
Cover Story
Scott Walker: Born-Again Centrist?
BY Alan Greenblatt
Long considered a conservative hero, Wisconsin’s governor is sounding kinder and gentler as he seeks a third term.
FEATURES
Education
For College Towns, Having a World-Famous University Is a Mixed Blessing
Just ask New Haven, the home of Yale.
BY J. Brian Charles
Health & Human Services
This Is What Happens When a City Shuts Down Mental Health Clinics
This country has never had an effective public policy toward mental illness. In Chicago, things seem to be getting even worse.
BY Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
FCC Sets Rules for 5G Infrastructure, Limiting State and Local Control
The new industry-backed regulations are likely to attract lawsuits from state and local government groups that worry they will cost them revenue, make it easier for internet providers to sue them and do little to address the digital divide.
BY Mike Maciag
Public Safety & Justice
Where Marijuana Is Legal, Some Cities Help People Still Haunted by It
There's a small but growing movement among prosecutors to automatically reduce sentences and expunge criminal records from before the drug was legal.
BY Candice Norwood
OBSERVER
Politics
State Supreme Courts Increasingly Face Partisan Impeachment Threats
The trial to impeach the entire West Virginia Supreme Court starts this week. It's just one example of a growing trend among unhappy lawmakers.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Infrastructure & Environment
Underneath This 'Pop-Up Forest' Is an Abandoned Highway
Akron, Ohio, calls it the Innerbelt National Forest.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Finance
Shady Real Estate Deals Plunge Under New Regulations
Since the U.S. started making anonymous homebuyers reveal their true identities, luxury prices in hot markets have dropped.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Assessments
How Cities Became the New Laboratories of Democracy
The ascent of cities is real, though things may not be as rosy as some suggest.
BY Alan Ehrenhalt
Washington Watch
Trump's Failed Infrastructure Plan Is a Wasted Opportunity
The president's trillion-dollar proposal could have been a signature achievement.
BY Donald F. Kettl
Urban Notebook
Crime or Not, Chicago Still Serves as a Model of Urban Growth
There's a lot to learn from the Windy City.
BY Pete Saunders
Management & Labor
The Economy Is Growing. These Workers' Paychecks Aren't.
When adjusted for inflation, many segments of the workforce -- including black men and people with bachelor's degrees -- are actually seeing their wages decline.
BY Mike Maciag
THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT
Smart Management
How to Turn Government Data Into Clickbait
Graphic displays of information are useful only if they’re seen.
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
On Leadership
Want to Be a Good Leader? Rely On a Little Help From Your Friends.
Communities can’t address the big issues without collaboration.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Public Money
Automation Can't Replace Accountants
Government accounting is changing, but we'll still need smart humans in charge.
BY Justin Marlowe
Transportation & Infrastructure
Flying Should Be More Like Going to Art Museums
Music, film and visual arts are improving the travelling experience.
BY Alex Marshall
Infrastructure & Environment
Green Roof Requirements Are On the Rise
To meet their energy goals, cities are starting to make new buildings have solar panels or vegetation atop.
BY Elizabeth Daigneau
Health & Human Services
Hookah Bars Face Public Health Crackdown
The lounges have often fallen through loopholes in local smoking bans. That's starting to change.
BY Mattie Quinn
Politics
Welcome to America's Smallest City Hall
Photos and musings from our photographer.
BY David Kidd
CONTACT US
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REPRINTS
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