New York’s eviction rates have dropped overall due to free legal aid for low-income tenants. But according to a new report, middle-income New Yorkers are now as likely to be be booted as those living in poverty, sparking calls for expanded protections. (Gothamist)
Ming Fay, the artist famed for his whimsical subway mosaics and papier-mâché sculptures, has died at 82. Blending Chinese symbolism with urban backdrops, his work made nature impossible to ignore—even in the heart of the city. (The New York Times)

Trump promised to use federal land to build affordable housing when he took office, and now, his administration has created a task force to determine the best sites. But only a fraction of them are near cities that actually need it most. (The Wall Street Journal)

The White House celebrated the removal of BLM Plaza in D.C., calling it an “eyesore of a virtue signal.” The site will be renamed Liberty Plaza, and Trump allies are framing the change as a rejection of “wokeness.” (New York Post)
In the wake of Los Angeles’s Eaton Fire, a grassroots group in Altadena is racing against bulldozers to collect historic Batchelder tiles—salvaging remnants of the town’s architectural history. (Dwell)

Top image courtesy of Spencer Platt/Getty Images