Elon is tweeting about Austin again. Cue the recent boosters vs old heads showdown in the comments. But if you can look past that, Austin is on a truly remarkable run. A "bad" year in Austin? Just about 3% real growth. 🤯
November 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Elon is tweeting about Austin again. Cue the recent boosters vs old heads showdown in the comments. But if you can look past that, Austin is on a truly remarkable run. A "bad" year in Austin? Just about 3% real growth. 🤯
Reposted by Brian Kelsey
I have a new essay on place-based economic development policies as "broadly-shared abundance policy" at Site Selection magazine: siteselection.com/incentives-s... Key pt: econ dev policies can boost abundance IF targeted at distressed areas/non-employed, & if local housing policies accommodate.
INCENTIVES: SMART LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY Can Gain Support from The Abundance Movement – Site Selection Magazine
siteselection.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
I have a new essay on place-based economic development policies as "broadly-shared abundance policy" at Site Selection magazine: siteselection.com/incentives-s... Key pt: econ dev policies can boost abundance IF targeted at distressed areas/non-employed, & if local housing policies accommodate.
Fun conversation today. Last band to see before the world fell apart and first band to see when we came out of it. I’ll start:
Dinosaur Jr 11/15/19 Nashville
Typhoon 05/07/22 Austin
Dinosaur Jr 11/15/19 Nashville
Typhoon 05/07/22 Austin
November 7, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Fun conversation today. Last band to see before the world fell apart and first band to see when we came out of it. I’ll start:
Dinosaur Jr 11/15/19 Nashville
Typhoon 05/07/22 Austin
Dinosaur Jr 11/15/19 Nashville
Typhoon 05/07/22 Austin
It is Election Day. I used to write the occasional piece on election results, usually with an economic development spin. While the linked post is no longer up, this is still my proudest moment.
November 4, 2025 at 9:52 PM
It is Election Day. I used to write the occasional piece on election results, usually with an economic development spin. While the linked post is no longer up, this is still my proudest moment.
I still don’t really understand the hand-wringing about Abundance, but I’ll chalk that up to my ignorance of the nuances of Democratic politics right now.
November 4, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I still don’t really understand the hand-wringing about Abundance, but I’ll chalk that up to my ignorance of the nuances of Democratic politics right now.
November 1, 2025 at 5:27 PM
No September jobs report for U.S. metros from BLS this week, of course, so I’ve channeled my feelings about it into a Gemini deep dive on Halloween-themed haiku: Fog hides labor's truth, Economists stare and guess, Silence is the scare.
October 31, 2025 at 11:03 PM
No September jobs report for U.S. metros from BLS this week, of course, so I’ve channeled my feelings about it into a Gemini deep dive on Halloween-themed haiku: Fog hides labor's truth, Economists stare and guess, Silence is the scare.
There should be a Molly Ivins quote about the beauty and danger of Texas storms but I can’t seem to find one.
October 25, 2025 at 5:40 AM
There should be a Molly Ivins quote about the beauty and danger of Texas storms but I can’t seem to find one.
Few things warm my heart like a well-run open data portal. 54% of Texas cities reported taxable sales growth YoY thru 2025Q2, per new data from the Texas Comptroller. Fastest growing cities (min. $500M):
October 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Few things warm my heart like a well-run open data portal. 54% of Texas cities reported taxable sales growth YoY thru 2025Q2, per new data from the Texas Comptroller. Fastest growing cities (min. $500M):
New over at Substack: In My Mind I'm Going to (South) Carolina open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
South Carolina is on a heater
The Palmetto State has owned the job growth rankings lately
open.substack.com
October 16, 2025 at 9:40 PM
New over at Substack: In My Mind I'm Going to (South) Carolina open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
Reposted by Brian Kelsey
Big new U.S. job quality survey just dropped.
From Gallup, my @upjohninstitute.bsky.social colleagues Sue Houseman & @truesdale.bsky.social & others.
Data will be public & longitudinal.
finance.yahoo.com/news/landmar...
From Gallup, my @upjohninstitute.bsky.social colleagues Sue Houseman & @truesdale.bsky.social & others.
