AlterNet

Across the country, local authorities are turning to existing public space ordinances -- many of them oriented to criminalizing homelessness -- to clamp down on the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

An overdependence on offshore suppliers has left the American economy extremely vulnerable to disaster, writes political activist Matt Stoller.

In this interview, Treme creator David Simon discusses what motivated team that produced "The Wire" to turn their attention from Baltimore to New Orleans.

Corey Hill examines the experimentation at work to rebuild Detroit, from green manufacturing to community-led economic initiatives. But the municipal and state governments may be getting in the way.

New York City's savvy transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan is using data-backed policy initiatives and local governance to boost bicycle and public transit facilities, despite a conservative media backlash.

Scott Thill makes the case for high speed rail, and how it can contribute to a more sustainable future nationwide -- but conservative politicians at the state level appear set to derail it.

Peace and Security professor Michael Klare warns that we are entering a period of global resource scarcity and unrest.

Alternet runs down a list of the five best policies enacted by cities in 2010.

Tara Lohan at Alternet suggests that the economic downturn is contributing to a cultural shift in terms of our aspirations for housing and neighborhood locations.

In this essay from Lapham's Quarterly, Lewis Lapham muses on the nature of the city: how it is perceived, by whom and for whom; and how it incubates new ideas and facilitates democracy.

Attempts to eliminate all visible traces of Islamic influence from the design and nomenclature of the Park51 project contributes to the de-legitimization of Islam in America, writes Aisha Ghani.

Mike Whitney at Alternet warns that, between a poorly-understood "frankensystem" of federal housing relief combined with an estimated 9-year "shadow inventory" of distressed homes, homeowners are facing a "lost decade."

The Deepwater Horizon disaster presents President Obama with an opportunity to "move boldly" on alternative energy, writes Bill McKibben.

In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil catastrophe, Geography professor Jason Henderson calls out "green" liberals who insist on driving.

Stan Cox and David Van Tassel point out that skyscraper farms will never work as promised because of their inability to provide natural sunlight.

It may be one of the worst food deserts in the country, but Detroit has enough open land in the city's 103,000 vacant lots to become self-sufficient in terms of food production, argues Mark Dowie.

In this excerpt from his new book "Eaarth", Bill McKibben discusses how such efforts as the Transition movement and farmer's markets are tapping into our need for neighbors.

Stephanie Rogers revisits 7 of the greatest environmental disasters (including the 2008 TVA coal sludge spill) and finds that while they may have left the headlines, serious problems remain.

Robert Glennon, author of the new book "Unquenchable" outlines the nature of America's emerging water crisis, and how ending water subsidies could encourage efficiencies and conservation.

In response to the threats of peak oil and climate change, thousands of people around the world are engaging in local "Transition" initiatives to promote resilience and "reskilling" to prepare for the expected "energy descent."