Cities
Socialism in One City
The ultimate test for Mamdani’s vision will be successful governance—and so far, it appears to be working.
Baghdad’s Blank Slate
The massive development projects the Iraqi government has planned for the city seem designed to wipe it clean of its past memories.
The Localist
Why did Chicago become the headquarters of free market fundamentalism? Adam Smith offers a clue.
Improvising Urban Futures
The vast hinterlands of the Global South’s cities are generating new solidarities and ideas of what counts as a life worth living.
How London Became a Playground for Putin’s Oligarchs
For decades, UK-based financial institutions have exploited loopholes to subvert regulations and shield the wealthy from scrutiny.
Detroiters Are Not Waiting to Be Saved
Inspired by the work of James and Grace Lee Boggs, many young Detroit activists are turning to forms of mutual aid to meet the needs of their communities.
The Protagonist in Someone Else’s Memoir
Every city I’ve lived in has been filled with racism, whether out in the open or hidden in an invisible dialogue of economics and housing. Birmingham taught me to never question what it meant to be a Black American.
Budgeting Justice
Cities must empower historically marginalized communities to shape how public funds are spent.
Sunlight as Infrastructure
Sunlight-friendly architecture could heat and illuminate buildings without expending any electricity.
A Path to Neighborhood Power
Well-meaning nonprofits don’t go far enough in the fight against gentrification. Residents themselves must be in charge, and neighborhood trusts point the way.
Making Communities Safe, Without the Police
Effective responses to violence—preventing it, interrupting it, holding people accountable, and helping people heal—already exist. We need to learn from and invest in them.
Decolonizing Innovation
Indigenous worldviews demonstrate that a radically different kind of innovation is possible.
Empty Promises
Innovation is a social endeavor. We must not forget the need to invest in and sustain its social infrastructure.
The Innovation Fantasy
Why should innovation-based growth be at the top of regional policymaking agendas?
Detroit Points the Way
No single strategy will fit all places, but the revitalization of Detroit could provide a model for other cities.
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