NPR Cities

'Million-Dollar Blocks' Map Incarceration's Costs

Diane Orson — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:14:00 +0000

In many neighborhoods, hard truths about day-to-day life — like violent streets or crumbling schools — are readily apparent to residents, but less obvious to city and state officials.

Hard data can sometimes bridge that gap, helping policymakers better visualize which communities are doing well, and which may need additional help or resources.

The New York-based Justice Mapping Center has been providing those kinds of visuals for more than a decade.

Aurora, Colo., Tries To Capitalize On Its Ethnic Riches

Megan Verlee — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Aurora, Colo., became a familiar name this summer, in the wake of a mass shooting at a local movie theater.

But there's much more to this Denver suburb than the recent tragedy. Just ask Ethiopian immigrant Fekade Balcha. Balcha's apartment, on Aurora's north side, sits in a dense neighborhood of squat brick apartment buildings and tiny homes.

"You see, in our apartment, there are Russians, Mexicans, Africans," Balcha says. "From Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, and something like that."

Aurora is a real mixing bowl of a city, with more than 90 languages spoken in the public schools.

Racial, Regional Divide Still Haunt Detroit's Progress

Sarah Hulett — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:01:00 +0000

For many years — perhaps even decades — Detroit has been the poster child for economic malaise.

City Life Snapshot: Music In Austin, Texas

Delaney Hall — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:56:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

A different take on city as melting pot now, in this City Life Snapshot from Austin, Texas.

BALDOMERO FRANK ALVAREZ CUELLAR: I'm Baldomero Frank Alvarez Cuellar, and that's a mouthful. And I am one-half of the owners of Rancho Alegre Radio.

BLOCK: Back in the '70s and '80s, Conjunto music was everywhere in Austin, and Alvarez is trying to bring it back.

CUELLAR: We brought in bands that people hadn't seen here in years. One of them was Rene Joslin, who had to retire due to illness.

Bridging The Gap Between Two Neighborhoods

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Cities around the nation have tried a variety of approaches to revitalizing their urban cores. Some have turned to repurposing old infrastructure to breathe new life into neighborhoods.

One such effort is under way in the nation's capital, where the redevelopment of a bridge linking a wealthy part of the city with a lower-income one may present an opportunity — if an ambitious park plan can be brought to fruition.

A '21st Century Playground'

The city's 11th Street Bridge, in southeastern Washington, carries interstate and local traffic over the Anacostia River.