Visionary social thinker Joel Kotkin looks ahead to America in 2050, revealing how the addition of one hundred million Americans by midcentury will transform how we all live, work, and prosper.

Based on prodigious research, firsthand reporting, and historical analysis, Kotkin’s THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION shows how this unprecedented growth will take physical shape and change the face of America. The vast majority of the additional hundred million will make their homes in what Kotkin calls “greenurbia,” the suburbs of tomorrow which will be less reliant on major cities for jobs and cultural amenities, and as a result will be more energy efficient.  The twenty-first century will be marked by a resurgence of the American Heartland -- now far less isolated in the digital age as well as a major source of renewable fuels and real estate for our ever-expanding population.  Kotkin also predicts that by 2050 America will become a nonwhite nation, citing that between 2000 and 2050 the majority of America’s population growth will be in its racial minorities, particularly Asians and Hispanics, as well as a growing mixed race population. This new population will flock to cities and suburbs in affordable areas such as Houston, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, as opposed to more glamorous but expensive cities like New York and San Francisco.  But whether in cities or smaller towns, Americans will come to embrace a “new localism” which Kotkin describes as a greater emphasis on family connections and local community empowered by active online networks and an increasing number of people working from home.

“A fascinating glimpse into a crystal ball, rich in implications that are alternately disturbing and exhilarating.” -- Kirkus

Joel Kotkin is an internationally recognized authority on global economic, political, social, and technological, trends.  He is the author of six books, including The City: A Global History and The New Geography: How the Digital Revolution is Reshaping the American Landscape.  He writes a column for Forbes and Politico.com and contributes regularly to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, and The Washington Post.  Visit him here.

7:30 PM at FCCB (First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Channing Way at Dana, Berkeley; enter via Channing Way white doors)

$12 advance (Brown Paper Tickets or 800-838-3006), $15 door