The authorities don’t need a conviction or even for a suspect to be charged with a crime before seizing a car, cash or even a house.
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
Not everyone can afford to pay for solar panels up front, but local planners can help disadvantaged households overcome energy poverty in several ways.
Cars leaving Beaumont, Texas during a mandatory evacuation before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav, August 30, 2008.
Patsy Lynch/FEMA
Why did some Texas coastal cities order mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Harvey while others, including Houston, did not? There is no formula for these decisions; either choice can backfire.
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba, leads a campaign to clean up the city streets.
The Star/Itumeleng English
A new report from the Climate Council details the climate policy ambitions of Australian cities and local governments, and launches a new project to link their efforts together.
Despite the surge of community support after the Grenfell Tower fire, the failure of the local council and the government to respond appropriately has caused anger, offence and further suffering.
A public backlash against council amalgamations appears to have forced the NSW government to shift its position.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The proposed amalgamation of 40 NSW councils has generated heated opposition. While public resistance has now won out in several regional communities, it’s a different story in the city.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signs legislation lowering the default speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour, Oct. 27, 2014.
NYC Department of Transportation/Flickr
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have painted starkly different views of U.S. cities during the campaign. Will the next president deliver the funding and political support mayors are seeking?
Even within our homes dogs can be perceived as a nuisance.
AAP/Mike Gee
The draft agenda for the UN urban development conference in Quito neglects the food systems on which the wellbeing of the world’s 4 billion city dwellers depends.
South African President Jacob Zuma reacts during the official announcement of the municipal election results in Pretoria.
Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
Various commentators have wrongly over the last 22 years said that black people voted blindly for ANC governments. There’s no better example why the academy needs a dramatic post-colonial overhaul.
South Africa’s university students have shown that they can have an impact on the political landscape. That’s why it’s so important that they exercise their right to vote.
Millions of people need to be confident that suitable public toilets will be available when they leave their homes. A shortage of such facilities is a serious problem for an ageing population.
Residents of Zandspruit, a shanty town north-west of Johannesburg, during a violent protest against the removal of illegal electricity connections.
EPAKevin Sutherland
The brouhaha over South Africa’s upcoming high-stakes municipal elections hides critically important questions about the continued relevance of local government amid growing public disaffection.
Key discussion points are captured during one of the forums that helped develop the Resilient Melbourne Strategy.
City of Melbourne
A closer look at the recent local elections can help to shine a light on the future of the “Northern Powerhouse” and its impact on local democracy in the North of England.
While Melbourne City Council is responsible for the CBD, governance of the vast area of metropolitan Melbourne is poorly co-ordinated between 31 councils in all.
Alex Proimos/Flickr
Governance of metropolitan Melbourne is fragmented among 31 city councils. All levels of government need to work towards creating a metropolitan authority to meet the challenges of a growing city.