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.
DC May Soon Be the First US City to Decriminalize Sex Work DC May Soon Be the First US City to Decriminalize Sex Work
A bill before the City Council aims to put sex workers’ well-being first.
Oct 31, 2017 / Michelle Chen
Can Supervised-Injection Sites Stem the Epidemic of Opioid Deaths? Can Supervised-Injection Sites Stem the Epidemic of Opioid Deaths?
If Trump were serious about reducing the number of fatal opioid overdoses, he might have considered this solution.
Oct 26, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias
It Doesn’t Matter if Cities Are Climate Change–Proof if No One Can Afford to Live in Them It Doesn’t Matter if Cities Are Climate Change–Proof if No One Can Afford to Live in Them
In the wake of this year’s devastating hurricanes, cities need to focus on equity in all of their future climate-adaptation plans.
Oct 24, 2017 / Michelle Chen
Turning Broadband Access Into a Social Movement Turning Broadband Access Into a Social Movement
Solutions to the digital divide won’t come from Washington but from our own backyards.
Oct 19, 2017 / Michelle Chen
How Tenants’ Rights Are Flourishing—Right in Trump’s New Backyard How Tenants’ Rights Are Flourishing—Right in Trump’s New Backyard
DC is home to some of the country’s most progressive efforts to keep housing affordable.
Oct 9, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias
New York’s Mayor Says He’s Got a Plan to Help Solve the City’s Housing Crisis New York’s Mayor Says He’s Got a Plan to Help Solve the City’s Housing Crisis
So why are housing advocates up in arms?
Oct 4, 2017 / Jarrett Murphy
From Free Lunch to Public Banks, These Cities Are Giving Us Hope From Free Lunch to Public Banks, These Cities Are Giving Us Hope
Dispatches from the Urban Resistance: Alameda to Elyria and beyond.
Sep 29, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias
Red-State Governments Are Trying to Take Back Your Minimum-Wage Hike and LGBTQ Protections Red-State Governments Are Trying to Take Back Your Minimum-Wage Hike and LGBTQ Protections
But these cities won’t let them.
Sep 26, 2017 / Jimmy Tobias
Bill de Blasio Has Proved that Economic Justice Is a Winning Democratic Strategy Bill de Blasio Has Proved that Economic Justice Is a Winning Democratic Strategy
It’s time for the broader Democratic Party to embrace this lesson.
Sep 11, 2017 / Joseph P. Viteritti
Meet the Socialist Who Hopes to Become New York’s First Arab-American Elected Official Meet the Socialist Who Hopes to Become New York’s First Arab-American Elected Official
Khader El-Yateem has ignited a diverse progressive base. Can he win over everyone else?
Sep 8, 2017 / Sarah Aziza