Emily Badger

Emily Badger is a writer based in San Francisco, where she covers national urban policy for The Washington Post. She writes frequently about urban planning, housing, transportation, poverty and inequality Her work has appeared in GOOD, The Christian Science Monitor, and The New York Times. She lives in Washington, D.C. You can follow Emily Badger on Twitter: @emilymbadger

In nearly every way, the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago does not fit the standard definition of a Whole Foods target market. And yet the high-end grocer announced this week plans to open a store there in 2016, having also opened a new store recently in midtown Detroit.
This summer, Chicago is planning to roll out a small-sounding but seismic policy shift: From now on, in the design guidelines for every effort from major streetscape projects to minor roadside electrical work, transportation work must defer to a new “default modal hierarchy.” The pedestrian comes first.
Neighborhoods with a mix of residences, offices and retail outlets are thought to have a host of benefits. But a new study found that commercial-only areas also had the highest crime rates when compared to similar blocks that included residences.
Much has been said about how cities must lead on sustainability and climate change when national governments have not. But they must lead from the other direction as well because smaller communities and the suburbs around them don’t have the resources to leverage affordable green solutions.
Thanks at least in part to the Super Bowl, people in Indianapolis will wake up to the football off-season next week with a newly expanded convention center, a new central civic space, a newly revitalized low-income neighborhood, even a new downtown skyline.
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