David Dudley

David Dudley

David Dudley is a writer and editor for CityLab in Baltimore.

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Disaster-Prone Japan Faces Infrastructure Crisis

Disaster-Prone Japan Faces Infrastructure Crisis

Also today: Wood-burning stoves sparks a pollution debate in London, and NYC’s aging produce market is set to be rebuilt.

January 2, 2026

January 2, 2026

Disaster-Prone Japan Faces Infrastructure Crisis

Also today: Wood-burning stoves sparks a pollution debate in London, and NYC’s aging produce market is set to be rebuilt.

Disaster-Prone Japan Faces Infrastructure Crisis

October 19, 2025

October 19, 2025

Inside BIG’s Blocky Design for Baltimore’s Bloomberg Student Center

Plus: Why the tech right is dreaming of a 450-foot-tall statue of Prometheus and other colossal monuments.

Inside BIG’s Blocky Design for Baltimore’s Bloomberg Student Center

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Remembering Donald Shoup, the Father of Parking Reform

Also today: The French architect who rebuilt Marseille, and squatters stand their ground amid Amsterdam’s housing crisis.

Remembering Donald Shoup, the Father of Parking Reform

November 16, 2024

November 16, 2024

A Bug’s Eye View of Mexico City’s Modernist Architecture

The sprawling megacity hides a trove of weird and wonderful contemporary buildings. Its once-omnipresent VW Beetles provide a stylish way to see them.

General view of the building called " Ni

October 2, 2024

October 2, 2024

The Revival of the Neighborhood Corner Store

Also today: Horror of Hurricane Helene hit homebuyers drawn to Asheville, and states reject warnings about gas stoves.

Neighborhood corner shop in South Lawndale, Chicago

September 3, 2024

September 3, 2024

How Air Conditioning Took Over the American Office

Before AC, US office workers relied on building design features to adapt to high temperatures. But the promise of boosted productivity created a different kind of workplace.

Hot And Bothered

June 6, 2024

June 6, 2024

Is There Room for Common Ground on Congestion Pricing?

There are ways for cities to tap its benefits without triggering road rage.

Is There Room for Common Ground on Congestion Pricing?

March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

What the Baltimore Collapse Tells Us About Bridge Safety

The Francis Scott Key Bridge suffered a catastrophic failure after a pier was struck by a cargo ship, raising questions about what might have averted disaster.

Baltimore Bridge Collapses After Ship Rams Into Overpass

November 6, 2023

November 6, 2023

A ‘Ghost River’ Is Unearthed in Baltimore

To visualize the transformation of streams into sewers — and highlight the city’s water pollution woes — an artist reanimated an urban creek buried for more than a century.

A ‘Ghost River’ Is Unearthed in Baltimore

October 14, 2022

October 14, 2022

Inside the Bicycle’s Conquest of Amsterdam

To make way for pedal-powered mobility, the Dutch capital embarked on a decades-long campaign to design streets around the needs of cyclists, not drivers.

Inside the Bicycle’s Conquest of Amsterdam

April 19, 2022

April 19, 2022

‘The Quarantine Atlas’ Maps How 65 Lives Turned Upside Down

In maps and essays, a new book from Bloomberg CityLab charts the less visible changes of a global pandemic.

‘The Quarantine Atlas’ Maps How 65 Lives Turned Upside Down

December 15, 2021

December 15, 2021

MapLab: New York City’s Enduring Subway Map Debate

MapLab: New York City’s Enduring Subway Map Debate

August 31, 2021

August 31, 2021

Documenting the Last Pay Phones in America

A photographer in Rochester, N.Y., tries to capture an obsolete technology before it disappears.

Documenting the Last Pay Phones in America

February 27, 2021

February 27, 2021

What Post-Pandemic Hospitals Might Look Like

Chicago Cityscapes And City Views

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2020

Requiem for the Super Commuter

The pandemic-driven rise of remote work in 2020 emptied commuter trains in major cities and all but killed off the long-haul trip to the office. Is that a good thing?

Amtrak Cuts 50 Percent Of Routes Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

September 3, 2020

September 3, 2020

Free Transit for Riders Under 18? In Paris, It’s Here.

As students in the French capital return to school, the city drops bus and train fares for young riders — a possible step toward an all-free network.

Retail Economy Ahead Of French Stimulus Announcement

March 26, 2020

March 26, 2020

The Empty Baseball Stadiums of Opening Day

With the Major League Baseball season on hold, the ballparks of North America hosted no crowds for Opening Day 2020. Here’s a sad photo gallery.

The Empty Baseball Stadiums of Opening Day

March 2, 2020

March 2, 2020

The Dream of the ’80s Is Alive in These Unhinged Chamber of Commerce Videos

How did urban boosters promote cities like Buffalo, Detroit and Kansas City during the 1980s? It took jingles, slogans, and a whole lot of montages.

The Dream of the ’80s Is Alive in These Unhinged Chamber of Commerce Videos

November 1, 2019

November 1, 2019

How Helsinki Built ‘Book Heaven’

Finland’s most ambitious library has a lofty mission, says Helsinki’s Tommi Laitio: It’s a kind of monument to the Nordic model of civic engagement.

How Helsinki Built ‘Book Heaven’

October 29, 2019

October 29, 2019

Secrets of the World’s Most Livable City

Viennese lawmaker Maria Vassilakou explains why the Austrian capital ranks so high on quality-of-life rankings, despite its rapidly growing population.

Secrets of the World’s Most Livable City