Telling the Story of Cities
by Alex Powell The rent is too damn high! Without possessing an increasingly endangered rent stabilized apartment, what New Yorker can’t get behind that slogan? Who wouldn’t support a mayoral contender who campaigns on building 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade? The housing crisis in New York City is arguably the most… Read more The Rent is Too Damn High
by Nolan Levenson In early February, infamous public transit consultant Jarrett Walker of Human Transit fame, gave a talk in New York City called “Abundant Access: Public Transit as an Instrument of Freedom.” The event drew in numerous transportation enthusiasts who listened to his practical and convincing argument about the benefits of public transportation, particularly… Read more The ‘M’ Word
In late winter of 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced one of the first major victories of his young administration: a deal with Two Trees property developers to include 700 affordable units of affordable housing, 40 more than originally planned, in the redevelopment of the Domino Sugar Factory. In return, Two Trees was allowed to… Read more In Land We Trust: A Primer on the Community Land Trust Model for Affordable Housing
by Alan Leung New York City is an amalgamation of individual neighborhoods. Although there are shared experiences that unite New Yorkers, the environments that individuals experience day-to-day come in an enormous variety. This reality is enabled by a transportation system, which for the most part connects us, but can also isolate those neighborhoods that have… Read more Mapping Opportunity
by Tracy Rodrigues “Is a Favela Still a Favela Once It Starts Gentrifying?” This is the question asked by Jordana Timerman in her article for Atlantic Cities last year. In Brazil, where development is being pushed along at lightening speed due to the upcoming World Cup and Summer Olympics, favela residents are especially vulnerable to… Read more Favelas for the Middle Class