Urban Planning and Development

Blasio arrives to join a gathering in response to attacks in Paris, at Washington Square Park in the Manhattan borough of New York

Bill de Blasio Is New York’s Most Progressive Mayor in Decades—Is That Enough? Bill de Blasio Is New York’s Most Progressive Mayor in Decades—Is That Enough?

As opposition mounts, the solution to de Blasio’s problems might lie in even bigger, bolder interventions.

Jan 6, 2016 / Feature / Jarrett Murphy

The fully public Savonnerie Heymans ecological social housing project in Brussels, Belgium, features a “mini-forest,” game library, parks, playgrounds, and a promenade.

How to Get Rid of Your Landlord and Socialize American Housing, in 3 Easy Steps How to Get Rid of Your Landlord and Socialize American Housing, in 3 Easy Steps

Homelessness, unaffordable urban real estate, devastating gentrification, and the housing bubble are all rooted in privatized housing.

Dec 8, 2015 / Jesse A. Myerson

Cookie Monster, Hello Kitty, and Super Mario in Times Square.

What Happens to the Right of Public Assembly in the Absence of Public Space? What Happens to the Right of Public Assembly in the Absence of Public Space?

The mentality of traffic engineering cripples mass transit, and free speech, in New York City.

Dec 3, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Michael Sorkin

Standing Up for Migrant Workers in the Gulf, 1 Installation at a Time

Standing Up for Migrant Workers in the Gulf, 1 Installation at a Time Standing Up for Migrant Workers in the Gulf, 1 Installation at a Time

For the artists in the activist group Gulf Labor, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi epitomizes the conquest of art by corporate interests.

Nov 9, 2015 / Ursula Lindsey

Testing water in West Virginia.

What If Your Tap Water Was Too Polluted to Drink? What If Your Tap Water Was Too Polluted to Drink?

This sorry state of affairs is the daily reality for too many Americans.

Oct 30, 2015 / Michelle Chen

The 5 Books You Need to Read to Understand Gentrification

The 5 Books You Need to Read to Understand Gentrification The 5 Books You Need to Read to Understand Gentrification

Here’s how it works.

Oct 22, 2015 / DW Gibson

How a Gentrification Scam Threatens New York’s Community Gardens

How a Gentrification Scam Threatens New York’s Community Gardens How a Gentrification Scam Threatens New York’s Community Gardens

Shady developers know one easy way to build luxury condos: Claim ownership of communal land.

Oct 20, 2015 / Feature / DW Gibson

Can Community Land Trusts Solve Baltimore’s Homelessness Problem?

Can Community Land Trusts Solve Baltimore’s Homelessness Problem? Can Community Land Trusts Solve Baltimore’s Homelessness Problem?

Vast numbers of Baltimore’s buildings are uninhabited. Could a new model of ownership put them in the hands of communities?

Oct 2, 2015 / Michelle Chen

Michael Brown Memorial

The Ferguson Commission Issued 189 Calls to Action. Will Missouri Listen? The Ferguson Commission Issued 189 Calls to Action. Will Missouri Listen?

Rev. Starsky Wilson, a member of the Ferguson Commission, discusses its key findings and the prospects for change.

Sep 22, 2015 / Joshua Holland

Texas Memorial Stadium, University of Texas at Austin.

The University of Texas Just Handed Out a $6 Million Golden Parachute The University of Texas Just Handed Out a $6 Million Golden Parachute

The nation’s biggest college sports program just paid its new director $6 million to quit.

Sep 16, 2015 / Dave Zirin

x