NPR Cities

In Boston, scientists are predicting that climate change will lead to dramatic sea level rise, and more frequent flooding, around the city. Officials are studying the potential impact on roads and sewers and are asking waterfront developers to plan for increased flooding.

The Arizona city already logs more days over 100 degrees than any U.S. city, and climate researchers predict Phoenix will grow hotter still in the coming decades. Planners are taking the projections seriously, and are looking for ways to adapt the city and its residents to a hotter, drier reality.

Millions of Chinese are moving from the countryside to fast-growing cities that are home to significant economic activity. Central China's Wuhan, home to about 10 million, is one of these places, a city little-known outside the country that's attracting foreigners and Chinese alike.

Interstate 81 has helped to make Syracuse, N.Y., a "20-minute city," where you can drive anywhere you need to quickly and easily. But the highway has also physically divided neighborhoods, separating the haves from the have-nots. Now, like other cities around the country with urban highways, Syracuse officials are rethinking whether aging interstates are worth preserving.

As many cities add bus and bike lanes, raise parking rates and increase traffic enforcement with cameras, some motorists feel like they're under attack. But advocates of these changes say they give people more options for getting around and make cities safer.

Long associated with urban decay, Oakland, Calif., has experienced a resurgence in recent years with a revitalized downtown. The New York Times listed the city as No. 5 among its top "places to go" in 2012. But its comeback may be threatened by California's state budget tightening.

New Orleans residents are using Neighborland.com to post ideas for improving their neighborhoods. Initially a local public street art project, Neighborland tries to democratize city development by creating instant civic feedback. But the digital divide has left the city's computer illiterate out of the conversation.