Joel Kotkin (born December 28, 1952) is a fellow in urban studies at Chapman University in Orange, California. He writes about demographic, social, and economic trends in the U.S. and internationally. He is a regular contributor to The Daily Beast and Forbes.com and is on the editorial board of the Orange County Register. Kotkin attended the University of California, Berkeley. A native of New York City, he now lives in Southern California, around Los Angeles.