BusinessFlare Take

HOUSTON LEADS NATION IN POPULATION GROWTH WHILE OTHER MAJOR CITIES SHRINK Houston has added 91,180 new residents since 2020 while New York City lost over 250,000 people during the same period, proving that economic opportunity still drives population movement despite politicians pretending otherwise. Fulshear has tripled its population since 2020, becoming the fastest growing US city with over 50,000 residents. At 12.3 births per thousand residents, metro Houston leads the nation in birth rates, creating a younger demographic that drives future economic growth while coastal cities age and decline. This represents the largest municipal shift in decades, yet most city leaders still chase yesterday’s economic development strategies instead of understanding what actually attracts people and businesses. Cities watching their tax base shrink should study Houston’s formula: lower costs, business-friendly regulations, and abundant housing supply.

Street Economics Insight

ONTARIO MUNICIPALITIES PLAN $250 BILLION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT OVER NEXT DECADE Ontario municipalities are planning between $250-290 billion in capital investments over the next ten years, with $100 billion directly related to growth initiatives, highlighting how infrastructure needs outpace traditional municipal financing capabilities. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario reports that cities manage nearly half a trillion dollars worth of infrastructure while relying primarily on property taxes that already rank second highest in Canada at $2,200 per capita. This represents the classic municipal finance trap: growing infrastructure demands, limited revenue tools, and property taxpayers who cannot absorb unlimited increases. The housing target of 1.5 million homes by 2031 will require unprecedented coordination between municipal, provincial, and federal funding sources. American cities facing similar growth pressures should study Ontario’s integrated approach rather than hoping traditional development fees and property taxes can finance 21st-century infrastructure needs.

Drama Meter Reading

BILLIONAIRE ISLAND RESIDENTS FIGHT OVER SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS Indian Creek Village, the exclusive Miami enclave known as “Billionaire Bunker,” erupts in municipal drama as residents battle over special assessments for failing sewer infrastructure that threatens their waterfront properties. The dispute centers on whether the village’s 41 residents should split multimillion-dollar infrastructure costs equally or proportionally based on property values, creating a perfect microcosm of municipal finance dysfunction. When billionaires including Carl Icahn and Jared Kushner cannot agree on basic infrastructure funding formulas, it exposes how even the wealthiest communities struggle with municipal governance fundamentals. The irony is rich: residents who can afford $50 million homes are fighting over sewer assessments while their septic systems contaminate Biscayne Bay. This demonstrates that money cannot buy competent municipal management, and even the most exclusive communities face the same infrastructure realities as every other city in America.

Book Drop

PUBLIC SQUARES STILL SERVE AS ECONOMIC CATALYSTS DESPITE MODERN URBAN PLANNING FAILURES The Social Life Project‘s analysis of successful public squares reveals how these spaces function as natural economic development anchors, a concept BusinessFlare Founder Kevin Crowder explores throughout “Unleash Your Unfair Advantage” when discussing authentic place-making versus generic development. Historic squares create organic business clusters through foot traffic patterns and community gathering behaviors that cannot be replicated through traditional commercial zoning or strip mall planning. Cities with thriving downtown squares consistently outperform those that prioritized automobile-oriented development, proving that human-scale spaces drive economic activity more effectively than big-box retail or office complexes. The research demonstrates that squares work because they leverage natural social behaviors and economic interactions, not because planners designed them to work. This validates Crowder’s thesis that authentic community advantages emerge from understanding place-based economics rather than importing generic development formulas from consulting firms.

ECOSINT Signal

DIA THREAT ASSESSMENT WARNS CHINA PRE-POSITIONING CYBERATTACKS ON US CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE The Defense Intelligence Agency’s 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment reveals China has pre-positioned cyber capabilities to attack US critical infrastructure during potential conflicts, directly threatening municipal water systems, power grids, and transportation networks that support local economies. Chinese cyber actors from the PLA Cyberspace Force and Ministry of State Security are targeting information networks to steal intellectual property while developing access into sensitive infrastructure systems. The assessment identifies that China would likely use this pre-positioned access to attack critical systems if it viewed a major conflict with the US as imminent, creating unprecedented economic disruption at the local level. Municipal leaders should understand that their water treatment plants, electrical grids, and emergency services represent potential targets in this infrastructure warfare strategy. Cities need to assess cybersecurity vulnerabilities in partnership with federal authorities and develop backup systems for essential services that operate independently of network-dependent infrastructure.

