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CityLab

The Rise of the Manhattan Mega-Mansion — Graphic: Marie Patino/Bloomberg

The Rise of the Manhattan Mega-Mansion

In the West Village and other historic neighborhoods, buyers are consolidating apartments and combining townhomes, a sign of New York City's allure to the ultra-rich.

Busy 4th Of July Holiday Travel Week Begins — Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America

Adding Up What Urban Highways Really Cost

A new report maps the economic toll that downtown freeways exact on 142 US cities — and tallies up what that land could be worth if it was developed for other uses.

Housing

Trump’s Housing Chief Wants to Build, But With What? — Isabel Seliger for Bloomberg Businessweek

Trump’s Housing Chief Wants to Build, But With What?

HUD Secretary Scott Turner says it’s time to put millions more Americans in homes. He’s also standing by while his agency’s staff and funding disappear.

Affordable Housing Left Vulnerable After Trump Fires Building Inspectors

A Housing Complex Designed to Tackle Loneliness Wins Britain’s Best Building

Design

*** ONE TIME USE *** — Hufton+Crow

Oslo Rebuilds Its Government Quarter with a New Focus: Openness

After a devastating 2011 terror attack, the Norwegian capital’s new government quarter was redesigned to emphasize the fundamental civic values of accessibility.

Trump Signs Order To Bring IndyCar Race To DC — Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg

White House Ballroom Design Approved by Trump Commission After One Hearing

The US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, also suggested making changes to the White House mansion to make it closer to the design of the new ballroom.

The Slum Next Door to Gangnam Exposes South Korea’s Wealth Gap — Jean Chung/Bloomberg

Slums? Informal Settlements? Just Call These Cities ‘Homegrown’

A new book argues that unplanned urban areas that have been shaped by their residents can be models of resilience and adaptability as well as affordability.

Phillip Howard is on a Quest to Preserve Properties and Stories Related to Civil Rights History — Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

For These Old Bus Stations, It’s Not the End of the Line

The streamlined depots built by Greyhound in the middle of the 20th century reflected a more optimistic era for bus travel. A lucky few are finding new uses.

A rendering of Skidmore Owings and Merrills new athletes accommodation built for the 2026 Winter Olympics, located at Porta Romana, Milan — Dave Burk

Milan Olympics Housing Is Built for Easy Reuse

New athlete accommodations for this year’s winter games will convert to student dorms, helping to cut emissions.

Design

*** ONE TIME USE *** — Hufton+Crow

Oslo Rebuilds Its Government Quarter with a New Focus: Openness

After a devastating 2011 terror attack, the Norwegian capital’s new government quarter was redesigned to emphasize the fundamental civic values of accessibility.

Trump Signs Order To Bring IndyCar Race To DC — Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg

White House Ballroom Design Approved by Trump Commission After One Hearing

The US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, also suggested making changes to the White House mansion to make it closer to the design of the new ballroom.

The Slum Next Door to Gangnam Exposes South Korea’s Wealth Gap — Jean Chung/Bloomberg

Slums? Informal Settlements? Just Call These Cities ‘Homegrown’

A new book argues that unplanned urban areas that have been shaped by their residents can be models of resilience and adaptability as well as affordability.

Phillip Howard is on a Quest to Preserve Properties and Stories Related to Civil Rights History — Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

For These Old Bus Stations, It’s Not the End of the Line

The streamlined depots built by Greyhound in the middle of the 20th century reflected a more optimistic era for bus travel. A lucky few are finding new uses.

A rendering of Skidmore Owings and Merrills new athletes accommodation built for the 2026 Winter Olympics, located at Porta Romana, Milan — Dave Burk

Milan Olympics Housing Is Built for Easy Reuse

New athlete accommodations for this year’s winter games will convert to student dorms, helping to cut emissions.

MapLab

Commuters Use Citi Bikes As Program Expands Into Other Boroughs

The Life of the Most-Used Citi Bike in New York City

How Trump Put ‘Gulf of America’ on the Map

How Trump Put ‘Gulf of America’ on the Map

Amtrak Northeast Corridor Would Lose 25% Of Funds In Trump Plan

Where Is Traveling by Train a Good Option in the US?

