Joe Minicozzi

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Joe Minicozzi is an urban planner imagining new ways to think about and visualize land use, urban design and economics. Joe founded Urban3 to explain and visualize market dynamics created by tax and land use policies. Urban3's work establishes new conversations across multiple professional sectors, policy makers, and the public to creatively address the challenges of urbanization. Urban3's extensive studies have ranged geographically from over 30 states, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Joe holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami and Master of Architecture and Urban Design from Harvard University. In 2017, Joe was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists of all time.

Articles and Podcasts
Mansion Blight: How the Most Expensive Homes Drain Community Wealth
Mansion Blight: How the Most Expensive Homes Drain Community Wealth

Mansions on large lots, not rundown properties in low-socioeconomic-status neighborhoods, are the real blight on a community’s financial health.

“Bias Writ Large” in the Property Tax Assessment System
“Bias Writ Large” in the Property Tax Assessment System

There are some obvious anomalies that are being overlooked in the property tax assessment system. Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 pulls back the curtain in this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast.

The Numbers Don't Lie
The Numbers Don't Lie

To have enduring prosperity, a community cannot squander its land; it must develop in ways that are financially productive.

Why Cities Shouldn’t Wait for the Feds to Do Something about Reparations
Why Cities Shouldn’t Wait for the Feds to Do Something about Reparations

Decades of disinvestment have trapped neighborhoods in poverty. Cities can do something about it—with tools they already have—and build lasting prosperity that benefits everyone.

An Old Building Should Get A Birthday Present
An Old Building Should Get A Birthday Present

The oldest buildings in your city have endured for a reason. They’re also the ones most likely to be around long into the future. Why not show them a little love?

Not so Fast: Density Isn’t Plague-Inducing
Not so Fast: Density Isn’t Plague-Inducing

Commentators have speculated that density has been toxic during the coronavirus crisis. But Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 did what he does best—he ran the numbers—and found a different story. This is why data should prevail during a pandemic.

Greetings from Anywhere: Supporting Postcard-Worthy Places
Greetings from Anywhere: Supporting Postcard-Worthy Places

Turns out, the things worth writing home about are the same things that make a place worth calling home. What would it take to develop postcard-worthy places again?

"We're Overbuilt on the Public Side, and Underbuilt on the Private Side"
"We're Overbuilt on the Public Side, and Underbuilt on the Private Side"

Our own Chuck Marohn and Urban3’s Joe Minicozzi got together to deliver some tough truths about building a stronger Kansas City, Missouri. Lesson number one: Simply tweaking how you collect taxes is not going to solve your revenue problems.

Live in Kansas City: "We’re a suburban community learning we can be urban."
Live in Kansas City: "We’re a suburban community learning we can be urban."

Kansas City has more freeway lane miles per capita than any other city in the country…and possibly the world. Can a city so devoted to edge development for the last 60 years pursue a more fiscally responsible approach to development? There are reasons to be hopeful.

The Power of Information Equity
The Power of Information Equity

Information about our city’s revenue, expenses and liabilities is usually presented in ways that disempower most people from making informed decisions. But what about folks who aren’t a Level 20 Spreadsheet Wizard? How can we use data to better tell the story of where we are now — and empower more people to write the story of their city’s future?

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