Charles V. Bagli

Charles V. Bagli is an American author known for writing books about the power and politics of the real estate market. He is an investigative journalist and real estate editor for The New York Times, where he has covered the ins and outs of real estate in New York City and beyond. Bagli has a unique insight into the challenges and triumphs of the built environment—from city hall to Wall Street and beyond.

Bagli is a Pulitzer-winning author and has been part of the Pulitzer team at The New York Times since 2011. His books include “The Death & Life of Great American Cities”, “Other People’s Money: Inside the Housing Crisis and the Demise of The Great American Dream”, and “The View from the Cab: Tales from forty years of covering New York’s skyline”. In several of his works, Bagli takes readers on a journey through the complicated web of power and politics that has come to define Manhattan over the past few decades.

In The Death & Life of Great American Cities, Bagli traces the rise and fall of city governments, from Robert Moses’ reign of power during the mid-1900s to the present-day mayoralty of Bill de Blasio. He chronicles the vast societal changes that were set into motion by urban renewal, and examines how the dynamics of white flight and gentrification have shaped the physical and political landscapes of modern-day cities. Bagli tells the story of how the well-intentioned efforts of reformers led to the displacement of small businesses and residential communities, and what can be done to ensure that this doesn’t happen in the future.

In Other People’s Money: Inside the Housing Crisis and the Demise of The Great American Dream, Bagli dives deep into the 2008 housing crisis and the fallout from the collapse of the financial markets that triggered it. He traces the events and people responsible for the housing bubble and reveals how some of the largest corporations and government entities profited from the chaos of the crisis. In addition, Bagli shows how the lingering effects of the crisis still reverberate today and how current policies, regulations, and practices serve to deepen the crisis.

In The View from the Cab, Bagli draws on his own experience of forty years as a New York Times journalist and offers readers a firsthand look at the city’s changing skyline. He examines the patterns in the urban landscape, from the massive luxury towers sprouting up throughout Manhattan to the outer boroughs where gentrification has led to a sharp rise in rental prices. Bagli takes his readers on a captivating tour of New York City and provides a vivid look at the extremes of wealth, poverty, and everything in between.

Charles V. Bagli is a Pulitzer-winning author who has devoted much of his career to illuminating the complexities of the real estate world. Through his insightful books, Bagli offers readers insider perspectives and glimpses into the intricate patterns that have shaped our urban landscape today. He masterfully weaves together personal stories, history, and investigative reporting to bring the realities of real estate politics and power to life.