Policy

In advance of our field trip to one of NYC’s privately-owned public spaces, we talk to Raquel Ramati about plaza bonuses, street life and the legacy of DCP’s Urban Design Group.

Jana Leo, the author of Rape New York, a candid account of sexual assault, discusses how the ordeal changed her perspective on property neglect, systemic gaps and neighborhood transition.

Nevin Cohen shares the process of developing a citywide plan for urban agriculture and talks about its promise as both social justice movement and model for community development.

Carol Coletta and Jake Barton discuss an interactive project that seeks to reinvent public participation in America for the 21st century.

Tamara Greenfield and Caron Atlas share thoughts on how understanding NOCDs can help inform a more holistic approach to cultural policy.

Xenophobia. Unfunded entitlements. Anti-immigrant zeal. More retirees than workers. Crumbling infrastructure. Failing schools. Threats to burn books. Taken together, our national ailments have shaken my belief in a Country of Cities. I have argued on these pages that density and infrastructure, and the diverse ecology they engender, can lead us out of this recession to a greener, leaner nation...

Nicola Twilley recently asked designers, farmers, health officials, activists and CEOs in NYC and Toronto to discuss how we feed our cities. Find out what she’s learned.

Erratic time lines, gaps in outdated information and incompatible forms often frustrate the process of locating and accessing data from city agencies. Even learning what data exists – let alone its availability – may require some serious mining. Besides, once researchers and tech developers get their hands on data, the city may have its own ideas about...

Seema Agnani’s work with South Asian immigrants on housing needs charts a course for legalizing basement apartments to create affordable housing.