Aaron M. Renn

All Things Aaron

Bi-State Showdown in Kansas City

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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...]

The Cloud Over America’s Downtowns

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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...]

Coronavirus Impact on Business, Work, and Life

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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...]

City of Indianapolis Backs $25 Million in Paycheck Protection Loans

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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...]

Coronavirus and the Future of Remote Work

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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...]

The Lifeblood of America

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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...]

Chamber Launches Rapid Response Hub for Small Business

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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...]

Cities, Culture and Dynamism

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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...]

The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side

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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...]