If there's one thing that really bothers me in urbanist circles, it's that there's no real agreed upon definition for what exactly is "urban". This is a fundamental problem, because it leads to differing sides always talking past each other, often using the same data to drive home vastly different points. Could astronomers and astro-physicists talk to each other if there were similar debates about what "space" is?  read more »

As they contend with their lowest approval ratings in recent memory, Democrats may wish to reconsider some of their least popular positions. Some even suggest the party is preparing to jettison Joe Biden’s “Green New Deal” — once central to his floundering economic agenda.  read more »

According to Newsweek, some nutty group called AmeriStarRail is proposing to run high-speed trains from New York to Los Angles, which it says can be done at a profit.  read more »

When people think about media, Africa is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. And when it does come up, it is often portrayed through a very narrow lens—poverty, conflict, or outdated stereotypes.

But African media is so much more than that. It is powerful, growing, and deeply influential across music, film, fashion, and even digital innovation. That is why it is important that we start paying attention.  read more »

The Mediterranean Sea region plays a key role in global connectivity infrastructure, this is the message of a new report by DC Byte. Indeed, several knowledge intensive hubs of Europe exist in the Mediterranean region, and are increasingly interconnected as subsea cable networks are expanded. The growing IT-infrastructure will further regional integration, including the regions on the Western coast of North Africa.  read more »

The breakdown in relations between the US’s top teacher’s union, the National Education Association (NEA), and the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights group focused on tackling anti-Semitism, reflects a deeper and dangerous takeover of education by determined activists.  read more »

In answer to critics of his proposal for free bus transit, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani posted  read more »

For much of America’s history, the South has been a laggard, a poor region weighed down by intense racism and reactionary politics, lacking both  read more »