Reason Foundation

Bio

Wendell Cox is principal of Demographia, a St. Louis region-based public policy firm. Mr. Cox was appointed to three terms on the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission by Mayor Tom Bradley, where he introduced the amendment to Proposition A (1980) that established the local funding set-aside for the Los Angeles light rail and metro lines. He was also appointed to the Amtrak Reform Council by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to complete the unexpired term of New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman. There, he was instrumental in forging the final financial self-sufficiency plan that was required by the U.S. Congress. 

He served for nine years as a visiting professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers in Paris, where he lectured on transport and demogaphics. He lectures widely and is a frequent op-ed commentary contributor. His regular “newgeography.com” column includes “The Evolving Urban Form” series, consisting of profiles of world urban areas. 

Mr. Cox’s professional endeavors on urban and intercity transport have the objective of ensuring that riders and taxpayers receive fair value in return for their funding and that scarce public resources are directed to the most beneficial projects and programs. 

Demographia’s “Public Purpose” website (www.publicpurpose.com) was designated twice by the National Journal as a “Top Transport Internet Site.” Demographia’s principal website (Demographia.com) is home of the Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, with metropolitan area data in six nations and Hong Kong and Demographia World Urban Areas, the only annual compendium of population, land area and density data for identified urban areas with more than 500,000 population.