The Great Housing Debate: A Profusion of Panaceas
Just about everybody agrees that we need more affordable housing, and there are lots of ideas for making it happen. So far, though, none of them have come to much.
The Painful Question of Why Some Cities Thrive and Others Don’t
In examining six older industrial cities, two urbanists raise a lot of good questions, though they don’t provide any definitive solutions.
Where Americans Are Moving — and Why They Really Are Doing It
It's true that some cities have been losing population, but it's not because of a mass exodus to escape the coronavirus. Don't look for a lot of moving vans heading from Brooklyn to Mayberry.
The Strange, Troubled History of Pedestrian Malls
A few of them have worked out well. Most of them have been failures. But the idea of building new ones has never died, and there are signs of still another incarnation.
Crime and Anxiety in the Beverly Hills of the South
Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood is rich and mostly white, but the same jump in violent crime that many cities are seeing has alarmed its residents. Some of them think secession is the answer.
When It Comes to Judges, How Old Is Too Old?
Most states set a mandatory retirement age for their judges, typically 70. Does that still make sense in this day and time? The wisdom and stability of longevity are worth something.
Jaywalking and the Dilemma of ‘Victimless’ Crimes
How much authority should governments have to protect people misbehaving in ways that are, in most cases, dangerous only to themselves?
Can a Virtual Legislature Be a Real Legislature?
Lawmakers in much of the country will be doing their work next year by remote control. That will make a tough job even tougher.
Chicago’s L: the Ugly Duckling that Made a City
By defining the downtown Loop more than a century ago, elevated trains and tracks gave the city a vibrant economic and cultural center. It's a core element that other cities don't have.
When Young Turks Take Over a Government
Charlotte's majority-millennial city council has accomplished a few things, but mostly what its members have done is squabble with each other. Succeeding as a 'change agent' is harder than it might seem.
Will We Ever Slay the Evil Gerrymander?
One state took a small step this week , but we're a long way from eliminating noncompetitive districts and partisan malfeasance.
