Urban Planning and Development

Councilman Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon's chairs sit empty at Wednesday's city council meeting.

The Racial Volcano Explodes in Los Angeles The Racial Volcano Explodes in Los Angeles

The current crisis has unleashed unleashed a firestorm of protest that could further divide the city’s communities. But it is also a chance to forge real unity in opposition to the...

Oct 14, 2022 / Bill Gallegos and Bill Fletcher Jr.

A week after Hurricane Ian, the waterfront of San Carlos Island, Florida is littered with debris from shrimp boats and a mobile home park.

Is Florida Becoming a Failed State? Is Florida Becoming a Failed State?

Large parts of Florida should be mangrove thickets, prickly swampland, and unforgiving marshy wilderness—for our own survival.

Oct 11, 2022 / CD Davidson-Hiers and Jeff VanderMeer

Federal Reserve Board Jerome Powell at a news conference after a Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

The Federal Reserve Attacks American Workers The Federal Reserve Attacks American Workers

Notes from Inflation Economics 101.

Sep 15, 2022 / Robert Pollin

Jim Crow Infrastructure and the Jackson, Miss., “Water Crisis”

Jim Crow Infrastructure and the Jackson, Miss., “Water Crisis” Jim Crow Infrastructure and the Jackson, Miss., “Water Crisis”

To understand why more rain means less drinking water in Mississippi’s capital, you need to look to the state’s racist past—and the present malign neglect of its Black citizens.

Sep 6, 2022 / Makani Themba

The ACLU Fights for Minneapolis

The ACLU Fights for Minneapolis The ACLU Fights for Minneapolis

Though international attention has waned, the battle over policing here still rages. Several lawsuits by the ACLU cut to the heart of what's at stake.

Aug 31, 2022 / Alyssa Oursler

Searching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt”

Searching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt” Searching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt”

The FX drama and Netflix animation both attempt to embody the city of Chicago. That’s an increasingly difficult task when the city itself is a jumbled simulacrum of its own past.

Aug 25, 2022 / Ryan Zickgraf

An LA Sanitation Bureau crew cleans up a homeless encampment

California Needs to Think Outside the Box on Homelessness California Needs to Think Outside the Box on Homelessness

Restricting encampments doesn’t get at the root of the problem.

Aug 12, 2022 / Sasha Abramsky

A sign that reads

Philly Tenants Are Fighting on the Front Lines of the Low-Income Housing Crisis Philly Tenants Are Fighting on the Front Lines of the Low-Income Housing Crisis

As rents skyrocket, cities can’t afford to lose low-income housing like West Philadelphia’s UC Townhomes.

Aug 11, 2022 / Chris Gelardi

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks in front a sign that reads,

The Bloody Money Trail From the Qatar World Cup to the LA Olympics The Bloody Money Trail From the Qatar World Cup to the LA Olympics

Qatar is a human rights nightmare, but LA power brokers preparing for the 2028 Olympics don’t seem to care.

Aug 10, 2022 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

Emergency services near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London

10 Years On, London’s Olympic Legacy Is in Shambles 10 Years On, London’s Olympic Legacy Is in Shambles

Much like the country’s politics, the aftermath of the 2012 Olympics has been a mess. 

Jul 27, 2022 / Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

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