Expanding New York City's subways promises both housing and transit abundance Researchers at the Marron Institute ask: rather than spending $1bn on eliminating bus fares, why not spend that same money on a project that'll provide a long-term divided and pave the way for the future growth of New York City? Adam Lehodey April 2026 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1532580345237-bbaee187ef51?q=80&w=2948&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://www.city-journal.org/article/mamdani-free-buses-new-york-city-subway Read article Collective ownership has been tried—it fails every time Government-owned supermarkets, built at taxpayer expense for an extortionate price, address none of the cost factors underlying high food prices in New York City. Not profits, but high land prices, taxes, and regulations are to blame — and things the city could actually address. Adam Lehodey April 2026 Fox News Radio blog-assets/groceries.jpg https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pv-B0kVAWthUUe8m7M4YPrtpoQuFJGpG/view?usp=share_link View Article New York Post adaptation Albany and Attorney General Letitia James are targeting real-estate owners and developers — weakening private property rights and destroying equity. Adam Lehodey April 2026 New York Post https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/new-york-attorney-general-letitia-124596291.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200 https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/opinion/how-new-yorks-war-on-developers-strangles-housing/ Read article Zohran Mamdani's attempt to unionize workers and tenants in misguided. Prosperity will not be achieved by entrenching the ability of unions to expropriate owners of their capital investments. Greater competition is a far surer approach. Adam Lehodey April 2026 City Journal Substack https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bddt!,w_1200,h_675,c_fill,f_jpg,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F14e164e0-553f-481c-87a9-cb0cf17562cc_1024x683.jpeg https://cityjournal.substack.com/p/dont-bet-on-unions-competition-is Read article Pending litigation could determine whether private owners will be willing to invest in rehabilitating buildings in the city. Investment requires a stable and predictable regulatory environment. A state agency is undermining that in challenging substantial rehabilitations completed under the rules in place at the time. Adam Lehodey April 2026 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/New-York-City-rent-stabilization-apartments-Peak-Capital-Advisors-GettyImages-2207278473.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-rent-stabilization-apartments-peak-capital-advisors Read article From the scene Businesses have always recognized the importance that policing plays in enabling our cities to function; Albany and City Hall must follow suit with substantive reforms that enable the NYPD to work as effectively as possible. Adam Lehodey March 2026 City Journal Substack https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cB2s!,w_1200,h_675,c_fill,f_jpg,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd1627098-2fd3-418c-a18f-b96cae06988d_1920x1280.jpeg https://open.substack.com/pub/cityjournal/p/madison-square-garden-honored-the?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web View Article I went back to school and saw for myself. High standards and a sharp focus on educational outcomes has allowed Bronx Classical Charters to outperform nearly all of New York City's public schools, despite being in one of the poorest districts in the country. Adam Lehodey March 2026 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1759143102544-790af882ff45?q=80&w=2940&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://www.city-journal.org/article/south-bronx-classical-charter-school Read article An urban economist's dream New York should allocate parking more efficiently—and raise billions—by letting the market decide how curb space is used, opening up the possibility for more outdoor dining, taxistands, micro-parks, and more. Adam Lehodey March 2026 City Journal Substack https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1551303875-b131880846c2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNXx8bnljJTIwYnVzeSUyMHN0cmVldHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzM2ODI2Nzl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080 https://open.substack.com/pub/cityjournal/p/the-case-for-auctioning-new-york?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Read article How the government health insurance program came to engulf the state's budget—and how it can be reformed A long-form investigation exploring New York's Medicaid program. Fraud is rampant, but most of the spending growth has come from a political will to expand the program. Adam Lehodey March 2026 City Journal blog-assets/medicaid.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-medicaid-fraud-waste-uncontrolled-spending-growth Read article The coming of artificial intelligence means states must remove onerous restrictions on labor. Rigid constraints in workers' abilities to form contracts places workers at a systemic disadvantage vis-à-vis capital intense production. Adam Lehodey March 2026 City Journal Substack https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1606857521015-7f9fcf423740?