New York City -- capital of the world Chicago -- Amazing urban spaces and buildings; the Blues Berlin -- Vibrant and has the most compete public transit I've seen Lyon -- Food capital of France. Need I say more? Tokyo -- it's green, it has great transit, and it manages its density really well

Every refugee admitted to the US in 2026 has been white. That’s not an exaggeration. Nor is it by chance.

He's been right -- far right.

“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas and city center in 2021.”

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." George Orwell

“It's entirely possible to build cities for people instead of cars. This square in Malmö was just a parking lot not too long ago.”

Odd, random thought: I've been alive for 30 percent of the country's existence.

“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.” #Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.

"Stupidity has a knack of getting its way." Albert Camus

If someone chooses to live in a smaller home in the inner city in part to avoid a long commute, they generally don’t pressure society to build them a bigger house with more stuff. So if you choose a bigger stuff-filled house in the suburbs, don’t expect society to build you a fast car commute.

If Brooklyn was a separate city, it would be the fourth largest in the US.

Authorities that won't introduce congestion pricing are making an official announcement that their policy is to prioritize convenience for car owners over all of these benefits for all residents.

It brings to mind something I read many years ago: "People don't buy stocks, they buy stories."

That's Doddering Don folks.

In partnership with nonprofit Community Solutions’ national Built for Zero initiative, Durham’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness aims to make homelessness “rare and brief” for all populations in the next five years.

I’m a very proud son of my parents — Jane and Adam — for each being awarded a 2026 Defender of Civil Rights by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP. They inspire me and so many others to do our part as “We the People,” the theme of today’s luncheon.

When invited to work in Gothenburg, Sweden, we visited a site for a new park. I saw children helping design the park; over 100 different each day, for a school year. Rainy day? ‘No such thing as bad weather, it’s bad clothing’ Lifestyle. Scandinavian countries. World’s happiest.

“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas and city center in 2021.”

A history of the top marginal tax rates on the wealthiest Americans: 1940: 81% 1950: 84% 1960: 91% 1970: 72% 1980: 70% 1990: 28% 2000: 40% 2010: 35% For 50 years, corporate backed politicians in Congress have slashed taxes to line the pockets of their wealthy donors.

Don't wait to hydrate! 💧 The hotter the weather, the more water your body needs to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Carry a water bottle and know where to refill it at www.orangecountync.gov/3404/Hot-Weather-Resources. #BeatTheHeat #HeatAwarenessWeek

It will be a great event. Come and support the Chapel Hill-Carrboro branch's work to create a more just America. Tickets are available at: www.eventbrite.com/e/chapel-hil...

It's worth noting that the Constitution does not grant the Supreme Court the authority to strike down laws. The Supreme Court gave that power to itself in Marbury vs. Madison.

If we play our cards right, soon we’ll be able to send handguns through the postal service but not birth control or ballots

Another reminder that one of the best things you can do for a walkable, lovable city is make space for double rows of street/yard trees that create #KissingCanopies above sidewalks. Especially as cities get hotter. Vancouver has many of them — not instead of density, but as part of #DensityDoneWell.

“In Finland, the # of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back to a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.” But the current right-wing govt backtracked.

“In Toderian’s view, the dividing line between cities that succeed and those that stagnate isn’t geography, wealth or even size—it’s mindset. Some places embrace experimentation, risk…Others default to caution, delay, and a reflexive belief that change is impossible.” momentummag.com/urban-truth-...

I grew up in what today would be called a 15-minute city, except that back then we just called it a neighborhood.

I wonder how Avignon is doing on Google these days.

“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back to a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.” IT SAVES PUBLIC MONEY to house people.

A quote that could have come from 1984.

It costs the City of Ottawa $465/person each year to serve new low-density homes, over & above what it receives from property taxes/fees. On the other hand, high-density infill such as apartment buildings pays for itself plus an extra $606/person each year. Sprawl costs, infill saves. #UrbanTruth

Here’s one that’s really important to understand and remember, especially if you work in a city hall — the best transportation plan is a great land-use plan. #UrbanTruth

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com If Claude Mythos Preview, Anthropic’s newest A.I. tool, “falls into the hands of bad actors, they could hack pretty much every major software system in the world,” our columnist Thomas Friedman writes.

UNC MBB should hire Dawn Staley. She can flat out coach.

I don't know why anyone is surprised. When people tell you who they are, believe them.

#BananaBall is hiring Chapel Hill-area residents to help staff its sold-out shows at Kenan Stadium on April 11-12, 2026! Seeking "cool peeps" for merchandise sales, ticket scanning, & event support starting at $15 an hour! Another great way to be a part of the fun! bananaball.com/world-tour-l...

"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." Thomas Mann

"Everything looks simple when you don't know the first thing about it." Kevin Williamson This could easily have been written about Donald Trump -- and perhaps it was.

No, he must be remembered as a cautionary tale so that we don't repeat this disaster.

Don’t buy a cow, or a car, and expect your city to give you someplace to park it. #UrbanTruth

I believe the correct name is concentration camp.

"Violence is the is the last refuge of incompetence." Isaac Asimov

New column: How Minnesota Beat Trumphttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/opinion/columnists/minneapolis-ice-trump-neighbor.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Trump’s decision to return to the Middle East echoes the strategic folly that undid Britain, Fareed Zakaria writes.

Don't the ones the Mossad gives out explode?

They could just go buy Florsheims in the proper size. This not rocket science.

ICYMI: the 2026 4th District Congressional Art Competition for high school students is still open! The winner will have their art displayed for a year inside of the U.S. Capitol. The deadline to submit your work is March 31. To learn more, visit: foushee.house.gov/congressiona...

Netanyahu wants to break the whole Middle East.

You don't have to have read the Constitution to know that.