July 2019

One thing economists agree about: pricing carbon is essential to saving the planet; but if you don’t believe economists, you ought to believe Bill Nye, the Science Guy. Economists are famous for disagreeing with one another. For every proposition, there is an equal and opposite economist. An even economists frequently have trouble selecting a single […]

Let’s require that highways really be accessible to those who can’t drive:  State highway departments should provide bus service on state roads for the disabled The Americans with Disabilities Act was landmark legislation to make sure that the disabled were not denied equal access to the public realm. The ability to travel freely is an

Are home prices appreciating more or less in black neighborhoods? Is that a good thing? Today, in part 2 of our analysis of the home price gap between majority black and predominantly white neighborhoods we look at the pattern of home price appreciation for black and white home buyers. Yesterday, in part 1 of our

Lingering racism holds down property values in majority black neighborhoods For most American households, their home is their largest financial asset; how valuable that asset is, and whether it appreciates has a profound impact on a household’s financial well-being. Unsurprisingly, a big component of the racial wealth gap in the United States has to do

The new Philadelphia Fed study of gentrification is the best evidence yet that gentrification creates opportunity and promotes integration To many “gentrification” is intrinsically negative. When wealthier, whiter people move into the neighborhood, it must necessarily mean that lower income people of color are either driven away (to even worse neighborhoods) or suffer from higher

Home buying is a risky bet: There’s a 30% chance your house will be worth less in five years It’s a widely agreed that promoting homeownership is a key means to help American households build wealth.  But as we and others have argued, homeownership can be a risky and problematic investment for many households–and is