On the Road, in Arizona and Colorado
A small city struggling to come back, a larger one already thriving, and the implications for civic vitality
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Articles & News
Ajo, Arizona: A Small Town Pushed to the Brink, and Coming Back
What does a town do when most of its people lose their jobs nearly overnight? For the people of this small town, the surprising answer places heavy emphasis on the arts.
Downtown Fresno Kicks Off Its Campaign
Why "unapologetic" may be the most important word in a city's recovery plan
‘The Blue and the Gray’
A historically oriented performance comes from New York to the Southern site that inspired it.
How People in Boulder Build Community out of a Conference
An annual meeting brings speakers from around the world together with students and local residents, in intimate settings.
Stages of a Downtown Comeback: Fresno Begins the Long Climb
Urban revivals require a shared narrative, private-sector partners, and a public official championing a far-sighted plan.
Fresno’s Tiniest Citizens
An elementary school of and for the urban community
California’s Centers of Technology: Bay Area, L.A., San Diego, and … Fresno?
How would you build a high-tech center in a vast farming zone? You might start by applying tech solutions to farming problems of water use and sustainability in all forms.
Next Up From Fresno: High School for Overlooked ‘Kids in the Middle’
Public schools often end up concentrating on students with obvious promise at the very top, and with obvious problems at the bottom. Here is one designed to foster opportunities for everyone else.
Reinventing High School
How Fresno prepares the kids in the middle
Welcome to American Futures 3.0
A new season of reports on a renewing America
Talking With Dan Richard About High-Speed Rail
The chairman of California's costly and controversial infrastructure project explains why (in his view) it actually will get built—and whether its champion, 77-year-old Governor Jerry Brown, is likely to be able to take a ride.
A Calculated Risk I Decided Not to Take
"Here we were doing what was a 'strafing run' down the highway and talking to Snake Eye and looking for the craters at the south end of the corridor." Why we made this last leg of the journey by car.
Ask and Ye Shall Be Told, Mystery Airplane Edition
Sometimes crowdsourcing pays off.
When I Grow Up …
Darth Vader vs. Casper the Friendly Ghost, on an airport tarmac
On SOTU Day, Some Next Steps in Civic Life
A conference in Washington, a development across the country