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxvZmZpY2UlMjBlbXBsb3llZXN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzcyNTYwNzg4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080 https://cityjournal.substack.com/p/pro-worker-ai-means-deregulation Read article Solutions came prebaked at the first of five planned events. The first "rental ripoff" hearings could be a sign of things to come for a mayor caught in a bind between unrealistic promises and a need to maintain support with his base. Adam Lehodey March 2026 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/New-York-rental-ripoff-hearings-Mamdani-GettyImages-2238635592.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-rental-ripoff-hearings-mamdani Read article An agenda partly driven by true belief, and partly driven by self-interest On one level, the DSA's re-embrace of Cuba as their cause du jour really is about "defending a [socialist] revolution"; on another level, it's just another means through which to grow membership and expand their network. Adam Lehodey March 2026 New York Post /blog-assets/cuba.jpg https://nypost.com/2026/03/22/opinion/hidden-agenda-behind-clout-chasing-dsa-comrades-cuba-push/ View Article The city's high room rates are driven by scarcity, not “junk” charges. Hotels in New York City cost a lot for the same reason that housing, in general costs a lot: so much demand, not enough supply. The city council hasn't made things any better, but there's a way to increase supply without necessarily sacrificing long-term housing in the city. Adam Lehodey February 2026 Substack https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1683219390820-02c6fc5243ec?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzfHxuZXclMjB5b3JrJTIwY2l0eSUyMGhvdGVsfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3MTAwNzkyMHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080 https://cityjournal.substack.com/p/banning-hidden-fees-wont-make-new Read article The city doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Unless taxes stay exactly where they are (or even better, go down), there will never be an incentive for politicians to use funds more efficiently. Adam Lehodey February 2026 City Journal Substack https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYJv!,w_1200,h_675,c_fill,f_jpg,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b855fa2-3f60-476c-81e8-b608d86ddfdb_1024x683.jpeg https://cityjournal.substack.com/p/higher-taxes-are-the-last-thing-new Read article His intervention in the Pinnacle bankruptcy shows everything wrong with the new mayor's approach. The inside story of how the Pinnacle Group became the Mamdani administration's most-hated target, and why things are only going to get worse from here. Adam Lehodey January 2026 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Pinnacle-Group-bankruptcy-Zohran-Mamdani-housing-landlords.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/pinnacle-group-bankruptcy-zohran-mamdani-housing-landlords Read article And how the Construction Justice Act is a classic example of “everything-bagel liberalism" Politicians must resist the urge to achieve everything if they are to achieve something. Building housing at scale means being laser-focussed on that goal. Adam Lehodey January 2026 City Journal Substack https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1664752061692-c10d74ccf425?fm=jpg&q=60&w=3000&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D http://go.adamlehodey.com/construction-justice-act Read article In conversation with New Yorkers Five successful New Yorkers, from each of New York City's five boroughs, share their stories and help us to understand what good governance looks like in a city as large, and as diverse, as this one. Adam Lehodey January 2026 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Astoria-community-leader-George-Delis.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-opportunity-good-governance-zohran-mamdani Read essay A less competitive New York has detrimental effects in real life Mamdani's proposed corporate tax increases would cement New York's place as one of the least competitive places to do business in the country. Those who support it don't realize that it's workers, and consumers, who'll end up bearing most of the burden. Adam Lehodey January 2026 City Journal Substack https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MAwh!,w_1200,h_600,c_fill,f_jpg,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1ec611de-93c2-4e9b-9e35-7c4578d2596f_4480x2987.jpeg https://cityjournal.substack.com/p/mamdanis-corporate-tax-hike-is-a Read article Zohran Mamdani takes office with big dreams — and dubious plans. Musings on the inauguration and what it portends for the future of New York City. Adam Lehodey January 2026 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Zohran-Mamdani-Inauguration-ceremony.