Jason M. Barr

Professor of Economics
Rutgers University–Newark

Jason M. Barr is a professor of economics at Rutgers University-Newark, and an affiliated member of the Rutgers Global Urban Systems (GUS) Ph.D. program. One of the world’s foremost experts on the economics of skyscrapers. Dr. Barr received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University (1992), an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College (1995), and a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University (2002). He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, the Eastern Economic Journal, and the Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination.

Dr. Barr is the author of Building the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan’s Skyscrapers (OUP, 2016) and Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers (Scribner 2014). His research has been featured in The Washington Post, the Economist, Curbed.com, and Architectural Record. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, StarTrek.com, Dezeen.com, Scientific American, and the Irish Independent. He currently writes the Skynomics Blog, a blog about skyscrapers, cities, and economics.

Find out more about Dr. Barr’s research.

  • Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World's Tallest Skyscrapers

    A new book by Dr. Barr about why the world’s greatest cities are building ever upward. Coming May 14, 2024 from Scribner Books.

    Visit the book website

  • Manhattan Extension Plan

    New York suffers from a housing affordability problem and is at risk from sea level rise and storm surges. Dr. Barr’s plan can help mitigate both.

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  • Skynomics Blog

    The Skynomics Blog by Jason Barr contains original content about cities, skyscrapers, and economics.

    Read the blog

  • Building the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers.

    Jason Barr’s 2016 book from Oxford University Press chronicles the history of the Manhattan skyline and reviews how and why New York embraced and developed its iconic skyline.

    Visit the book website

  • Popular Press Writings

    As an expert in the field of Urban Economics, Jason M. Barr is widely published on a variety of topics in the popular press.

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