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.
The American Housing Crisis Might Be Our Next Big Political Issue
Several new advocacy groups have sprung up to push for better housing policies at the state and national level. Their first job: Communicating how significant the problem really is.
Five Breakthroughs That Could Make You Love the Bus
Can new technology radically improve the rider experience?
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.