Commentary

Original essays, new research and data analysis on many of the biggest questions facing New York and other cities

A man standing below scaffolding holds out a large bouquet of sunflowers to the camera as people walk behind him

The Spirit of the City

New York's Nameless Knights

Vishaan Chakrabarti Apr. 22 2026

People line up on and below the stairs leading to a hiring fair; next to the stairs is a wall of mirrors that reflects some of their images back

Incarceration

The Unlikely Tool That Could Transform Second-Chance Hiring

Carson Whitelemons Apr. 22 2026

Three passengers are seen through three separate windows in a Japanese commuter train car

Transit

Learn from Japan to Get New York City Commuter Rail on Track

Jake Berman Apr. 22 2026

A man wearing a mask shaped like a computer over his head stands on a subway train

Transit

How the MTA Built Its New App In-House

Nicole Gelinas Apr. 22 2026

People cross a New York City crosswalk as a bus passes by behind them

City Planning

To Prioritize Pedestrians, We Need to Walk the Walk

Andres Sevtsuk Apr. 16 2026

A homeless man sits on the sidewalk next to a man standing behind an advertising board

Homelessness

Why It Takes Four New Housing Units to Get One Person Off the Street

Sherry Glied Apr. 16 2026

Sanitation workers and NYPD clear out a homeless encampment at the base of Manhattan Bridge

Homelessness

Homeless Encampments, Expenditures and the Evidence We Keep Ignoring

Amie Pospisil Apr. 16 2026

A police officer and a homeless outreach worker assist a homeless man sleeping on a bench on a Subway platform

Homelessness

Why It (Almost) Always Makes Sense to Send the Cops

Jerry Ratcliffe Apr. 16 2026

A dollar sign bike rack, designed by David Byrne, surrounded by scaffolding and construction material on Wall Street near the New York Stock Exchange

Podcast

When Push Comes to Budget

Jamie Rubin Apr. 15 2026

Mamdani’s First 100 Days: A Scorecard

Just Fix It

Mamdani’s First 100 Days: A Scorecard

Vital City Apr. 14 2026

Mamdani signs an executive order during a news conference at Grand Army Plaza with a row of supporters standing behind him

City Government

Good Government, Beyond the Couch Cushions

Robert Gordon Apr. 14 2026

NYC’s Fiscal Tightrope Act

Budget

NYC’s Fiscal Tightrope Act

Mark Levine Apr. 08 2026