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/zohran-mamdani-inauguration-ceremony Read article The emergence of "ghost apartments" reveals a fundamentally broken housing market. In New York City, laws built on the premise that "housing is a human right" come crashing into economic reality, leading to the rise of an estimated 50,000 vacant "ghost apartments." The State must restore vacancy resets to ensure the prevent the city's housing stock from literally falling apart. Adam Lehodey December 2025 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1696994205072-3311aafe1ae3?q=80&w=2940&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://www.city-journal.org/article/vacant-new-york-city-apartments-rent-control-housing Read article City Journal Podcast Rafael Mangual, Judge Glock, and Adam Lehodey talk about New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's pledge to end homeless encampment clearances. They discuss the small group of supporters who believe sheltering outside is a human right, explain why relying on the shelter system is preferable, and consider the implications of letting the homeless occupy the city's limited public spaces. They also examine the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, which would give nonprofits the first right of refusal to buy housing. Adam Lehodey December 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/mamdanis-extreme-ideas.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/multimedia/mamdanis-extreme-ideas Listen Now But Washington, D.C.'s experience offers a cautionary tale New York City legislators come up with no end of badly-thought through policies to "fix" the housing crisis. The latest one will cause needless delays and increase transaction costs on properties that need investment the most. Adam Lehodey December 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/New-York-City-Community-Opportunity-Purchase-Act-COPA-nonprofits-housing.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-community-opportunity-purchase-act-copa-nonprofits-housing Read article Review of "15 Days" by Natalya Murakhver A new documentary, "15 Days" re-ignites the conversation around covid-19 era school closures and underscores the continued salience of teachers' unions in decision-making processes. Adam Lehodey November 2025 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1580974852861-c381510bc98a?q=80&w=2884&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://www.city-journal.org/article/natalya-murakhver-15-days-documentary-covid-pandemic-school-closures Read essay Speaking with members of the Rent Guidelines Board about the mayor-elect's agenda "Freeze the Rent" was the big promise of Mamdani's campaign. I spoke to members of the NYC Rent Guidelines Board to examine whether the move is feasible, and whether it'll actually make a difference in alleviating New Yorkers' rent burden in the long-run. Adam Lehodey November 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/New-York-City-Rent-Guidelines-Board-Zohran-Mamdani.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/will-mamdani-really-be-able-to-freeze-the-rent Read article Delving into the data on safety Albany blocked one-person train operation this summer, a move that could have saved the MTA millions. It's now up to the Governor to veto the bill if New York is to build a world-class transportation system fit for the twenty-first century. Adam Lehodey November 2025 The Bigger Apple https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1666321574598-fff1c1bbd832?q=80&w=3174&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://thebiggerapple.manhattan.institute/p/the-442-million-question-does-having Read article Capturing the city's pulse on Election Day Through countless interviews with storekeepers, property owners, renters, transit riders, and many more, including the candidates themselves, I captured the pulse of the city on a historic election day. Adam Lehodey November 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Zohran-Mamdani-New-York-City-Election-Day.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/zohran-mamdani-new-york-city-election-day Read article Why voters should support all four measures New York's ballot proposals represent a meaningful next step towards a city of more abundant, aesthetic and affordable housing. Adam Lehodey November 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/New-York-City-ballot-proposals-housing-zoning.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-ballot-proposals-housing-zoning Read article “We have to know why it’s free, because sometimes free is expensive.” Mamdani performed strongly amongst younger, more affluent New Yorkers, but failed to secure votes in lower-income parts of New York during the Democratic Primary. I spent several hours in Cuomo strongholds in the Bronx to better understand working-class New Yorkers' concerns about his policies and the election, here's what they told me. Adam Lehodey October 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/working-class-New-Yorkers-Zohran-Mamdani-Andrew-Cuomo.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/working-class-new-yorkers-zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo Read article High (opportunity) costs and a lost occasion to think bigger on transportation Politicians have floated fare-free buses as a proposal to the alleviate cost of living and deliver better transit. Eliminating the fare won't do that: instead the high opportunity cost robs the city of a chance to be more ambitious on public transit expansion. I interviewed dozens of New Yorkers and a leading economist to find out more. Adam Lehodey October 2025 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1704304663521-08e0c3dff2a8?