Data will be public & longitudinal.
finance.yahoo.com/news/landmar...
October 16, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Big new U.S. job quality survey just dropped.
From Gallup, my @upjohninstitute.bsky.social colleagues Sue Houseman & @truesdale.bsky.social & others.
Data will be public & longitudinal.
finance.yahoo.com/news/landmar...
From Gallup, my @upjohninstitute.bsky.social colleagues Sue Houseman & @truesdale.bsky.social & others.
Data will be public & longitudinal.
finance.yahoo.com/news/landmar...
Not exactly 47 is the new 27 but not bad either. Still among my favorites.
October 14, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Not exactly 47 is the new 27 but not bad either. Still among my favorites.
The Wage Gap
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
The Wage Gap
Female-male earnings ratios for US labor markets
open.substack.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:26 PM
The Wage Gap
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
open.substack.com/pub/civicana...
Civic Analytics
civicanalytics.substack.com/subscribe?pa...
civicanalytics.substack.com/subscribe?pa...
Subscribe to Civic Analytics
Tracking local economies. Click to read Civic Analytics, by Brian Kelsey, a Substack publication. Launched 13 hours ago.
civicanalytics.substack.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Civic Analytics
civicanalytics.substack.com/subscribe?pa...
civicanalytics.substack.com/subscribe?pa...
I won't do the old-guy thing lamenting our transition to video-based content. But I wrote about Austin for many years and I miss it. I miss writing in general. So I'm giving this a go: substack.com/@civicanalyt....
October 11, 2025 at 1:32 AM
I won't do the old-guy thing lamenting our transition to video-based content. But I wrote about Austin for many years and I miss it. I miss writing in general. So I'm giving this a go: substack.com/@civicanalyt....
Love this bit: “zoning code is a story about who gets to live where, & why.” Also, great resource for every planner and city manager to know about.
🎙️Calling all members of the press!
Behind every zoning code is a story about who gets to live where, & why. That’s why we're proud to launch our Media Resources page—a one-stop hub for journalists looking to turn complex zoning info into digestible, data-driven narratives.
www.zoningatlas.org/media
Behind every zoning code is a story about who gets to live where, & why. That’s why we're proud to launch our Media Resources page—a one-stop hub for journalists looking to turn complex zoning info into digestible, data-driven narratives.
www.zoningatlas.org/media
MEDIA RESOURCES — National Zoning Atlas
Explore the National Zoning Atlas Media Resources page to learn how reporters can access data, reports, and visuals to support accurate reporting on how zoning shapes housing, land use, and communitie...
www.zoningatlas.org
October 8, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Love this bit: “zoning code is a story about who gets to live where, & why.” Also, great resource for every planner and city manager to know about.
Sorry to hear that EDA is discontinuing funding for University Centers. UCs are important technical assistance partners for local economic developers, especially in places outside major metro areas. UCs help level the playing field for many smaller communities. #econdev
October 7, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Sorry to hear that EDA is discontinuing funding for University Centers. UCs are important technical assistance partners for local economic developers, especially in places outside major metro areas. UCs help level the playing field for many smaller communities. #econdev
Reposted by Brian Kelsey
The data center angst feels like a leading indicator of a broader economic development question about if the public will ever support high-value industrial activity that:
-uses a lot of power
-doesn’t create many jobs
Because that seems like the future of manufacturing.
-uses a lot of power
-doesn’t create many jobs
Because that seems like the future of manufacturing.
October 7, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The data center angst feels like a leading indicator of a broader economic development question about if the public will ever support high-value industrial activity that:
-uses a lot of power
-doesn’t create many jobs
Because that seems like the future of manufacturing.
-uses a lot of power
-doesn’t create many jobs
Because that seems like the future of manufacturing.
