institutions, inequality, geography, democracy | asst prof, UCLA Law
Joined June 2010
- Tweets 549
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Pinned Tweet
24 Nov 2025
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
May 23
This thicket of veto points is why US cities are so uniquely dysfunctional. Decision rights over projects that transcend the boundaries of multiple cities should rest entirely with a metropolitan planning entity.
May 21
If California is ever going to have coherent public transit, it will probably need new state laws further limiting the ability of cities to block transit lines through their territory. This may require overriding some of their control of streets. @cayimby @mateosfo @mnolangray
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
May 22
california should wanna campaign of cultural revolution against the idea of city autonomy and just start merging little cities together to create big metropolises with massive power over eminent domain and transit that are backed by the threat of force if the state
May 21
If California is ever going to have coherent public transit, it will probably need new state laws further limiting the ability of cities to block transit lines through their territory. This may require overriding some of their control of streets. @cayimby @mateosfo @mnolangray
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
A major reason that it didn’t make sense to use AI to write an essay about a substantive topic is that until you write the essay you don’t actually know what you want to say or what you think. You think you do, but it is the writing itself that actually gets the thinking done.
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this is fantastic nuts and bolts stuff, if implemented would really make it easier for businesses to survive LA as commercial rents, operating costs, and wages remain high and difficult
May 12
Nithya's small business policy had dropped. Highlights include:
- Comprehensive permitting & inspection reform
- Rapid response for maintenance, infrastructure, sanitation and homeless outreach in commercial corridors
- Tenant improvement grants & a "vacant to vibrant" program to fill vacant storefronts (modeled after SF)
- Stoping predatory ADA lawsuits
- Working with the state to reform worker's comp insurance
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
May 10
This line is such a shot in the arm for LA. Underground rail is so much faster than above ground rail. LA can really build this thing out and connect the whole city. Fix the housing situation and LA will be the world's best city.
May 10
Looking west at the tunnel from Wilshire/La Cienega! 🚇
Stay tuned for Section 2 of the @metrolosangeles D Line Extension!! Two more stations at Beverly Drive and Century City!
Eventually, Section 3 will extend it all the way to Westwood/UCLA & Westwood/VA Hospital!
💜🎉
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May 11
All of this, by the way, came after *Utah voters* directly amended their constitution to take the task of drawing districts away from the legislature. The Utah Supreme Court was applying that constitutional requirement.
May 8
Here's what the Utah GOP did:
1. They sued federally to block the new map.
2. They packed the UT Supreme Court, creating two brand new justices
3. They created a brand new “constitutional court” panel that will hear challenges to state law, avoiding the Supreme Court altogether
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
Very excited for the @metrolosangeles D Line extension opening today—it will be transformative! But worth remembering that success rests on service:
"Late at night…every 20 min.! You come in, you see the next train is in 19 min., you take an Uber."
latimes.com/california/story…
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
actually if you’re an expert in anything (and I use that term broadly) one of the most useful things you can do with your knowledge is share it with journalists on background so the story is reported more accurately! talking to press isn’t a vanity project it’s public education
May 7
I can't believe I need to say this, but if, as a journalist, you use my time, research & expertise without quoting me, don't be surprised if I never return your call.
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Apr 30
Gerald Frug in "City Services" (1998):
Apr 29
guy who beats the "you're a leftist but you send your kid to a private school" rap by moving to an affluent suburb and sending their kids to their local public school
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
Apr 14
When you don’t understand why there’s a [sic] it’s like okay which of the three of us is stupid
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
Mar 19
SOME PERSONAL NEWS: For the last year I’ve been working with a terrifyingly talented team to put together L.A. Material, a new local news outlet covering Los Angeles. We’re launching TODAY, so please check us out at lamaterial.com.
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
Mar 16
The application for our next writing fellow is live! We hire early-career reporters for an intensive 2-year reporting and writing stint on our staff. Come join the best team in journalism.
The application is at the link.
theamericanprospect.submitta…
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
I’m very excited to have this piece with Sarah Swan coming out in @georgetownlaw journal
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
Jan 27
My friend @emilyctamkin wrote a piece of the terrible aptness of comparing the targets of ICE terror to Anne Frank and her family forward.com/opinion/800994/a…
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Brian Highsmith retweeted
Jan 27
An extraordinary paragraph. buff.ly/uH5ykhX
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24 Nov 2025
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
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24 Nov 2025
Particularly in a moment of federal retrenchment—with deep cuts to redistributive programs like Medicaid & education funding—the amount of taxable wealth within municipal boundaries (local fiscal capacity) is likely to become an even more important determinant of life outcomes.
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24 Nov 2025
This is co-authored work w @robertmanduca (lead author) & Jacob Waggoner. It's been several years in the making: we are excited to share it!
Our full dataset of tax base by municipality for the entire US is available for download & further analysis here: robertmanduca.com/publicatio…
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