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D&auto=format&fit=crop&q=80&w=2942 https://www.city-journal.org/article/zohran-mamdani-new-york-free-buses-mta Read article And what Mamdani might do, if elected Simply turning a blind eye to the practice without consideration of spill-over effects on local communities and the abuse that exists within the industry won't help New York. The city must learn from jurisdictions that move the practice off the streets, provide regular health screenings, and target human trafficking. Adam Lehodey October 2025 New York Post blog-assets/moulin-rouge.jpg https://nypost.com/2025/10/15/opinion/count-on-zohran-to-decriminalize-prostitution-slamming-neighborhoods-and-boosting-crime/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost_opinion Read article Public safety and the cost of living are some of their top concerns As the 2025 New York mayoral race heats up, I went on the ground to hear from the candidates themselves and examine what policy proposals might mean for the city. Adam Lehodey October 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/new-york-city-mayoral-race-curtis-sliwa-zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-mayoral-race-curtis-sliwa-zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo Read article City Journal Podcast What does a university’s response to terror reveal about its values and its influence on society? On the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, Stu Smith, Neetu Arnold, Adam Lehodey, and Rafael Mangual reflect on national and global reactions to the attacks, especially on American university campuses. Their conversation explores the ideological influence of faculty and campus activism that blurred the line between academic freedom and lawlessness. They also consider how federal funding and institutional incentives shape university behavior. Adam Lehodey October 2025 City Journal https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/american-universities-two-years-after-october-7.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/multimedia/american-universities-two-years-after-october-7 Listen now The policy degrades the housing stock, distorts the market, and inhibits new development Behind the headlines and catchy campaign slogans is a policy that in fact overlooks the fundamental workings of the economics of housing, resulting in worse housing for a higher costs. Read more in City Journal. Adam Lehodey September 2025 City Journal https://media5.manhattan-institute.org/iiif/2/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F5%2FNew-York-City-rent-control-landlords-tenants.jpg/full/!99999,710/0/default.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-rent-control-landlords-tenants Read article A plan that Zohran Mamdani once backed raises questions about public safety Though socialists have long had prison reform and abolition on the agenda, focusing solely on absolute head-counts risks overshadowing the broader conversation on public safety. Adam Lehodey September 2025 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1606022831434-91293aebf25a?q=80&w=3166&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-democratic-socialists-america-zohran-mamdani-decarceration Read article Narratives of a Grand Vision floating in a galaxy, far far away from the center of where it all started, is a little dot called Planet Earth. PAN-GAIA is an experimental piece of writing capturing the experience of its eight billion inhabitants. THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS Adam Lehodey June 2025 Personal blog-assets/pangaia.jpg /blogs/Pan-Gaia-Narratives-Of-A-New-Vision.pdf View Essay Analysing Mamdani's Proposals Zohran Mamdani claims his city-run supermarket proposal would lower prices, but small-business owners and their customers see it as a dubious and costly proposition. Read my analysis of the conversations I had with New Yorkers in City Journal. Adam Lehodey June 2025 City Journal https://media5.manhattan-institute.org/iiif/2/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F5%2FZohran-Mamdani-government-run-grocery-stores-New-York-City.jpg/full/!99999,710/0/default.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/zohran-mamdani-government-run-grocery-stores-new-york-city Read article Urgent Reforms are Needed A dysfunctional system has created a nightmare for small property owners, with cases dragging on for years and costs piling up. I spoke to New Yorkers affected by these delays to understand how they are being affected and what needs to change. Adam Lehodey May 2025 City Journal https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520315167920-5a26d5e08d5b?q=80&w=928&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://www.city-journal.org/article/tenants-landlords-new-york-city-housing-courts Read article What the future could look like Now at a crossroads, Europe and America must unite to advance human flourishing and overcome global problems. Read my winning essay to the 2025 SciencesPo American Foundation's essay contest, below. Adam Lehodey April 2025 SciencesPo American Foundation https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:4800/format:webp/1*mHD_ggCge8vl6luwVjJGSw.