[Link] A Centuries Old Idea That’s Making Cities More Affordable Today

“Reasons to be cheerful” shines a light always on the little – or not so little – things that give hope of a brighter future.

This one, in particular, caught my attention. Law, in its various forms, is often badly written, horribly enforced & rarely questioned – and sets up the background of our collective lives.

The U.S. has a whopping 54 million spare bedrooms. As cities and states liberalize their housing regulations to allow more people to live together safely and affordably, it is making a dent in the country’s housing crisis. Legislative changes like this one in Washington are ahead of their time —  and a reason for some subdued excitement.

The new civil disobedience [Article]

Researcher Danah Boyd is articulate,  & explains why in modern society whistleblowing is the new civil disobedience. Scathing in her critique, she shares a perspective:

Unchecked power is how dictatorships emerge. If the rule of law is undermined and secrecy becomes the status quo, it becomes necessary for new civil disobedience tactics to emerge. And, more than the content of the leaks, this is what I think that we’re watching unfold.