YIMBYs Defeated as California’s Transit Density Bill Stalls
SB 827 was killed in its first committee hearing. But for State Senator Scott Wiener and his YIMBY allies, the battle to increase California’s housing supply has just begun.
Meet the PHIMBYs
In California, advocates who demand “Public Housing in My Backyard” have joined traditional NIMBY groups in fighting a bill designed to boost density in transit-accessible neighborhoods.
The Global Housing Crisis
Scarce, unaffordable housing is not a local problem in a few places, but is baked into the 21st-century global city. It’s time for cities, nations, and global leaders to start acting like it.
How Transit-Oriented Development Can Prevent Displacement
Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood has shown all the economic signs of gentrification without losing its majority-Latino population.
Minneapolis YIMBYs Go to the Mat for Zoning Changes
Activists turn to creative videography in their efforts to allow fourplexes throughout the city.
6 Ideas for a Better New York Subway
The beleaguered system looked outside its own ranks for ambitious new fixes.
Why L.A. Just Appointed a Design Czar
Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne has become the city’s first chief design officer, tasked with making sure the development juggernaut doesn’t get ahead of urban-design principles.
L.A. Bets That Equity Is the Path to Resilience
Los Angeles struggles with inequality and the threat of natural disasters turbocharged by climate change. Its new resilience plan seeks to address both issues at once.
The Unhelpful Ways Cities Talk About Bike Helmets
American cities’ preoccupation with helmets might undermine more effective ways to protect cyclists.
In California, Momentum Builds for Radical Action on Housing
The origins of and potential solutions to California’s housing crisis, explained.
Is Streetcar Rage Justified?
No, the D.C. Streetcar isn’t scrapping its fleet and shutting down. But there’s a reason why so many critics of the system thought it was.
The Quiet Rise of the Downtown Tech Campus
While the world focuses on the battle for Amazon HQ2, the other tech giants are consolidating their own urban fiefdoms.
Traffic’s Mind-Boggling Economic Toll
The largest study of its kind ever conducted reveals just how how costly the scourge of traffic is in the world’s greatest cities.
What Just Happened in San Francisco?
High drama at City Hall—involving race, tech money, and politics—lays bare the city’s simmering tensions.
The 7 Stages of Amazon HQ2 Grief
For boosters and residents in the many cities left behind in the HQ2 sweepstakes, it was a day of sadness, anger, regret, and tweeting.
Disaster Resilience Saves Six Times as Much as It Costs
A new report finds that federal disaster-mitigation grants produce an average of $6 in societal savings for every dollar spent.
How to Get Home Safely on the Booziest Night of the Year
January 1 has historically been a deadly day for pedestrians and car crashes. Here are some of the many programs intended to mitigate the New Year’s Eve risk.
The Evolution of Airline Safety Videos
Since 2007, utilitarian safety videos have steadily been replaced by self-parodying, pop culture riffs. Here’s how it happened.
Is Canada One Step Closer to Declaring Housing a Human Right?
On paper, Canada’s National Housing Strategy is a historic victory for housing activists, but many questions remain about how it will be applied in practice.
What the Republican Tax Bill Means for Commuters, Renters, and Retirees
The most serious effects of the House and Senate proposals would unfold over years for urban citizens.
From the Ruins of a Retail Meltdown, Post-Industrial Playgrounds Emerge
While its shuttered department stores cause headaches around the U.S., Sears’s massive 1920s warehouses represent a triumph of post-industrial urbanism.
