As the gears of federal government have ground to a halt, a new energy has been rocking the foundations of our urban centers. From Atlanta to Seattle and points in between, cities have begun seizing the initiative, transforming themselves into laboratories for progressive innovation. Income inequality, affordable housing, climate change, sustainable development, public health, participatory government—cities are tackling them all, bringing new urgency to some of the most vital questions of the day. Welcome to the age of big city progressivism! Cities Rising is The Nation’s contribution to the conversation.
Mayor de Blasio Should Seize His Second Term to Make New York the ‘Fairest Big City in America’ Mayor de Blasio Should Seize His Second Term to Make New York the ‘Fairest Big City in America’
To succeed, he’ll have to be even bolder and more progressive.
Jan 1, 2018 / The Editors
From Paid Sick Leave to Municipal ID Cards: New York’s City Council Leaves an Impression From Paid Sick Leave to Municipal ID Cards: New York’s City Council Leaves an Impression
During the last four years, the council has passed significant legislation to stem inequality. Can it do better during the next four?
Dec 14, 2017 / Jarrett Murphy
Activists in Philadelphia Have Reclaimed Control of the City’s Schools Activists in Philadelphia Have Reclaimed Control of the City’s Schools
Dispatches from the Urban Resistance, from Philly to Albuquerque and beyond.
Nov 30, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias
The New Sewer Socialists Are Building an Equitable Internet The New Sewer Socialists Are Building an Equitable Internet
A blue-collar manufacturing town in southern Appalachia offers a roadmap for reclaiming the Internet’s utopian potential.
Nov 28, 2017 / Evan Malmgren
Is This the Most Radical Mayor in America? Is This the Most Radical Mayor in America?
Chokwe Antar Lumumba has an audacious plan to make Jackson, Mississippi, the “most radical city on the planet.”
Nov 17, 2017 / Feature / D.D. Guttenplan
Elon Musk Will Not Help Lead a Climate Leap Elon Musk Will Not Help Lead a Climate Leap
Los Angeles activists are fighting for climate justice, but, at nearby Tesla, green jobs aren’t good jobs.
Nov 15, 2017 / Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis
The Secret to Progressives’ Electoral Success? The Secret to Progressives’ Electoral Success?
They didn’t just say NO to Trump, they offered a serious, affirmative agenda.
Nov 10, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias
Bill de Blasio Has 4 Years to Cement His Progressive Legacy Bill de Blasio Has 4 Years to Cement His Progressive Legacy
A conversation with Juan Gonzalez and Joseph Viteritti about what the mayor did right during his first term—and what he needs to do better.
Nov 8, 2017 / Jarrett Murphy
Can Cities Save Our Reproductive Rights from the Grabby Hands of Donald Trump? Can Cities Save Our Reproductive Rights from the Grabby Hands of Donald Trump?
From San Francisco to Columbus, city halls are defending our reproductive freedoms.
Nov 1, 2017 / Melissa Batchelor Warnke
These Indigenous Movements Are Forcing the US to Reckon With Its Past These Indigenous Movements Are Forcing the US to Reckon With Its Past
Dispatches from the Urban Resistance: New York to Seattle
Oct 31, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias