Urban Planning and Development

A family in masks taking pictures on smartphone.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year—From Covid Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year—From Covid

If we want to mitigate the great existential threats to our survival—from microbes to the warming planet—we’re going to need bolder thinking than “getting back to normal.”

Dec 27, 2023 / Gregg Gonsalves

Rudy Giuliani, the former personal lawyer for Donald Trump, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman US District Courthouse on December 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

The Real Tragedy of Rudy Giuliani The Real Tragedy of Rudy Giuliani

The disgraced former mayor was a racist authoritarian—even back when he was being celebrated by the mainstream media.

Dec 18, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Writer Jonathan Lethem poses for a photo against a gray background

Jonathan Lethem Returns to the Scene of the Crime Jonathan Lethem Returns to the Scene of the Crime

In his new novel, the bard of Boerum Hill interrogates the brutal truths of gentrification.

Oct 27, 2023 / Ross Barkan

Minneapolis Affordable Housing

This City Council Election Will Decide the Future of Housing in Minneapolis This City Council Election Will Decide the Future of Housing in Minneapolis

With every city council seat up for grabs in 2023, progressives hope for a veto-proof majority to pass meaningful affordable housing policies.

Oct 24, 2023 / StudentNation / Theia Chatelle

Florida Socialists Are Here to Stay. Just Ask Richie Floyd.

Florida Socialists Are Here to Stay. Just Ask Richie Floyd. Florida Socialists Are Here to Stay. Just Ask Richie Floyd.

Despite Republican lawmakers warning them to stay out of the state, this Florida city council member represents a growing contingent of Sunshine State socialists.

Oct 11, 2023 / Kathryn Varn

A “For Lease” sign on a storefront in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago on Friday, May 12, 2023.

On Gentrification, We Don’t Know What We’re Talking About On Gentrification, We Don’t Know What We’re Talking About

Rather than understand gentrification as a systemic issue, the term has simply become an insult people throw around.

Sep 27, 2023 / Kate Wagner

photo of a sink with water that is not safe for drinking

A Year Later, the Water Crisis in Jackson Has Gone From Acute to Chronic A Year Later, the Water Crisis in Jackson Has Gone From Acute to Chronic

And the officials in charge of fixing the situation seem more interested in privatization than accountability.

Sep 7, 2023 / Makani Themba

An office parking lot in Walnut Creek, Calif., 2017.

The Tyranny of the Parking Lot The Tyranny of the Parking Lot

Finding space for cars has remade the built world. A new history uncovers just how much our lives revolve around parking.

Sep 7, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Ben Furnas

Los Angeles traffic

A Cooler Future Means a World With Less Pavement A Cooler Future Means a World With Less Pavement

Amid climate-fueled heat waves and floods, cities around the country are rethinking the streetscape.

Aug 31, 2023 / Lucy Sherriff

photo of a bathroom, mirrors on walls

Where Did Our Public Toilets Go? Where Did Our Public Toilets Go?

Why the state of a country’s civilization can be judged by its public facilities.

Aug 29, 2023 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

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