Red River Flavor

LANDMARK GLYPHOSATE STUDY CONFIRMS CANCER RISK AT “SAFE” EXPOSURE LEVELS The most comprehensive independent study ever conducted on glyphosate confirms that the world’s most widely used herbicide causes cancer at exposure levels deemed “safe” by EU and US regulators, exposing decades of regulatory capture by chemical industry interests. Researchers found leukemia and other cancers developed in laboratory animals exposed to glyphosate at the EU’s acceptable daily intake level, directly contradicting industry-funded studies that regulatory agencies used to approve the chemical. The study’s lead author shared leukemia data with EU authorities in 2023, yet regulators still renewed glyphosate approval for another decade, demonstrating how regulatory agencies serve chemical company profits over public health. This represents a massive failure of the food safety system that Red River Spices has warned about for years: regulatory agencies accepting industry-funded research while ignoring independent science. Cities should immediately audit their use of glyphosate-based herbicides in parks, playgrounds, and public spaces where children are exposed to this confirmed carcinogen through direct contact and contaminated groundwater.

The Music Cities

DJ TAKEOVERS AT DELIS AND CAFES CREATE NEW VENUE MODEL FOR MUSIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DJ takeovers at delis and cafes are emerging as an unlikely venue trend from New York City to Miami to Los Angeles, proving that music-driven economic development works better through authentic community spaces than purpose-built entertainment districts. Venues like Katz’s Deli hosted Zeds Dead for their tour stop, while AM.Radio morning coffee shop sets in Los Angeles attract over 20,000 signups for weekend events featuring major DJs like Shallou and Louis The Child. This trend demonstrates how existing businesses can leverage music programming to drive foot traffic and revenue without massive infrastructure investments. Cities spending millions on dedicated music venues should study how these pop-up collaborations create economic value through flexible programming rather than fixed facilities. The model works because it builds on existing business relationships and customer bases rather than competing with them, creating sustainable revenue streams that support both musicians and local businesses.

Space Economy Signal

BREVARD COUNTY SPACE BOOM REQUIRES TALENT STRATEGY BEYOND ROCKET LAUNCHES Brevard County has become America’s fastest growing economy due to space industry expansion, but sustainable growth requires talent attraction strategies that go beyond proximity to rocket launches. BusinessFlare’s visit yesterday to the Space Coast in Titusville reinforced how space communities struggle with the placemaking fundamentals critical for long-term economic sustainability beyond aerospace contracts. The Space Coast economic boom creates demand for everything from advanced manufacturing to hospitality services, and cities competing for space industry investment should recognize that success depends on comprehensive talent pipelines, not just access to launch facilities or government contracts. BusinessFlare will be doing a deeper dive into how space economy regions must master placemaking and authentic economic development to attract the diverse businesses and quality-of-life investments that create sustainable communities. Watch for our upcoming analysis on how technical excellence must translate into livable places that appeal to entrepreneurs and investors beyond the space sector.

Purple Cow of the Day

HILLIARD OHIO CREATES INNOVATION TESTBED WITH $1 MILLION IN STARTUP GRANTS Hilliard, Ohio, a city of less than 35,000 residents, has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to 32 startup projects over four years, creating innovations including first responder drones for 911 calls, sewer overflow detectors, algae boats for cleaning ponds, and virtual scoreboards for local sporting events. Half of these startups established operations in 2024, proving that small cities can become innovation centers through direct financial support rather than traditional business incubation programs. This approach flips conventional economic development thinking by funding solutions to local problems rather than chasing outside companies with tax incentives. The strategy works because it creates authentic economic development rooted in community needs while building a pipeline of locally-grown businesses that understand the market. Other small cities spending millions on consultants and marketing campaigns should study Hilliard’s model: identify local challenges, fund entrepreneurs to solve them, and build genuine innovation ecosystems from the ground up.

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