The Rush to Storm-Proof Waterfront Parks
The NYC Parks Department is laying out a set of guidelines to prevent parkland from getting swamped by rain and waves.
The Archaeologists Saving Miami's History From the Sea
As the water level rises, more than 16,000 historic sites across Florida are at risk of being drowned by waves. In Miami-Dade County, researchers are working to keep history on solid ground.
Why Cities Are Working With Businesses to Fight Food Waste
In Nashville and New York, officials are leveraging relationships with companies and nonprofits to get smarter about food usage and disposal.
How Do This Year's Storms Stack Up Against Hurricane Sandy?
We compared the strength, consequences, and long roads to recovery.
The Long Tail of a Storm
Five years after Superstorm Sandy, some effects still linger.
How Much Food Do Cities Squander?
Researchers have unearthed the wasteful habits of households and businesses in Nashville, Denver, and New York—and created a blueprint for curbing them.
Is Garbage a Product of Bad Design?
A team of architects and planners has set out to prove that heaps of waste aren’t an immutable part of a city’s topography.
How Soot-Covered Birds Narrate Pollution's Toxic Legacy
By analyzing collections at natural history museums, researchers revisited 135 years of industry.
Is Solar the Answer to Puerto Rico's Blackout?
Energy companies are scrambling to get solar microgrids up and running—and imagining a future that leans away from diesel.
Puerto Rico's Grid Needs a Complete Overhaul
Allocating money to rebuild won’t be enough, experts say, unless the island can also rethink its entire energy strategy.
A 3-Hour Love Letter to the New York Public Library
Frederick Wiseman’s joyful new documentary celebrates the local branches as public space.
Harvey Tests the Limits of How We Feed People During Disasters
Empty shelves are just the beginning.
How Much Are Trees Worth to Megacities?
Leafy infrastructure saves bustling metropolises about $505 million each year, according to new research.
'This Storm Has It All'
As the heavily developed Houston area braces for Hurricane Harvey, an urban flooding expert sees a catastrophe in the making.
Saving Your Home From Food Waste, One Graying Avocado at a Time
Amazon’s Alexa can now field questions about storing and salvaging food before it lands in the dumpster or compost bin.
How Do We Keep From Going Hungry During Disasters?
Storms and rising waters threaten cities’ food, but some municipalities are taking steps to keep shelves stocked and bellies full.
The Art of Complaining About Noise
A new trove of correspondence with his upstairs neighbors reveals Marcel Proust’s charming but desperate pleas for quiet.
Would You Give Up Your Subway Seat to a Kid?
Readers (and riders) respond to a recent CityLab essay about who deserves to sit.
Helping Homeless New Yorkers by the Books
With a new resident social worker, the Brooklyn Public Library is pushing staff and patrons toward a culture of inclusivity.
The Past and Future of Urban Grocery Shopping
In his new book, Michael Ruhlman charts the overlap of food, commerce, and identity.
Retracing Black Gotham
A walking tour and graphic novel series memorialize Manhattan’s earliest African residents.
