Xander Balwit

Dec 5, 2024 | worksinprogress.co | Ben Hopkinson |Virginia Postrel |Niko McCarty |Xander Balwit

24 Mins Why do high-cost cities have more homelessness? It’s not just about rents — it’s also about the rooms friends and family can’t afford to share. Diona’s mom gave her one week’s notice. There were too many kids and too little space. If 17-year-old Diona didn’t find someone to stay with, she would be forced to check herself and her 3-month-old son into a homeless shelter. Because she was a minor, doing so would put her baby ‘into the system’. She was determined not to let that happen.

Dec 5, 2024 | worksinprogress.co | Salim Furth |Ben Hopkinson |Niko McCarty |Xander Balwit

31 Mins When the future arrived, it felt… ordinary. What happened to the glamour of tomorrow? Progress used to be glamorous. For the first two thirds of the twentieth-century, the terms modern, future, and world of tomorrow shimmered with promise. Glamour is more than a synonym for fashion or celebrity, although these things can certainly be glamorous. So can a holiday resort, a city, or a career. The military can be glamorous, as can technology, science, or the religious life.

Dec 5, 2024 | mercatus.org | Jared Hutchins |Niko McCarty |Xander Balwit |Virginia Postrel

24 Mins Why do high-cost cities have more homelessness? It’s not just about rents — it’s also about the rooms friends and family can’t afford to share. Diona’s mom gave her one week’s notice. There were too many kids and too little space. If 17-year-old Diona didn’t find someone to stay with, she would be forced to check herself and her 3-month-old son into a homeless shelter. Because she was a minor, doing so would put her baby ‘into the system’. She was determined not to let that happen.

Jun 23, 2023 | longviewer.substack.com | Xander Balwit |Richard Fisher

Hello, Two years ago, we asked Long View readers: which living thing is the best mascot for long-term thinking? You sent many excellent suggestions, from trees to tardigrades. Now, we're asking for your thoughts again. We want to know – where are the world’s best places to feel a sense of deep time? We’ve compiled an A-Z of some we know, but we’d love to hear where you’d nominate.

May 19, 2023 | longviewer.substack.com | Xander Balwit |Richard Fisher

Hello, For today’s newsletter, we’re exploring the language ofThe Long View. In particular, a brand new word that we coined in collaboration with our friends at The Bureau of Linguistical Reality. Also: six things that should be better known, a rare career opportunity at the Long Now Foundation, and how to watch the Future Library ceremony this weekend.