24-Hour Cities: Real investment performance, not just promises

For decades the commercial property industry literature has claimed that ‘24-hour’ cities yield investment performance superior to so-called ‘9-to-5’ cities. When first made, the claim was highly original and ran counter to the received wisdom that the future belonged to "the Edge City." Yet this claim has never been rigorously analyzed, either from the point of view of urban studies or from the perspective of actual investment performance.

In 24-hour Cities: Real Performance, Not Just Promises, esteemed real estate economist Hugh Kelly examines the evidence for the claim that the 24-hour city is "better". Through detailed historical reflection and the examination of 14 American cities, Kelly looks at the claims made for and against 24-hour cities, and attempts to sort out the hows and whys that emerge as we consider not only the differences between cities, but their comparative advantages.

The results of his discussion have significant implications not only for the real estate industry, but for public planning and policy.