On Monday, Next City published its 100th issue of Forefront, our long-form journalism series about the cities, urban policies and innovations driving progress in metropolitan regions across the world. It was a quiet achievement marked by a story about Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the city’s ongoing evolution from a notoriously polluted oil industry outpost into an extraordinarily diverse city where leaders are developing green spaces and fighting homelessness with the vigor once reserved for building highways.
The story was a fitting one to coincide with the series’ anniversary. Houston’s progress embodies the guiding principle behind Forefront: That cities are constantly evolving organisms leading the way to a more sustainable and diverse future.
Each week we publish a deeply reported Forefront story with the understanding that the good ideas coming from a city like Houston must be shared if we want them to spread. The big-picture intention? To inspire social, economic and environmental change on a local, national and international level.
Whether it is a story about how D.C. went from poor and majority black to majority white with one of the highest rates of income inequality in the country, or a piece about why Uber is such a big gosh darn deal to city governments, our stories offer insight on the trends, policies and practices reshaping our world. We explain the why and how behind tricky phenomena such as gentrification, failing infrastructure and informal economies. We share critical insights on urban leaders and the challenges they face balancing ever-competing priorities. Most of all, we keep readers like you on point and educated on the latest developments in urban affairs.
To mark our 100th issue of Forefront, we are offering a 10 percent discount on subscriptions available this this week only. Please enter WEEK100 in the field labeled “offer code” on our subscription page to take advantage of the discount. Thank you and see you next week!
Ariella Cohen is Next City’s editor-in-chief.
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