Fix California’s Housing Crisis, Activists Say. But Which One?
As a controversy over vacancy in the Bay Area and Los Angeles reveals, advocates disagree about what kind of housing should be built, and where.
The Rise and Fall of the Exuberant Airline Map
A new book reveals how airline flight maps have evolved over the past century, from exoticizing to stylish to more basic.
CityLab University: Tax Increment Financing
Behind the dry-as-dust name is a powerful (and controversial) tool for financing urban redevelopment. Here’s a quick guide to understanding TIF.
100 Years of Designing for U.S. National Parks
A new book of vintage brochures, maps, and other park ephemera doubles as a whirlwind tour of American graphic design.
CityLab University: Zoning Codes
Don’t know your R1 from your FAR? We’re here to explain how zoning laws work, how these ordinances shape your city and neighborhood, and why we fight over them.
Meet Seattle’s Snazzy New … Electrical Substation?
Rather than the usual mess of metal, Seattle’s Denny Substation is a work of architecture and a public space—with a controversial price tag.
The Architecture of Adult Entertainment
Photographing strip-club exteriors from Miami to L.A. for his series “Gentlemen’s Club,” François Prost found pink stucco, flashy signs—and lots of parking.
8 Buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright Added to UNESCO World Heritage List
Eight Wright buildings, located around the country, are the first American works of modern architecture that UNESCO deems “of outstanding universal value.”
What Happened When I Rented an E-Scooter for (Almost) a Month
Bird’s new monthly rental program could force users and cities to reconsider e-scooters as a real mode of transportation. But there are some drawbacks.
CityLab University: Shared-Equity Homeownership
Community land trusts and housing co-ops are alternative forms of homeownership that often serve those shut out by traditional markets.
With Trains Like Schwebebahn, No Wonder Germans Love Public Transit
Infrastructure like this makes it clear why Germany continues to produce enthusiasm for public transit, generation after generation.
CityLab University: The Who’s Who of Urbanism
15 people who changed how we plan, design, think about, and live in cities.
Why Cities Must Tackle Single-Family Zoning
As cities wake up to their housing crises, the problems with single-family-home residential zoning will become too egregious to ignore.
CityLab University: Induced Demand
When traffic-clogged highways are expanded, new drivers quickly materialize to fill them. What gives? Here’s how “induced demand” works.
Behold San Francisco's $2 Billion Bus Station
The Salesforce Transit Center, San Francisco’s new bus and (someday) high-speed rail terminal, has been billed as the Grand Central Station of the West. But it might just become the Bay Area’s answer to the High Line.
The Dirty Truth About San Francisco's Sidewalks
Is the city really drowning in filth?
CityLab University: Inclusionary Zoning
You’ve seen the term. But do you really know what it means? Here’s your essential primer.
Why Little Vehicles Will Conquer the City
Nearly all of them look silly, but if taken seriously, they could be a really big deal for urban transportation.
The Obama Center: Caught in an Old David vs. Goliath Drama
After decades of aggressive “urban renewal” by rich institutions in low-income communities, Columbia’s 1968 protests ushered in an era of community benefits agreements. Why won’t the Obama Center sign one in Chicago?
What San Francisco's Mayoral Race Says About the City's Progressive Soul
The campaign has become as much about candidate biographies, super PAC money, and the city’s unique ranked choice voting system as it is about issues like homelessness and property crime.
A Healthcare Giant Enters the Battle for Cheaper Housing
Kaiser Permanente is pledging $200 million toward fighting homelessness and building more low-cost housing in eight states, plus D.C.