Our Cities Need Socialism

Remember in 2016 when the McResistance told us that fighting for progressive causes was getting put on hold while all effort would be focused on blocking Trump? Then, predictably, Democrats ended up confirming virtually all of Trump’s nominations and cabinet picks. Alleged maverick and new liberal darling John McCain voted for every one of them,… Continue reading Our Cities Need Socialism

Public Space Is Fundamental to Democracy, No Wonder It’s Under Attack

A true public space is overtly political in that it is a democratized space. That is, there is no regular programming which dictates the goings on within such a space. Instead, the day to day happenings are largely decided by those who use the place. City government or other municipalities can manage or maintain public space,… Continue reading Public Space Is Fundamental to Democracy, No Wonder It’s Under Attack

Gov. Snyder Delivers State of the State Surrounded by Thousands Demanding His Arrest

When urban geographer David Harvey published Rebel Cities in 2012 he proposed, “The right to the city is far more than the individual liberty to access urban resources: it is a right to change ourselves by changing the city, [to] exercise collective power to reshape the processes of urbanization.” Today, groups like the Right to the City Coalition focus mainly on housing justice… Continue reading Gov. Snyder Delivers State of the State Surrounded by Thousands Demanding His Arrest

‘Scorched Earth Urbanism’ and other Quasi-Satirical Street Vocabularies

When defining a new term, or redefining a marginalized term, it helps to define its converse. The word ‘sustainable’ has become such a meaningless marketing brand. If we’re going to take this one back from the PR firms we’ll need to draw a few lines. The opposite of ‘sustainable’ should be understood to be ‘terminal’.… Continue reading ‘Scorched Earth Urbanism’ and other Quasi-Satirical Street Vocabularies