When it comes to providing safe and affordable housing, why does the public sector receive so little funding and so much scrutiny, while the private sector gets ample incentives with minimal accountability?

Toxic industrial legacies — and their hazards — extend far beyond high-profile parcels. Measures to remediate them need to treat a broader urban landscape, too.

Jennifer Pahlka, founder of a non-profit that links city governments and web 2.0 talent, envisions a future in which city governments act more like the citizens they serve.