Lab Report: The Cleveland Clinic's Unhealthy Community Relations

Unhealthy relationship: There’s a glaring paradox at the heart of the Cleveland Clinic: It’s considered by many to be one of the greatest hospitals in the world and the pride of its city, yet the “oasis of prosperity” hasn’t saved “the neighborhood that crumbles around it,” Politico reports:

More than one-third of residents in the census tract around the Clinic have diabetes, the worst rate in the city, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s just one of numerous chronic and preventable health conditions plaguing the area around the Clinic. Meanwhile, neighborhood residents say there are too few jobs and talk of hearing gunfire every night.

Housing crackdown: As California finds itself in the throes of a full-fledged housing crisis, lawmakers are considering “extraordinary legislation” to crack down on communities that have delayed or derailed housing construction proposals—often at the request of local neighborhood groups. (New York Times)

Taxing the tech: In Seattle, the tech workers whose rising salaries helped make rents and mortgages soar are now bracing for the city’s solution of “taxing the rich”—a new income tax on anyone making more than $250,000 a year. (NPR)

Hosting duties: Will Los Angeles regret its decision to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2024 or 2028? One Fortune columnist believes so, pointing to the risk and responsibility the state of California must take on, and the dubious benefits for city residents.

Retail holdout: Five years ago Best Buy was looking like a “retail dinosaur” destined to be consumed by Amazon, but its turnaround plan—involving competitive prices, speedier deliveries, and enhanced customer service—have helped the electronics chain holds its own. (Los Angeles Times)

The cash-free movement: As government agencies and restaurants around the U.S. go cash-free, what will that mean for the “unbanked” or “underbanked”— the portion of the population who lack access to traditional financial services like bank accounts and credit cards? (Governing)

Social cycling: A variety of studies provide evidence that Latinos are particularly interested in cycling as a social activity—one argument for building wider bike lanes, Streetsblog suggests.

Where highline meets skyline:

Went 'back in time' for the weekend @severnvalleyrailwayofficial Fascinating to gain an understanding of not only the importance of the railway but also of the urban planning that exponentially grew alongside the development of the rail network #citylabontheground

A post shared by Helen (@helen.symons) on Jul 16, 2017 at 12:05pm PDT

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