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Aaron M. Renn

Columnist

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. He focuses on urban, economic development and infrastructure policy in the greater American Midwest. He also regularly contributes to and is cited by national and global media outlets, and his work has appeared in many publications, including the The Guardian, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

He can be reached at aaron@aaronrenn.com or on Twitter at @aaron_renn.

It wouldn’t be a panacea, but it’s an option that needs to be on the table.
In broken communities, the focus should be on social capital -- not just the economy.
Sometimes a person and a city just aren’t right for each other.
It served our ‘maker’ cities well for a long time. Now it holds them back.
In many places, they're trying to like never before.
The Chicagos and Cincinnatis of the world are more vulnerable than they realize.
Understanding how some cities have transformed shows why focusing on the little things can help struggling places survive and thrive.
To thrive in today’s world, they need to connect with immigrants.
The 20 percent who run America need to start paying serious attention to the plight of the middle and lower classes.
The shift from a manufacturing-based economy to a technology- and services-based one hasn’t been kind to the middle and working classes. That won’t change anytime soon.