Other notables from the August jobs report for places I enjoy tracking:
Austin +9,700 jobs, 0.71%
Nashville +14,000, 1.18%
Edinburg (McAllen) +3,900, 1.31%
Columbus +17,200, 1.46%
Cincinnati +8,200, 0.70%
DFW +27,300, 0.64%
NW Arkansas +8,300, 2.71%
Raleigh +9,500, 1.26%
Austin +9,700 jobs, 0.71%
Nashville +14,000, 1.18%
Edinburg (McAllen) +3,900, 1.31%
Columbus +17,200, 1.46%
Cincinnati +8,200, 0.70%
DFW +27,300, 0.64%
NW Arkansas +8,300, 2.71%
Raleigh +9,500, 1.26%
October 2, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Other notables from the August jobs report for places I enjoy tracking:
Austin +9,700 jobs, 0.71%
Nashville +14,000, 1.18%
Edinburg (McAllen) +3,900, 1.31%
Columbus +17,200, 1.46%
Cincinnati +8,200, 0.70%
DFW +27,300, 0.64%
NW Arkansas +8,300, 2.71%
Raleigh +9,500, 1.26%
Austin +9,700 jobs, 0.71%
Nashville +14,000, 1.18%
Edinburg (McAllen) +3,900, 1.31%
Columbus +17,200, 1.46%
Cincinnati +8,200, 0.70%
DFW +27,300, 0.64%
NW Arkansas +8,300, 2.71%
Raleigh +9,500, 1.26%
According to new data from BLS yesterday, job growth in August was down in 56% of U.S. metros compared to a year earlier. But there are some bright spots around the country, where job growth has significantly improved so far in 2025 compared to where things stood last year.
October 2, 2025 at 7:47 PM
According to new data from BLS yesterday, job growth in August was down in 56% of U.S. metros compared to a year earlier. But there are some bright spots around the country, where job growth has significantly improved so far in 2025 compared to where things stood last year.
August jobs report for metros is out today from BLS, and South Carolina continues to feature prominently among the top performers.
October 1, 2025 at 9:55 PM
August jobs report for metros is out today from BLS, and South Carolina continues to feature prominently among the top performers.
Interesting stats on venture dev orgs from SSTI. They looked at 31 VDOs in 20 states:
💰 VDOs invested in 4,600 firms w/ med deal of $260K
📈 VDO-backed firms employ 323K & pay ~$29B wages
⚖️ Companies raised $25B
I'm curious how many VDOs publicly supported thru #econdev.
ssti.org/blog/compreh...
💰 VDOs invested in 4,600 firms w/ med deal of $260K
📈 VDO-backed firms employ 323K & pay ~$29B wages
⚖️ Companies raised $25B
I'm curious how many VDOs publicly supported thru #econdev.
ssti.org/blog/compreh...
Comprehensive review of VDO investments highlights multi-billion-dollar economic impact of investing in early-stage innovation | SSTI
ssti.org
September 25, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Interesting stats on venture dev orgs from SSTI. They looked at 31 VDOs in 20 states:
💰 VDOs invested in 4,600 firms w/ med deal of $260K
📈 VDO-backed firms employ 323K & pay ~$29B wages
⚖️ Companies raised $25B
I'm curious how many VDOs publicly supported thru #econdev.
ssti.org/blog/compreh...
💰 VDOs invested in 4,600 firms w/ med deal of $260K
📈 VDO-backed firms employ 323K & pay ~$29B wages
⚖️ Companies raised $25B
I'm curious how many VDOs publicly supported thru #econdev.
ssti.org/blog/compreh...
No. 1, amazing quip. No. 2, imagine what statewide games for #localgov occupations of different types could do for recruiting young people to public service and municipal careers. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/we...
‘We’re Trying to Be No. 1 in the No. 2 Business’: Inside the Sewage Super Bowl
A fierce rivalry is gripping the world of competitive water treatment, with two teams vying for all-time-great status at the grueling water-quality pentathlon.
www.wsj.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:06 PM
No. 1, amazing quip. No. 2, imagine what statewide games for #localgov occupations of different types could do for recruiting young people to public service and municipal careers. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/we...
“In the coming weeks and months…” Just go with months. They contain the other things.
September 19, 2025 at 2:41 AM
“In the coming weeks and months…” Just go with months. They contain the other things.