CityLab
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
-Jane Jacobs
At CityLab, I worked in a few different roles over 3.5 years, all of which brought me some of the most fulfilling work of my career. As a fellow from 2016-2017, I worked as a research assistant to the site’s editor-at-large Richard Florida, and wrote a variety of stories for the site. In 2018, I revamped and wrote the CityLab Daily newsletter, creating a daily guide to the biggest stories in urbanism for our audience, producing over 300 editions through 2019. You can find my full author page here.
As a reporter, I covered urban transportation as cities reimagined how we get around where we live, work and play. I was one of the first journalists to try dockless bikes and scooters when they hit D.C.’s streets. But I also traced their history to the earlier wave of traditional bike sharing, which was rooted in environmentalism and economic development. As federal funding for city transit projects shrank during the transition from Obama to Trump, I covered how that energy shifted to local governments, private companies, and safe streets advocacy. As transportation world turned to the challenges of reducing carbon emissions to fend off the effects of climate change and the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries as outlined by Vision Zero policies, I got a front row seat.
We Rode an IKEA Bike
March 17, 2017
There’s some assembly required for the Swedish company’s new commuter bicycle, Sladda. Can it handle the rigors of the American city? I put the bike to the test, including hauling an Ikea dresser in the streets of Washington, D.C.
Update: Why Ikea Recalled the Sladda
We Rode the Copenhagen Wheel
May 25, 2017
The smart electric conversion is a lot of fun, but is it really the best e-bike for the city?
The California Beach Cruiser Built a Bike Movement
August 15, 2019
In the 1970s, the signature fat-tired mobility mode of beach towns managed to turn vacationers into bicycle riders.