Jason Barr
@jasonbarr.bsky.social
Economist at Rutgers University-Newark. Fellow at NYU Marron Institute. Author of #BuildingtheSkyline, #Skynomics Blog and #CitiesintheSkyBook (Scribner Books). https://jasonmbarr.com
Check out my latest article in Planetizen on the myth of the first skyscraper--and how the architect William Le Baron Jenney hoodwinked the world into thinking the Home Insurance Building in Chicago was the first skyscraper. www.planetizen.com/features/137...
Check out my latest #Skynomics Blog post: Dwelling on Earth: A Q&A Interview with Stefan Al about his new book on the history of housing. buildingtheskyline.org/stefan-al-dw...
Dwelling on Earth: A Q&A Interview with Stefan Al - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr April 14, 2026 Stefan Al’s latest book is Dwelling on Earth: The Past and Future of the Places We Call Home (Norton, 2026). His previous book was Supertall: How the World’s Tallest Build...
buildingtheskyline.org
Since the mid-1980s historians have known that the Home Insurance Building in Chicago was not the first skyscraper. Yet the public didn't get the message. Why is there such a big disconnect? The answer is revealed my latest pub. in the J. of Urban History. doi.org/10.1177/0096... @sasn.rutgers.edu
Since the mid-1980s historians have known that the Home Insurance Building in Chicago was not the first skyscraper. Yet the public didn't get the message. Why is there such a big disconnect? The answer is revealed my latest pub. in the J. of Urban History. doi.org/10.1177/0096... @sasn.rutgers.edu
This is really good read abt how new ideas and broad thinking (or in this case reviving a 19th century idea) can offer alternative solutions to present dilemmas. In this case, they look to a 19th century version of taxation to incentivize housing construction & create more affordable housing.
Jason Barr@jasonbarr.bsky.social · 10mo agoGotham’s current real estate tax system is widely considered unfair and inefficient. Can the City switch to a Land Value Tax to increase fairness and to stimulate economic growth? Check out my latest #Skynomics Blog post with @ronanlyons.bsky.social buildingtheskyline.org/lvt-nyc/
Gotham’s current real estate tax system is widely considered unfair and inefficient. Can the City switch to a Land Value Tax to increase fairness and to stimulate economic growth? Check out my latest #Skynomics Blog post with @ronanlyons.bsky.social buildingtheskyline.org/lvt-nyc/
By George! Can a Land Value Tax Work in Gotham? - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr and Ronan C. Lyons October 22, 2025 The citizens of New York City are gearing up to pick a new mayor. On one side stands a candidate riding a wave of anger among those struggling to pay ...
buildingtheskyline.org
Check out my latest #Skynomics Blog post: A review of recent writings and scholarship on America's 20th century experiment with Public Housing. buildingtheskyline.org/public-housi...
Public Housing: A View From the 21st Century - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr September 29, 2025 Public housing remains a controversial subject. On the one hand, America’s government-owned and operated housing stock is widely viewed as worse than the privately own...
buildingtheskyline.org
Check out my latest #Skynomics blog post, "Is Decay Contagious? Building Code Violations across New York City" Gotham's low-income housing stock is decaying. In this post, I look at how much of it being driven by a possible "contagion effect" buildingtheskyline.org/contagious-d...
Building the Skyline Is Decay Contagious? Building Code Violations across New York City - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr August 13, 2025 Say an apartment building begins to decay visibly, does it increase the likelihood that buildings around it will also decay? We know that tough economic conditions can im...
buildingtheskyline.org
From the #Skynomics Blog archives (1 year ago). My thoughts on Robert Caro's "The Power Broker" at 50 and #RobertMoses. buildingtheskyline.org/caro-and-mos...
The Power Author: Robert Caro, Robert Moses, and the “Fall” of New York - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr August 5, 2024 A few weeks ago, I was walking in Central Park on the Upper West Side. As I strolled past some benches near the Diana Ross Playground, I saw a young man, likely in his lat...
buildingtheskyline.org
Why has Gotham been in a housing emergency for 80 years? Read my #Skynomics Blog post (from Jan.) buildingtheskyline.org/nyc-housing-...
Why Has Gotham Been in a “Housing Emergency” for 80 Years? (Part I) - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr January 22, 2025 If you google the definition of “emergency,” the search engine provides an answer from the Oxford Languages Dictionary: “a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situa...
buildingtheskyline.org
@jasonbarr.bsky.social published an entire book that (among other things) disproves the bedrock thesis, I really do recommend it academic.oup.com/book/2269
Building the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers
Abstract. Manhattan, as the world’s greatest vertical city, is the result of a collective striving; its skyscrapers are the physical manifestation of this
academic.oup.com
I took this pic of two catbirds squawking at each other. Seems like it would be good for a meme. What you got?
This has been showing up in the financials from the outerborough rent stabilized units (particularly in The Bronx, if memory serves) for a couple of years now.
Jason Barr@jasonbarr.bsky.social · last yr.Check out my latest #Skynomics Blog post. The 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) was supposed to help #NYC tenants. But it's causing the decline of Gotham’s low-income housing. #unintendedconsequences buildingtheskyline.org/hstpa-mainta...