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/the-choreographing-of-a-renewed-euro-american-relationship-25d0b482c008 Read essay Shifting the tax-burden won't alleviate New York's problems New York City already has some of the highest tax burdens in the United States. Yet its reliance on the minority of highest earners, coupled with proposals to further shift the tax burden, could backfire. Adam Lehodey March 2025 City Journal https://media5.manhattan-institute.org/iiif/2/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F5%2FEric-Adams-New-York-Axe-the-Tax-budget.jpg/full/!99999,710/0/default.jpg https://www.city-journal.org/article/eric-adams-new-york-axe-the-tax-budget Read article Analysis and review of Jacobs' Dark Age Ahead 'Society shows signs of rushing headlong into a dark age,' writes Jane Jacobs in Dark Age Ahead. But are we really? This essay is an extensive analysis of the good, the bad, and the constructive from Jacobs final work. Adam Lehodey July 2024 Market Urbanism https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1577086677645-1e5e43894316?q=80&w=3099&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D https://marketurbanism.com/2024/07/25/are-we-spiralling-into-a-new-dark-age-analysis-and-review-of-jacobs-dark-age-ahead/ Read essay On the relationship between self and state This paper - published in the Brown Journal of Philosophy explores many topics, from the nature of the self, justifications for state action, and consent of the governed. It coalesces around the central research question of whether the state has the right to protect individuals from themselves. Adam Lehodey July 2024 A Priori https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:4800/format:webp/0*vy0x0sczW7DQVrcf https://adyleho.medium.com/law-liberty-and-the-limits-of-selfhood-a2e06c024a5d Read essay A Portuguese republication [Portuguese translation and republication and of my The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Revisited essay] Uma exploração das ideias influentes de Jacobs e seu potencial para abordar os desafios urbanos de hoje e melhorar a vida nas cidades. Adam Lehodey July 2024 Caos Planejado https://storage.caosplanejado.com/uploads/2024/07/5159138789_5079570c4d_c.jpg https://caosplanejado.com/morte-e-vida-de-grandes-cidades-revisitado/ Read essay A manual for urban policymakers Urban policymakers should focus on cultivating import-replacement as a means of growing their cities. Explore lessons from Jacobs' Cities and the Wealth of Nations in this piece below. Adam Lehodey July 2024 Market Urbanism https://i0.wp.com/marketurbanism.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Picture-1.png?w=904&ssl=1 https://marketurbanism.com/2024/07/12/lessons-from-cities-and-the-wealth-of-nations-a-manual-for-urban-policymakers/ Read essay Critical review of Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom Development as Freedom - Amartya Sen's magnum opus, transformed how we view progress. By re-conceptualising development as freedom, economists and politicians shift their focus on to the basic goods that really matter: education, democracy, and civic equality. Adam Lehodey June 2024 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:4800/format:webp/0*2yDjsLtO8-T_PCFZ.jpg https://adyleho.medium.com/from-wealth-to-well-being-notes-and-analysis-of-amartya-sens-development-as-freedom-95b8c424479a Read essay In defence of the city Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities, published in 1961, revolutionised urban theory. This essay kicks off a series exploring Jacobs' influential ideas and their potential to address today's urban challenges and enhance city living. Adam Lehodey June 2024 Market Urbanism https://i1.wp.com/marketurbanism.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Picture-1.png https://marketurbanism.com/2024/06/13/the-death-and-life-of-great-american-cities-revisited/ Read essay Looking back at Jane Jacobs' seminal work In the Economy of Cities, Jacobs starts with a provocative claim: that the city in fact proceeds agriculture. From here, she shows how the city is the essential and basic unit of the growth of our civilisation. Adam Lehodey June 2024 Market Urbanism https://i2.wp.com/marketurbanism.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image.png?w=904&ssl=1 https://marketurbanism.com/2024/06/21/lessons-from-jacobs-the-economy-of-cities/ Read essay Just look around you. There's reason for hope! Free speech isn't dead at Columbia University, in fact it's alive and well, as evidence all around us shows. Explore my thoughts in the Columbia Sundial below. Adam Lehodey April 2024 Columbia Sundial https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F51eede82-debd-4f26-8684-4525b9e2f386_4032x3024.png https://www.sundial-cu.org/p/free-speech-at-columbia-is-alive View Article Capturing an epoch In a world where Andy Warhol is synonymous with contemporary art and a single one of his paintings sells for hundreds of millions of dollars, it is hard not to have an opinion on his work. My goal: to make the case that Warhol's works are indeed masterpieces of art... Adam Lehodey February 2024 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1100/format:webp/0*Bi3q7o8BsVtcsyRO.