NJ Transit Engineers Strike, Halting Trains And Stranding Riders

How We Mapped Nightmare Commutes on NJ Transit

Look at That Building

A series for the architecturally curious.

Look at that Building: Cadence in London

A London Apartment Tower With Echoes of Victorian Rail and Ancient Rome

This Skinny Mexico City Tower Is Just 14 Feet Wide on One Side

This Skinny Mexico City Tower Is Just 14 Feet Wide on One Side

Look at That Building: Merchandise Mart

How Chicago’s Gigantic Merchandise Mart Is Still Thriving as Office Space

Book Tower

How Detroit Reclaimed a Towering Relic From the Roaring ’20s

Iconic Homes That Define Global Cities

How the way we live has shaped the history and architecture of urban neighborhoods.

Gers in Ulaanbaatar

An Affordable Nomadic Home Design Struggles to Adapt to Urban Life

Georgian town houses in Edinburgh, Scotland

How Edinburgh Tenements Became an Urban Housing Blueprint

South Korea Apartments

How Corporations Created the Prototypical Seoul Apartment

Majestic Victorian apartment building near Cadogan Square in the affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Chelsea, London

How Mansion Blocks Filled London With Stacks of Flats

Videos

One Last Ride in a NYC Horse Elevator

One Last Ride in a NYC Horse Elevator

Oklahoma City Mayor on GO Bond Sale, Infrastructure Plans

Oklahoma City Mayor on GO Bond Sale, Infrastructure Plans

Mexico City Governance Needs Metropolitan Vision: Mayor Brugada

Mexico City Governance Needs Metropolitan Vision: Mayor Brugada

Twisting Apartment Towers Are Reshaping Brooklyn’s Waterfront

Twisting Apartment Towers Are Reshaping Brooklyn’s Waterfront

More CityLab news

28 min ago

28 min ago

In ‘Tehrangeles,’ Iran’s LA Diaspora Watches War From Afar

Home to one of the world’s largest Iranian communities, Los Angeles reacted with joy and fear as the US and Israel began a bombing campaign.

me-iran-bombing-protest

20 hr ago

20 hr ago

What Would a City Designed for Blind Commuters Look Like?

People with low vision or blindness face unique barriers as they negotiate streets and subways. But new accessibility tech and policies can make getting around the city easier.

Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette is a USM student who is legally blind

March 4, 2026

March 4, 2026

How to Fireproof a Neighborhood

In wildfire-prone California, one developer is using an HOA model to incorporate prevention across the whole community’s design.

How to Fireproof a Neighborhood

March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026

Supreme Court Preserves NY GOP-Held Congressional District

Supreme Court Preserves NY GOP-Held Congressional District

March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026

NYC Hudson Yards-Area Apartment Tower Sells for $129 Million

Henry Hall Apartments at 515 W 38th Street in New York

February 27, 2026

February 27, 2026

Minneapolis Braces for Rent Crisis As ICE Surge Winds Down

With warnings that an eviction spike is looming, city and state leaders are seeking aid for renters who lost wages over the last few months.

Trump Wins Delay On Order Restricting ICE Tactics In Minnesota

February 26, 2026

February 26, 2026

Alberta’s Deficit To More Than Double, Hit by Oil Price Drop

Oil Facilities As Alberta Counters Trudeau Climate Plan With Net Zero 'Aspiration'

February 25, 2026

February 25, 2026

New Tax Proposal Takes Aim at Thailand’s Salty Food Obsession

Salted Grilled Tilapia stuffed with Lemongrass

February 25, 2026

February 25, 2026

Oslo Rebuilds Its Government Quarter with a New Focus: Openness

After a devastating 2011 terror attack, the Norwegian capital’s new government quarter was redesigned to emphasize the fundamental civic values of accessibility.

*** ONE TIME USE ***

February 23, 2026

February 23, 2026

LA’s Bankrupt ‘Graffiti Towers’ Finds Buyer for $470 Million

27 Floors Of Unfinished L.A. Luxury Skyscraper Tagged With Graffiti