Public Space

People who know me won’t be surprised by this declaration: I like spending time in bars. In Europe, the definition of a “bar” is more vague than in other places. A bar isn’t just an establishment that will serve you alcohol. …

By Hollie Russon Gilman and Bridget Marquis In October, before the 2022 midterm elections, Bridget Marquis, director of Reimagining the Civic Commons, and Hollie Russon Gilman, senior fellow at New America’s Political Reform Program and affiliate fellow at Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, co-authored an article about…

Gaslighting is a sophisticated form of psychological manipulation through persistent denial, deception, and lying. It’s a manipulation tactic that typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self esteem. Living in an age of “misinformation,” Gaslighting became more well-known due to the rise of populism in politics. …

Minneapolis hosts a vibrant discussion of critical strategies to bolster our civic commons — When Reimagining the Civic Commons launched six years ago, five participating city teams and four national funders set forth to achieve a set of outcomes that were important to communities and the nation: civic engagement, socioeconomic mixing, value creation and environmental sustainability. …

#Islam I approach this topic as a close outsider. As a Christian, I acknowledge that we all are sons of Abraham. Looking at Mosques I have forever been captivated by their beauty and the people that frequent them. Brothers who walk a different path. …

Halloween is inarguably one of New York City’s biggest festivals. On the days leading up to the festival, its adjacent weekend, and on the festival day itself, NYC residents take over the streets with their elaborate costumes, spooky decorations, and revelry. The streets of New York transform into an urban…

4 insights to purchasing with greater impact — By Alexa Bush and Kyle Kutuchief Procurement — the act of sourcing and purchasing goods and services in order to do the work of an organization — can seem like a fairly cut-and-dried process. Big or small, from the scale of city government to a neighborhood-based non-profit, a feature of…

5 ways cities are leveraging public space to spur economic activity — New research from The Brookings Institution on smaller communities finds that investments in “quality of life and place” are more effective than many traditional economic development tools, including incentives and lower taxes. The report also demonstrates that investment in civic infrastructure like parks, trails, libraries and cultural centers remains an…