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/on-the-genius-of-andy-warhol-87edf2af0474 Read essay Virtue cannot be abdicated to the state In response to social media addiction, substance abuse and obscene online content, we increasingly look to government and big-tech to regulate excess. Yet this abdication of virtue to government cannot continue and will have very dangerous consequences if it does. Adam Lehodey January 2024 Medium blog-assets/smartphone.jpg https://adyleho.medium.com/government-tech-and-the-outsourcing-of-virtue-0ef668dd2254 Read essay Striving for excellence and balance In choosing virtue, one opens the door to a fuller, more complete and fulfilling life. This essay is an unapologetic defence of Aristotelian virtue. Adam Lehodey October 2023 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*2qzge7oEVzYIy76Dprkiaw.png https://medium.com/@adyleho/the-case-for-virtue-striving-for-excellence-and-balance-790112651aab Read Essay An exploration through Paul Auster's City of Glass What does it mean to be yourself? The answer is more than just the physical - the self is a narrative that one creates around their life, constantly shifting and evolving over time. Below I explore this theme through the lens of Paul Auster's City of Glass. Adam Lehodey September 2023 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*ccJ-jgEFlW7kzKdfOh3wxw.png https://adyleho.medium.com/decoding-the-self-through-austers-city-of-glass-the-new-york-trilogy-f09c5c49ed64 Read essay Analysis and notes If the past is 'a foreign country,' L.P. Hartley's The Go-Between is a first class ticket on that voyage. Read my notes and analysis on Hartley's acclaimed novel. Adam Lehodey April 2023 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*QpIqptmCQvS6uJiaegzt8Q.png https://adyleho.medium.com/travels-to-a-foreign-country-analysis-and-notes-on-l-p-hartleys-the-go-between-d0e922589bec Read Essay Memories from an amazing trip I wanted a reminder of the endless possibilities of life; an adventure and a radically different experience. In Morocco, I found all of these things. Adam Lehodey April 2023 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*joYV2dKTB_vV9yNnX_oKow.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/morocco-and-notes-as-a-global-citizen-ffc93ef9a360 View Article Critical analysis of Woolf's masterpiece 'What Virginia Woolf created, in Mrs Dalloway, is not so much a novel but a rich canvas of life in post-World War I London.' Explore the context, ideas and impacts of Woolf's seminal work. Adam Lehodey March 2023 Medium https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*6aXfgMPjIPIguxzux62txQ.png https://medium.com/p/769076d8b70b View Essay A re-examination of events. It may be almost a quarter of a century since the twentieth century drew to a close and we crossed over into the then unknown frontier of the twenty first, though a careful examination of history reveals that many of the origins of today's problems can be found in the twentieth century. Adam Lehodey October 2022 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/0*VDFuE623fWTvUfrr.jpg https://adyleho.medium.com/lessons-from-the-twentieth-century-for-the-twenty-first-bc3034a4a4e3 View Essay The next frontier? The metaverse has been hyped. A lot. This long-read essay collection, a collaboration with other students for a class project, explores the nature, potential, and opportunities that the metaverse presents. Adam Lehodey et al. October 2022 Storymaps blog-assets/metaverse.jpg /blogs/into-the-metaverse Read essay Comparative analysis of Ellis' American Psycho and Amis' Money We live in a world of hyper-consumption, constantly defining ourselves by our position relative to others and the extent to which we consume. An analysis of these two important works of literature gives us a gimpse of the implications of this. Adam Lehodey October 2022 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/0*LNM0K4oBCYPkJYMg.jpg https://adyleho.medium.com/a-world-where-only-money-matters-comparative-analysis-of-amis-money-and-ellis-american-psycho-410ccc372a31 Read Essay Memories from the summer Travelling, including 2000 miles of hitchhiking, across the United States for the past few weeks has been an incredibly eye-opening experience. I have had so many adventures, heard so many stories, and met so many great people, that I decided to document it all in writing. Adam Lehodey July 2022 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*7KT-DqoYUIzuimQxsdjuPg.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/on-the-road-stories-from-an-american-adventure-2f650a5601fa View Article On the merits and demerits of political decision making Political decision making appeals to activists, politicians and voters because it is quick and visible. Yet if we are to continue living in a free and open society, it is essential that we examine the merits and demerits of political decision making. Adam Lehodey June 2022 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*SLL5XllFZWUzJ3kSOe0qKg.png https://adyleho.medium.com/politics-when-it-works-and-when-it-doesnt-d81d2f3390a9 Read essay This popular book has many flaws I was previously unacquainted with the field of 'economic anthropology,' and it was therefore with interest that I picked up David Graeber's 'Debt: the first 5000 years.' Read my thoughts and critiques below. Adam Lehodey January 2022 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/1*qjRdXwRtzY_a6mA4pGCERA.png https://adyleho.medium.com/debt-the-first-5000-years-a-critique-e2153eb5c506 Read essay Claudia Webbe's attack on billionaires is baseless Claudia Webbe, the Member of Parliament for Leicester East, recently restated her dislike