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1. The real reason why Bill Gates’ and Jeff Bezos’ posh suburb is going broke

by Kea Wilson | November 1, 2019

Medina, Washington is struggling to pay its bills. How can this be? And what does it mean for towns and cities that don’t have the two richest people in the world living there?

2. Slip Lanes Would Never Exist if We Prioritized Safety Over Speed

by Stephen Lee Davis | November 5, 2019

Slip lanes are the quintessential embodiment of what happens when speed is the #1 priority and safety becomes secondary. They are incredibly dangerous for pedestrians. Yet states and communities keep building them. Why?

3. We Are All Detroit

by Charles Marohn | November 4, 2019

We want to dismiss Detroit as an anomaly. But in fact Detroit is a glimpse into the future for nearly every American city and town. Increasingly fragile from auto-centric development, for Detroit—and for the rest of us—it was only a matter of time.

4. When We Make It Hard to Build, We Give Developers More Power Over Our Communities

by Daniel Herriges | November 7, 2019

Making big developers “give back” to the community by running a gauntlet of concessions and fees seems like it should weaken their clout. Here’s why it actually does the opposite.

5. Shreveport’s Highway Emperors’ New Clothes

by Kim Mitchell | November 1, 2019

Deeply held beliefs, supported by flawed assumptions, blind us to realities and facts. The supposed wealth and prosperity generated by cut-through urban highways was always an illusion—but who will dare to point out the obvious truth?

Top photo via Wikimedia Commons.