Vital City

is a journal about urban policy, politics, data and culture.

Storefronts on Essex Street in New York City's Chinatown are lit up at night as two people walk by, one with a bike and one with an umbrella

Street Lighting

The Research on Street Lighting and Crime

Vital City May. 20 2026

People sit on a bench along a promenade near a lit bridge at night

Street Lighting

What Well-Lit Streets Should Feel Like

Vital City May. 20 2026

A woman buys roasted chestnuts from a street vendor at night

Street Lighting

How Dark is Your Block? A Proof-of-Concept Mobile App

Vital City May. 20 2026

A man standing in front of a construction site holds his index finger to his chin and looks upward

Just Fix It

8 Policy Tweaks City Hall Can Make to Speed Up the Permitting Process

Vital City May. 07 2026

Two men talk on stage in armchairs before a seated audience

Does When We’re Born Make Us Who We Are?

Vital City Apr. 30 2026

A road crew operates a paving roller on a street at night

Just Fix It

Mamdani’s First 100 Days: A Scorecard

Vital City Apr. 14 2026

The light reflects a rainbow as kids play in a sprinkler on a corner near a construction site

Comings and Goings

Dan Garodnick on What Comes After Yes

Vital City Mar. 18 2026

A police officer looks back over his shoulder near a blue barrier at night

Crime

The NYPD’s Crime-Reduction Strategy: Chief of Department Michael LiPetri in Conversation

Vital City Feb. 19 2026

A checkerboard table in blue and black scattered with fallen leaves

Crime

The State of Crime in New York City: 2025 and Beyond

Vital City Feb. 19 2026

A man wrapped in a blanket warms himself by a trash-can fire

Homelessness

Too Cold for New York City’s Streets

Vital City Feb. 05 2026

Silhouetted figures stand amid smoke on a street at night

Immigration

How Off the Rails Is ICE? A Q&A With Former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson

Vital City Jan. 27 2026

A man in a suit walks through a preschool classroom

Crime

2025: A Look Back

Vital City Dec. 29 2025

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