Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Why cities should embrace 'messiness'

Also today: Mamdami warns Wall Street boom won't save NYC's finances, and builders push for "Trump Homes."
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While rules and regulations allow cities to function, a new book cautions against overly prescriptive planning and makes a case for embracing urban "messiness." Through a series of essays, Messy Cities: Why We Can't Plan Everything argues that leaving room for spontaneity can deliver more livable and vibrant neighborhoods. Think street eateries in East Los Angeles, the mix of formal and informal shops set up by immigrants in Toronto's Kensington Market, and the medley of storefronts in the streets of Tokyo.

In a conversation with contributor Rebecca Greenwald, two of the book's editors, Zahra Ebrahim and Leslie Woo, break down what they mean by "messiness." The book isn't advocating for chaos and confusion, they say, but a more organic, bottom-up approach to city-building. Today on CityLab: In Praise of Urban Disorder

— Linda Poon

More on CityLab

Wall Street Bonanza Won't Save NYC's Finances, Mamdani Warns
Over two years, New York City faces a projected $12.6 billion budget gap, a financial crisis the mayor characterized as worse than the Great Recession.

From the Archive: Why Neighborhoods and Small Businesses Thrive in Tokyo
The book "Emergent Tokyo" looks at how the city was shaped not by disorder or grand design, but by the intermingling of small choices that create spontaneous patterns from the bottom up.

Builders Push 'Trump Homes' in Pitch for a Million Houses
A new proposal calls for builders to sell entry-level homes into a pathway-to-ownership program funded by private investors.

From sharing economy to disaster relief

"Community programs that operate at a normal capacity during regular times are the first ones that can be activated when disaster strikes."
Shelby Treichler
Volunteer at Asheville Tool Library
Programs like community tool libraries — where residents can borrow a wide array of equipment for DIY projects — have become essential in the aftermath of major storms, especially amid widening gaps in government assistance.

What we're reading

  • What happens to the educators when the schools have been destroyed? (Nation)

  • Candles and driveways: San Francisco's mayor focuses on the little things (New York Times)

  • Data centers told to pitch in as storms and cold weather boost power demand (Conversation)

  • As some states try to show ICE the door, others put out the welcome mat (NPR)

  • Why China is building so many coal plants despite its solar and wind boom (Associated Press)


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