Aaron M. Renn

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Design Minded in Indianapolis

July 15, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

Earlier this year I recorded two podcasts for the community radio program Design Minded in Indianapolis with Lee Alig and Steve Mannheimer, former architecture critic of the Indianapolis Star. We talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of architecture and design in the city. Here's the first episode. If the player doesn't display for you, click over to listen on Mixcloud. Here's the second episode. If the player doesn't display for you, click over to listen on Mixcloud. Cover image credit: Miyin2 CC BY-SA 4.0 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Indianapolis, Planning, Transport, and Environment, Urban Culture

Bi-State Showdown in Kansas City

July 7, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

The Kansas City metro area is surely one of America's most unusual. Among large metro areas spanning multiple states, it has the highest percentage of its population living in the state that does not contain its central city (apart from the perhaps even more anomalous case of Washington, DC). There are two municipalities called Kansas City, one in Missouri and one in Kansas, with the regional central city being the one in Missouri. And Kansas City is essentially the only large metro area in the country in which the "favored quarter" affluent … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Kansas City

The Story of Cities

July 2, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

My latest piece is a long essay in the current edition of Comment magazine. It's called "Storied Cities" and is about the myths, histories, cultures, and rituals that make cities unique. Here is an excerpt: How is this history, and thus so much of the identity, culture, and economy of a place, understood and communicated? Despite the importance of understanding local history and culture, especially that of the founding generations of cities, it is often little studied and little known. Thus so many cities struggle to even understand who they … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Urban Culture

The Cloud Over America’s Downtowns

June 25, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

My latest column is online in Governing magazine. It's called "The Cloud Over the Future of America's Downtowns" and is about the particular challenge coronavirus related shutdowns pose to the American downtown renaissance. Here's an excerpt: The pandemic has dealt American downtowns severe blows across multiple dimensions. The first is the impact on tourism and visitor-related spending. The convention and events business is a big pillar of economic activity in many downtowns, and some of them rely heavily on tourism as well. This supports not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development

Coronavirus Impact on Business, Work, and Life

April 29, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

If you joined yet, please check out and subscribe to Heartland Intelligence, my monthly research briefing on this critical region of the country that will determine the outcome of the next election. Last week I joined John Fenton from GoLocalProv in Providence for a livestream on the coronavirus. If the video doesn't display for you, click over to watch on You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RZII13itPs   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Providence

City of Indianapolis Backs $25 Million in Paycheck Protection Loans

April 27, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

I want to highlight a great development here in Indianapolis. The city of Indianapolis has approved allocating $25 million to fund federal paycheck protection program loans underwritten by the Indy Chamber. (Full disclosure: I am a consultant for the chamber). The SBA's forgivable Paycheck Protection Program was such a big hit that the loan funds were entirely allocated in short order. Congress just provided an additional allocation of funds, with $30 billion reserved for CDFI (community development financial institution) type … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Indianapolis

Coronavirus and the Future of Remote Work

April 16, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

For those of you who have not yet signed up, please check out and subscribe to Heartland Intelligence, my monthly research bulletin on the cities of the greater American Midwest. As you may also know, I've been doing writing for the Indy Chamber's publication Indy Forward. My latest piece there is on the future of remote work in the post-coronavirus world.  Here's an excerpt: While remote work can initially be exhilarating, those workers who find themselves cut off from these networks can suffer in their career long term. It’s also the case … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development

America’s Distributed Governance System

April 13, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

My latest column is online at Governing. It is about America's distributed governance system, and how it has many strengths as well as the weaknesses we like to bemoan. Here is an excerpt: If there's one level of government that's most frequently touted as obsolete and an obstacle to progress, it's state government. Yet it's those much maligned states that have received the most praise during the crisis. In New York, it's been Gov. Andrew Cuomo who has received far more kudos than New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Legendary New York Mayor … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Governance and Public Services

The Lifeblood of America

April 8, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

My latest piece is online at City Journal and is about the impact of coronavirus on small businesses and efforts to try to help them. Here's an excerpt: Shutdowns mandated by the coronavirus are a pending apocalypse for small businesses, which employ 48 percent of American workers. The average small business has only 27 days’ worth of operating costs in cash reserves, with many holding far less than that. Businesses that either can’t reopen or are suffering a big drop in revenue will soon be insolvent. Some have already announced that they … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development

Chamber Launches Rapid Response Hub for Small Business

March 16, 2020 By Aaron M. Renn

The Indy Chamber has launched a new "Rapid Response Hub" site to provide assistance to small businesses dealing with challenges from the coronavirus. If you see or hear of other similar efforts by Chambers, cities, or others in other cities, let me know and I'll add them to this page as well. The Indy Rapid Response Hub right now has FAQs with information from the CDC, OSHA, legal info from local law firms, where to get help for their employees, etc. Businesses can also submit questions for the Chamber team or people from the IU Kelley … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demographics and Economic Development, Indianapolis

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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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