This piece from Discover looks at the iconic "invisible" things that define cities -- like Seattle's clouds, Houston's air conditioning, and L.A.'s Botox.
The article also looks at the invisible famous aspects of Chicago and Philadelphia.
"The winter curse of deep snowfalls in Chicago is due to its location on the shores of Lake Michigan. When winds from the north or northeast bring cold Arctic air over the relatively warm water above the lake, the incoming air is heated and picks up moisture. The air rises and forms clouds filled with snow, which then produce heavy showers downwind of the shore."
"Do you like your Philly cheese steaks with "whiz?" Part of the key to this creamy yellow dip are emulsifiers, which help keep all of the ingredients mixed together instead of separating out. In the case of many salad dressings, mustard is the emulsifier that keeps oil and vinegar in happy union."
FULL STORY: The Invisible Things That Give a Hometown Its Flavor

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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