between city planning and gene modification is reinventing the future city. It’s also pushing the technological edge of gene modification as a tool for good – potentially as a natural outgrowth of the legacy o...

So you've got some land and want to build a new city? Or maybe you just know you want to build a city, but you don't have the land yet. Here is a starter guide for how to build a new city.

Step 1: Approach with caution

Building a new city is a really, really, really big...

As one of the most conservative countries on earth takes on the 21st century, a pair of government-initiated new cities are among its most groundbreaking and ambitious investments. With different histories and emerging trajectories, KAEC and NEOM are blazing the trail...

As we've explored potential locations for the next great new global city, a million-to-one longshot is rising to the surface as a candidate for value-based future investment. Having gone through one of the most turbulent decades in the history of the world politically...

Originally published in 2016 on RealClearPolicy

Why is Saudi Arabia suddenly the pit stop of choice for an impressive laundry list of major companies? How is it positioned among the growing number of Middle-Eastern industrial free zones? And should Rust Belt cities like...

If we built a new city in the modern era, it would be very expensive to do it from scratch. While most cities evolve organically and do not require all of their costs in an up-front investment, we ran some back of the envelope numbers on building a new city just to see...