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.
4 Ways Cities and States Can Become Sanctuaries Now 4 Ways Cities and States Can Become Sanctuaries Now
From providing legal representation to investing in education, localities can help shield immigrants from Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.
Dec 5, 2016 / Daniel Altschuler and Peter L. Markowitz
Inside the Churches That Are Leading New York’s Sanctuary Movement Inside the Churches That Are Leading New York’s Sanctuary Movement
New York’s sanctuary movement is ready to become more radical. The question is, How?
Dec 2, 2016 / Jake Offenhartz
Rutland, Vermont, Will Soon Be the New Home to 100 Syrian Refugees. How Will a Divided Community Embrace Them? Rutland, Vermont, Will Soon Be the New Home to 100 Syrian Refugees. How Will a Divided Community Embrace Them?
The small city is struggling to figure out who it is and just how welcoming it wants to be.
Dec 2, 2016 / Daniel Judt
Victories on Minimum Wage and Child Care Went Unnoticed After Election Day Victories on Minimum Wage and Child Care Went Unnoticed After Election Day
Trump’s victory was a setback for women, but they made strides on some issues vital to gender equality.
Nov 23, 2016 / Michelle Chen
Can Cities Counter the Power of President-Elect Donald Trump? Can Cities Counter the Power of President-Elect Donald Trump?
As the federal government turns toward nationalism, local governments will become crucial beacons of pluralism.
Nov 14, 2016 / Benjamin Barber
We Can Fight Back Against Trump’s Islamophobia We Can Fight Back Against Trump’s Islamophobia
These cities show how strategic legislation can fight anti-Muslim hate.
Nov 8, 2016 / P.E. Moskowitz
This Small City Has a Plan to Fight the Silicon Valley Housing Crisis This Small City Has a Plan to Fight the Silicon Valley Housing Crisis
A ballot initiative in Richmond, California, could help determine whether rent control makes a comeback in the Bay Area.
Nov 4, 2016 / Jimmy Tobias
Denver Taxi Drivers Are Turning Uber’s Disruption on Its Head Denver Taxi Drivers Are Turning Uber’s Disruption on Its Head
In the bitter feud between tech firms and the taxi industry, drivers fight back with a killer app of their own: cooperative ownership.
Sep 7, 2016 / Nathan Schneider
Welcome to Sunny Barcelona, Where the Government Is Embracing Coops, Citizen Activism, and Solar Energy Welcome to Sunny Barcelona, Where the Government Is Embracing Coops, Citizen Activism, and Solar Energy
The city that resisted Franco is looking to its radical past to build a progressive future.
Aug 11, 2016 / Sebastiaan Faber and Bécquer Seguín
This Group of Politicians Just Put Forward a Platform Progressives Can Embrace This Group of Politicians Just Put Forward a Platform Progressives Can Embrace
At the DNC, Local Progress offers a vision of cities as the center of the fight against inequality.
Jul 26, 2016 / P.E. Moskowitz