for billioniares in a series of tweets. Her comments are underpinned by a number of fallacies. Adam Lehodey January 2022 Adam Smith Institute https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:800/Gks5tD9RNNUqVejgOlge https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/sorry-claudia-billionaires-have-the-right-to-exist View Article Analysis, thoughts and ideas The sprawling and complex novel explores mental illness, the ephemerality of our experiences, but also the metamorphosis of individual relationships. For me, it is Fitzgerald's best work. Adam Lehodey January 2022 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/1*T-YO9Bpq7QVyKatEJNzjUw.png https://adyleho.medium.com/tender-is-the-night-notes-and-ideas-e28779733866 View Article The Government should revisit its policy on hydraulic fracturing When energy costs rise, people feel the hit directly. Not only do their own energy bills go up, but so too does the price of food, electronics, and almost all other goods. Hydraulic fracturing could be the answer. Adam Lehodey January 2022 Adam Smith Institute https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1598336206157-a79a3f583cd2?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1031&q=80 https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/fracking-can-play-an-important-role-in-lowering-energy-costs View Article An incredible place. There is no greater pleasure than returning home to a place you love. For me, that is Great Britain, the place of dreams and opportunity... Adam Lehodey November 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/750/0*nXyCw1MuxHkITbT7 https://adyleho.medium.com/a-letter-to-great-britain-ee6fed1b834a View Article There are flaws to the Government's current policy We are at risk of 'levelling up' becoming a proxy for one set of vested interests grabbing resources at the expense of everyone else. Adam Lehodey October 2021 1828 https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1457976178975-68bdee640edb?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=892&q=80 https://www.1828.org.uk/2021/10/11/the-levelling-up-agenda-risks-levelling-down-britain/ View Article Summary, Notes and Critiques Consumption is driven by a desire to illustrate power and status. This is the important takeaway of Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class which completely transforms how one views human decisions. Along with this summary of Veblen's work, I analyse how society has changed and in what ways these ideas apply. Adam Lehodey September 2021 Medium https://i.pinimg.com/originals/76/52/14/765214d1f084d855e0d766b3d83239f5.jpg https://adyleho.medium.com/summary-notes-and-critiques-of-veblens-theory-of-the-leisure-class-eb699ee5008a View Article Exploring the complex links between them The trouble with history is, of course, that we can't study everything. What we choose to study or not to study matters immensely - it one of the foundations for our identities. Adam Lehodey August 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/1*fnhkboqAB1VO3cY6oajiuA.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/exploring-the-complex-links-between-history-and-identity-315aeab23c9a View Article Bret Easton Ellis on the American Dream Forceful and raw, Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho certainly left its mark upon society. To call this work of literature violent would be an understatement. Yet to some extent, it's as if this was not a fictional story but a mirror held up to the societies in which we live. Adam Lehodey July 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/750/1*gHuOuA0aPzOX29AJt7JtEQ.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/american-psycho-and-bret-easton-ellis-on-the-american-dream-41a41c03e057 View Article All rights are based on a social contract Does a gazelle have a 'right' not to be eaten by a lion? No - because rights are things we have created, based on a social contract. Here, I explore the relationship between rights, freedom, and the welfare state. Adam Lehodey June 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/5952/1*btiPd_Ncsia2P9z0se9rdw.jpeg https://adyleho.medium.com/rights-freedom-and-the-welfare-state-c072cd768335 View Article Wealth and money are often conflated, but very different The origins of wealth are often misunderstood. Many believe the only way to become wealthy is to exploit or take that wealth from somebody else. Yet this premise is deeply flawed. Adam Lehodey May 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1200/1*FJdUIkzXu7nIY6VAcvZ6aQ.png https://adyleho.medium.com/on-the-creation-of-wealth-wealth-money-and-redistribution-c868a64078b7 View Article The way forward: markets and trade To truly deliver on the 'levelling-up' agenda and create opportunities for all, the choice is clear: we must embrace trade, markets, and the freedom to choose. Adam Lehodey May 2021 1828 https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1494419470281-65c2b001a42b?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1932&q=80 https://www.1828.org.uk/2021/05/21/the-conservative-partys-move-away-from-economic-liberalism-should-worry-us-all/ View Article The troubling rise of neo-luddism Building a better, greener and cleaner world to enable us to live meaninfully and enjoy our lives will require co-operation and depend on technology. It can't be solved by coercion. Adam Lehodey May 2021 Medium https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1569462529461-9d84b52954d2?