An unfinished West Hollywood building has been vacant so long, coyotes are now living in it

An unfinished West Hollywood building has been vacant so long, coyotes are now living in it
Diana Ionescu
Sun, 08/02/2026 – 10:00

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A coyote in Los Angeles, California.

A pack of urban coyotes has taken over a construction site in West Hollywood, prompting both concern and interest from local residents.

According to an article by N. Kirkpatrick in The Washington Post, work on the unfinished building stopped in 2024. Now, coyotes wander the concrete floors, making themselves at home in a densely populated part of the city.

Kirkpatrick adds, “The city of West Hollywood follows a coexistence plan that favors nonlethal practices to reduce harm to humans. The city says they are requiring the property owners to swiftly retain a wildlife control expert and take next steps.”

Geography

California

Category

Environment
Housing
Land Use

Tags

West Hollywood
Coyotes
Stalled Developments

Publication
The Washington Post

Publication Date
Sat, 08/01/2026 – 12:00

Publication Links

Coyotes overtake abandoned housing development, vexing neighbors

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1 minute

San Francisco cyclists push to allow bikes on Muni trains

San Francisco cyclists push to allow bikes on Muni trains
Diana Ionescu
Sun, 08/02/2026 – 09:00

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A Muni train in San Francisco, California.

San Francisco bike advocates are calling on Muni to find ways to allow bicycles on its trains.

As Rachel Swan explains in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Many of the trains are too narrow and crowded to fit bicycles, including tot bikes or small beaters. The agency’s platform design presents additional challenges. At some stops, people have to climb stairs to board, which is difficult for someone lugging a heavy two-wheeler.”

Transit and bike advocates say making bike-to-Muni transfers possible would “open the city up” to more people and give Muni riders a last-mile solution.

Swan points out that Muni doesn’t have the funds to buy a new fleet that can accommodate bike racks. But some activists say the agency could still work to accommodate bikes, perhaps on off-peak hours, without overhauling its infrastructure.

Geography

California

Category

Transportation

Tags

San Francisco
MUNI
Public Transit
Trains
Bikes
Bicycles
Bikes on Trains

Publication
San Francisco Chronicle

Publication Date
Fri, 07/24/2026 – 12:00

Publication Links

Most bikes are banned from S.F. Muni trains. Some riders want that to change

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1 minute

Federal proposal calls for mandatory water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada

Federal proposal calls for mandatory water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada
Diana Ionescu
Sun, 08/02/2026 – 08:00

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The Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.

A proposal from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would force mandatory water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada to help preserve the shrinking Colorado River.

In an article for the Associated Press, Wufei Yu, Dorany Pineda and Brittany Peterson note that the proposal calls for deeper cuts than ever before, which could translate into higher water prices and significant impacts on agriculture. The three lower basin states would have to reduce their water use by up to 3 million acre-feet annually until 2036.

The federal government stepped in after the states failed to come to an agreement over how to share and conserve the river’s water. Leaders from all three states criticized the plan, with Nevada officials calling the reductions “unrealistic and devastating.” Arizona Department of Water Resources director Tom Buschatzke said the cuts would be “painful” to the state’s farmers, who grow much of North America’s leafy greens.

Cities in the region are looking for other sources of water, tapping groundwater reservoirs, desalinating water and recycling wastewater — more expensive but potentially more sustainable ways to meet water demand.

Geography

Arizona
California
Nevada

Category

Environment

Tags

Water
Water Conservation
Colorado River
Drought

Publication
Associated Press

Publication Date
Fri, 07/31/2026 – 12:00

Publication Links

Arizona, California and Nevada would share cuts under federal proposal to manag…

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1 minute

Cleveland program has housed 200 people since 2024

Cleveland program has housed 200 people since 2024
Diana Ionescu
Sun, 08/02/2026 – 07:00

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Cleveland, Ohio.

A city program called A Home For Every Neighbor has helped house over 200 people — or roughly two-thirds of the city’s unhoused population — since its launch in 2024.

According to an article in Signal Cleveland by Frank W. Lewis and Michael Indriolo, “From a policy perspective, the program’s biggest impact has been to show that it’s possible to rehouse people in less than two weeks.” The program subsidizes 12 months of housing, working with local landlords to find rental units. The program was originally funded with $2 million in city funds and $2.7 million in federal COVID-era rental assistance.

But the program still faces challenges as new restrictions jeopardize federal funding and pandemic-era assistance runs out. “Without additional affordable housing opportunities, many households remain vulnerable to returning to housing instability despite the progress made through programs like this one,” said Elaine Gimmel, executive director of EDEN Inc., an affordable housing provider.

Geography

Ohio

Category

Housing

Tags

Cleveland
Homelessness
Affordable Housing
Housing Assistance
Unhoused
Supportive Housing

Publication
Next City

Publication Date
Thu, 07/30/2026 – 12:00

Publication Links

From Tent to House in 11 days: A Close Look at Cleveland’s New Response to Home…

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1 minute

Data center developer offers over $4M per acre to buy out homeowners

Data center developer offers over $4M per acre to buy out homeowners
Diana Ionescu
Sun, 08/02/2026 – 06:00

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A data center in Dulles, Virginia.

An analysis from the National Association of Home Builders reveals that data center builders are outbidding home builders for land — in some cases, by amounts “nowhere close” to median land prices in the area.

In one case, a developer offered home owners in Virginia about $4.4 million per acre for their land in an area where median land prices range closer to $100,000 per acre. According to spokespeople for the home builders’ industry, “Local governments are no longer just deciding where to put data centers. They are deciding whether residential development can compete for land and grid capacity at all.”

The article adds, “NAHB is not aware of any reported litigation in which a home builder has directly sued a data center operator or developer over land competition. The fight, at least so far, is being led by neighbors, not builders.”

Geography

United States

Category

Housing
Land Use

Tags

Data Centers
Real Estate
Housing Development
Home Builders
Artificial Intelligence
Energy Use
Land Prices

Publication
National Association of Home Builders

Publication Date
Thu, 07/30/2026 – 12:00

Publication Links

AI Data Centers Are Outbidding Home Builders for America’s Land

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1 minute