I always try to support urban journalists whenever I can by linking and responding to requests for content because journalism has become such a cutthroat field because the field is so crowded, it’s hard starting out in any profession, and the combination of these three means that urban reporting faces an uphill battle even though a) there are some fantastic outlets like CityLab and Curbed out there, and b) cities are the most interesting subject ever ever ever. I especially try to help resource the big cohort of young women reporting to help bolster new voices into a field that has not changed as much as the city itself, and I’ve always liked Alissa Walker’s writing, in particular, even before she made me a famous bossladyshark by highlighting some of my grumpier feminist rants in her column.

So when Alissa asked me for an idea for this piece, I was happy to oblige even though it took me long time to think of what I might say; there are so many things I think we need to do. But I didn’t think twice about how the piece was going to end up–it was just a request.

It was a happy surprise to see just how nice the piece, Curbed 101 ways to improve transportation in your city, turned out. I think I caught a few duplicates here and there, but not many, and there are so many *great* ideas included. In addition, they just collected a ton of links to stories that illustrate the concepts they present. The piece is a treasure trove. I super-love the link they chose as an exemplar for my points about making bus stops a useful, everyday pleasure instead of the punishment zones they are in so many cities. And the picture of the bubba and the cargo bike melted my heart, which takes some doing as it teeny tiny and covered in tar.

Go read it!