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Urban Issues and Policy

From claims about an "Agenda 21" to attacks on 15-minute cities, a range of conspiracy theories have taken aim at progressive ideas around urban mobility and city design.
"Trash Walker" Anna Sacks finds treasure in her neighborhood's refuse and shares the discoveries with her 400,000 online followers. She is part of a growing trend of "zero wasters" who patrol the city's streets.
The city councilmember won the Democratic primary for mayor of Philadelphia on Tuesday. She’s also the heavy favorite to win the general election in November and to become Philadelphia’s first woman mayor.
From Chatsworth to Irvine, “not in my backyard” opposition to proposed homeless housing projects has grown in suburbs even as the areas become increasingly diverse and liberal.
They have been transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with new challenges around public safety, homelessness and commercial real estate. A series of reports from the Brookings Institution explores the future of downtowns. 
The pandemic forced local governments to activate their innovation skill sets. Now city leaders must grow that spirit of inventiveness beyond the tactical, building it into the day-to-day work of government.
Anthony Driver Jr. was one of the 9,000 Chicago residents who were robbed last year. But he’s also the president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and will help elect the city’s next police superintendent.
The state's public transit systems want $5.15 billion to avoid budget deficits and service cuts over the next half-decade. They’re expecting a tough fight.
The County Council has passed legislation that would allow lawmakers to retroactively revoke planned unit developments if they inherit them from a former council member. Previously members could only modify or amend plans.
There’s a secret order to the way traffic moves in African cities — less regulated, more spontaneous.
A succession of mayors have tried and failed to eradicate the city’s rodent population. Now, Eric Adams has appointed Kathleen Corradi, a former schoolteacher and sustainability expert, to tackle the city's epic rat problem.
More than 6,000 migrants have come to the city since last fall, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending busloads of migrants to Chicago to protest the influx in his state.
In our effort to make children’s play areas safe, we have taken some of the fun out of them. That's not the case in Europe, where the playgrounds are more adventurous and challenging.
Two centerpieces of Justin Bibb’s proposal are a $50 million plan to attract employers back to the city and a $15 million investment in the city’s southeast side. The City Council will review the plan in the coming days.
Nice public restrooms are a genuine urban amenity. Big cities can afford to build more of them. Why don’t they?
Hilly Los Angeles has hundreds of outdoor staircases connecting residential neighborhoods with main streets.