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1950&q=80 https://adyleho.medium.com/tyranny-cant-stop-climate-change-the-troubling-rise-of-neo-luddism-1773e78d5a8 View Article How to live the good life What is the American Dream? The embodiment of hope and opportunity, or a failed idea swallowed up by Corporate America? Adam Lehodey April 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/3600/0*rkl1FK_DjjpIyjyY.jpg https://adyleho.medium.com/american-dream-sue%C3%B1o-americano-77740cd3b581 View Article La vida está buena. México, mi amor. It's a city full of life, of spirit, of joy. Se puede vivir, no sólo existir. Here, one feels the richness, the wholeness, of our existence, in all its splendour. Adam Lehodey February 2021 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/0*7ybL6JvhLcE-_ZdG https://adyleho.medium.com/postcard-from-mexico-city-195962b4b958 View Article Despite its flaws, it's still the best system we've got. When a wave of populism swept through the world in the mid-2010s, some considered liberalism to be dead. Whilst not all the predictions made about liberalism's fate came true, the Coronavirus is undoubtedly the greatest challenge it has faced since World War II. Adam Lehodey October 2020 Medium https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1492217072584-7ff26c10eb75?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1868&q=80 https://adyleho.medium.com/long-live-liberalism-1458984a79c8 View Article Build back better. With with thousands of city workers being ordered to work from home when the coronavirus pandemic hit, our use of land has changed drastically. In light of this, it is worth assessing why we live in cities in the first place, and what the future challenges will be. Adam Lehodey August 2020 1828 https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1541371301799-86ad7e6e44cd?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=750&q=80 https://www.1828.org.uk/2020/08/05/how-to-reinvigorate-our-cities/ View Article Social mobility in the 21st Century Such a large part of social mobility and equality of opportunity lies in education, that we need to ask ourselves how best to improve the system to tap into the full potential of the thousands of children going through it each year. Adam Lehodey August 2020 1828 https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520670453919-ec413efb2951?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1868&q=80 https://www.1828.org.uk/2020/08/20/how-education-reform-can-unlock-social-mobility/ View Article The evidence looks promising. If we are serious about improving our health outcomes after coronavirus, it is essential that we take action to combat nicotine-related deaths. Fortunately, we already have the answer: e-cigarettes. Adam Lehodey June 2020 1828 https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1566645561206-a5586419fb5f?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1950&q=80 https://www.1828.org.uk/2020/06/24/how-vaping-could-end-nicotine-related-deaths-for-good/ View Article LONG READ: Examining the roots and next steps. Smoking is one of largest preventable cause of death, amounts to millions of hours of lost productivity, and costs our health systems billions. Where did it start, why is it bad for you, and how can we end nicotine related deaths for good? Adam Lehodey January 2020 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/744/1*OVN-7sS0_g3TeHcWiaVaSA.png https://medium.com/@adyleho/the-history-and-future-of-smoking-a7ab84351ad0 Read essay How to reconcile the two? Inequality poses numerous problems: social unrest, the rise of extremist parties, and some would say, moral issues. How to deal with the problem of inequality in an increasingly meritocratic world? What does meritocracy even mean? Adam Lehodey January 2020 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/1*2uTe5q-4LbdRyYWaxRJ63w.jpeg https://medium.com/@adyleho/inequality-in-a-meritocratic-world-ce84c6f03944 View Article Taking a look inside one of the tech world's largest giants. In November 2019, I toured Amazon's second largest Fulfilment Centre (FC). Upon arrival, it felt like I had teleported to the year 2100... Adam Lehodey December 2019 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/1*PLVSxKajl0FoB2z5sIysaA.jpeg https://medium.com/@adyleho/inside-amazon-dc85c5a90593 View Article Digital Minimalism How can appyling the philosophy of minimalism to our digital lives improve our productivity and make us happer and better people? explore the ideas of 'Digital Minimalism' in this article. Adam Lehodey December 2019 Medium https://miro.medium.com/max/1050/1*M_XOnlAT7CEkkhedW7kZEg.jpeg https://medium.com/@adyleho/on-minimalism-part-two-digital-minimalism-f88effd40b4e View Article There's a better alternative to the way we live. Minimalism is not about owning a set number of items. It is about mindfulness, focussing on what truly matters, and not being constrained by material possessions.... Adam Lehodey December 2019 Medium https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1487700160041-babef9c3cb55?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1935&q=80 https://medium.com/@adyleho/on-minimalism-part-one-fc6bd142d147 View Article