Urban decay

A row of abandoned houses in Baltimore, Maryland. Much of the city's housing stock is old and in disrepair, hurting the city's ability to retain its citizens.

How housing and discrimination have long fueled Baltimore’s anger

Development

Baltimore’s population has long been segregated by race and class, even as a matter of formal government policy. And while those discriminatory practices are no longer law, they’ve created a legacy of poor housing that still harms poor, overwhelmingly black residents.

A girl rides a bicycle on a balcony in the "Tower of David" skyscraper.

This South American city is home to the ‘world’s tallest squat’

Development
Tower of David, Caracas

Caracas is finally ending the ‘world’s tallest squat’

Development

Central American youths increasingly forced to flee to the U.S. to escape gang violence

Conflict & Justice

El Salvador struggles to reduce gang violence while mother looks for kidnapped son

Racial migration, desegregation underway in America

New data from the 2010 U.S. Census shows that America’s Blacks are leaving the cities in northern areas and moving back to the Sun Belt, often to cities their parents and grandparents fled decades ago. Plus, more minorities are moving into suburbs, desegregating historically white areas.

Finding healthy foods in a food desert

Health & Medicine

Many Americans can’t shop at Whole Foods or a local co-op, either because it’s too expensive or too far away. But there are still ways to eat healthy.

Berlin Wall squatters

Berlin Wall squatter development, Lohmule, may be a model for sustainable urban living today.

Closing the health food gap

In New York, many low-income neighborhoods that lack access to fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables now have help.

Wendell Pierce of ‘The Wire’ and ‘Treme’ Hopes Groceries Can Revitalize New Orleans

Wendell Pierce  is best-known for his role as Bunk in the HBO series “The Wire,” and he currently plays a struggling trombonist in the series “Treme.” But he’s taking on a much different job these days in his hometown of New Orleans, where he is in the process of opening a chain of  grocery stores  meant to revitalize […]