Check out my latest #Skynomics Blog post. The 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) was supposed to help #NYC tenants. But it's causing the decline of Gotham’s low-income housing. #unintendedconsequences buildingtheskyline.org/hstpa-mainta...
Harming Tenants: The Impact of the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act on New York’s Affordable Housing - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr June 30, 2025 What is the best way to keep housing affordable? Well, to the former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (2014-2021), the obvious answer was to restrict landlords’ ability t...
buildingtheskyline.org
#Skyscrapers remain controversial, yet the continue to be built world over? Why do we build #cities in the sky? buildingtheskyline.org/cities-in-th...
Why Do We Build Cities in the Sky? - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr May 7, 2024 On May 14, my book Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World’s Tallest Building was released by Scribner Books. You can order a copy and sign up for my email list here....
buildingtheskyline.org
Most know the builders of the #EmpireStateBuilding were former NY Gov Al Smith & bus. guru, John Raskob. But few know the pivotal banker who made it happen. My latest #Gotham Center post w. Ann Berman on the secret man behind the world’s most visible building. www.gothamcenter.org/blog/secretm...
The Secret Man Behind the World’s Most Visible Building — The Gotham Center for New York City History
The Secret Man Behind the World’s Most Visible Building By Jason M. Barr and Ann Berman And yet almost all the stories about the origins of this New York landmark [the Empire State Building], onli...
gothamcenter.org
The #EmpireStateBuilding is so shrouded in myth and legends, it's hard to separate truth from fiction. During my many years of research on #skyscrapers, I have come to see that there are many myths that need to be busted. buildingtheskyline.org/busting-skys...
Busting Skyscraper Myths - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr May 21, 2024 Note: On May 14, my book Cities in the Sky: The Quest for the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers was published by Scribner Books. This post summarizes some of the myths and misconc...
buildingtheskyline.org
More broadly, why hasn't #NYC built the world's tallest building since 1972? Here's the reason: buildingtheskyline.org/nyc-record-b...
Why Doesn’t New York Construct the World’s Tallest Building Anymore? - Building the Skyline
Jason M. Barr December 23, 2020 The Space Race At the end of the Roaring Twenties, New York City witnessed a three-way race for the world’s tallest building. First was the Bank of Manhattan Building, ...
buildingtheskyline.org
I wrote this piece five years ago, but sadly little has changed. buildingtheskyline.org/star-trek-an... #StarTrek
Star Trek and the Economics of Hate - Building the Skyline
Jason M. Barr July 15, 2020 Captain Kirk: It exists on the hate of others. Mr. Spock: To put it simply. And it has acted as a catalyst, creating this situation in order to satisfy that need. --In “Day...
buildingtheskyline.org
My Crain’s piece from 2019. Still relevant. www.crainsnewyork.com/op-ed/solvin...
Solving the city's traffic nightmares
In April the state passed a law allowing congestion pricing in Manhattan. When implemented in 2020, drivers will be charged a fee to enter the island south of 60th Street. While the plan is reasonable...
crainsnewyork.com
I wrote this piece five years ago, but sadly little has changed. buildingtheskyline.org/star-trek-an... #StarTrek
Star Trek and the Economics of Hate - Building the Skyline
Jason M. Barr July 15, 2020 Captain Kirk: It exists on the hate of others. Mr. Spock: To put it simply. And it has acted as a catalyst, creating this situation in order to satisfy that need. --In “Day...
buildingtheskyline.org
I'm happy to report that the goodreads score for my book #CitiesintheSkyBook is better than some of the most important books ever written.😂
Interested in the history of the #EmpireStateBuilding? Here's a list of some of my writings and talks on the topic, which aims to bring to light new information and busts myths....
Most know the builders of the #EmpireStateBuilding were former NY Gov Al Smith & bus. guru, John Raskob. But few know the pivotal banker who made it happen. My latest #Gotham Center post w. Ann Berman on the secret man behind the world’s most visible building. www.gothamcenter.org/blog/secretm...
The Secret Man Behind the World’s Most Visible Building — The Gotham Center for New York City History
The Secret Man Behind the World’s Most Visible Building By Jason M. Barr and Ann Berman And yet almost all the stories about the origins of this New York landmark [the Empire State Building], onli...
gothamcenter.org
NYC is an amazing place, but yesterday I was stuck in traffic bc of NJ transit strike & I missed my movie in Greenwich Village (about the 1975 Fiscal Crisis!) bc downtown B & C trains were not stopping at my stop bc of some problem. NYC is both joyful and infuriating! www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ic...
This Iconic City Was Just Named the Happiest in the U.S.
The Big Apple has earned a new nickname.
yahoo.com
#Skyscrapers remain controversial, yet the continue to be built world over? Why do we build #cities in the sky? buildingtheskyline.org/cities-in-th...
Why Do We Build Cities in the Sky? - Skynomics Blog
Jason M. Barr May 7, 2024 On May 14, my book Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World’s Tallest Building was released by Scribner Books. You can order a copy and sign up for my email list here....
buildingtheskyline.org
