Urban Life

Show Only ...
Maps - Photos - Videos

Architect Michael McKinnell, co-designer of Boston City Hall, dies at 84 – The Boston Globe

|

Architect Michael McKinnell, co-designer of Boston City Hall, dies at 84 – The Boston Globe

The architect of the award winning but controversial Boston City Hall passed away from Coronavirus in late March.

Few buildings have been both praised and criticized as much as Boston City Hall. The building survived its first 50 years and is likely to be treasured for generations to come, now that people have come to accept this building despite its controversial concrete design.

NPR

|

Rent Is Due Today, But Millions Of Americans Won’t Be Paying : NPR

More than 30 million people have applied for unemployment as of April 30, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Many are falling behind on their rent and are being evicted, despite new rules designed to stop evictions. Experts say the moratoriums by state and local officials don't go far enough and are leaving tenants vulnerable.

"My main concern is that I'll be evicted," says David Perez. The self-employed father of one sells artisanal wares, like wallets and sandals, at a flea market in Elkridge, Md. "What's going to happen to my family?" National Activists Refuse To Pay Rent As New York Struggles With The Coronavirus Outbreak

Perez hasn't had any income since the end of February because the flea market closed, and he says that he and his 14-year-old daughter are living off food donated from his church. He has already lost his van because he couldn't make his monthly payments.

NPR

|

How Infectious Disease Shaped American Bathroom Design : NPR

We're all spending more time these days at home — including our bathrooms. But why do they look the way they do? From toilets to toothbrush holders, bioethicist and journalist Elizabeth Yuko explains how infectious diseases like tuberculosis and influenza have shaped American bathroom design

NPR

|

3.4 Million Skip Mortgage Payments. But Many Say Congress Needs To Act : NPR

More than 3.4 million homeowners are temporarily skipping their mortgage payments because they've lost income during the pandemic. Under the CARES Act rescue package passed by Congress, affected homeowners can skip or delay payments for up to a year.

Jasmine's husband Frank Gullo works for the Long Island Rail Road, which cut back his hours. Even with Jasmine's unemployment money, the couple says they're still making thousands of dollars less a month. So they called up their lender, Freedom Mortgage.

"They told me, yes, you can skip three months' payments," Frank says. "But then they told me there was a balloon payment at the end of it." He was told after three months, they'd have to come up with all the money for those skipped payments. So they'd suddenly owe four months of mortgage payments all at once — $14,000.

American Lung Association’s Air Quality Report Claims Climate Change Will Make it Harder to Protect Health – The Allegheny Front

|

American Lung Association’s Air Quality Report Claims Climate Change Will Make it Harder to Protect Health – The Allegheny Front

The American Lung Association’s annual report card on air quality found more U.S. cities and more people experienced unhealthy air than in the previous report. And it ranked the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas as among the most polluted in the country.

The association says its 2020 State of the Air report provides more evidence that climate change is making it harder to protect human health.