Nicole Flatow
@nicflatow.bsky.social
Managing Editor at Bloomberg CityLab.
Stories and justice for all.
Views are my own.
Stories and justice for all.
Views are my own.
There are a lot of things we can't control. But we can do a little bit to control whether local news gets funded, and by whom. This is a terrific newborn outlet. Please support them!
🧵 1/ We’re devastated about the layoffs at The Washington Post, which are gutting D.C. reporting. These journalists are an incalculable loss for our city. The 51st’s mission has always felt urgent, but now we know it needs to kick into high gear.
February 4, 2026 at 7:41 PM
There are a lot of things we can't control. But we can do a little bit to control whether local news gets funded, and by whom. This is a terrific newborn outlet. Please support them!
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
The DMV is losing one of the best transportation reporters in the US. I'm sad for Rachel, but even more so for DC.
Seems like this will be my last story for the Washington Post. A handful of my colleagues will still be covering local news in the DMV and I know they’ll do great work, but they and this region deserve so much better.
Trump administration limiting use of federal funds for speed cameras, calling them "unfair revenue schemes.” www.washingtonpost.com/transportati...
February 4, 2026 at 3:05 PM
The DMV is losing one of the best transportation reporters in the US. I'm sad for Rachel, but even more so for DC.
Lovely conversation on embracing "messy" cities. This bit in particular is inspiring me to think of needing to borrow as an opportunity, not a handicap. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
In Praise of Urban Disorder
The book Messy Cities looks at unregulated and informal development from Toronto to Tokyo to show how less planning can deliver more vibrant neighborhoods.
www.bloomberg.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Lovely conversation on embracing "messy" cities. This bit in particular is inspiring me to think of needing to borrow as an opportunity, not a handicap. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
This is totally fascinating
February 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
This is totally fascinating
How was the National Guard not already out on the streets hacking at sidewalk ice? www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
D.C. deploys more contractors, asks National Guard for help with snow
Trash pickup is set to begin starting Saturday, while crews are still tackling bus shelters and streets that are piled high with icy snow.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:39 PM
How was the National Guard not already out on the streets hacking at sidewalk ice? www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Warehouse owners in Oklahoma City have now refused to sell their property to ICE for a detention center, as @folaak.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social report that the agency is rushing to snap up storage facilities to detain immigrants despite local resistance www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
ICE Begins Buying ‘Mega’ Warehouse Detention Centers Across US
Plans for such centers and jails in nearly two dozen communities have sparked protests over suitability, proximity to homes and schools.
www.bloomberg.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Warehouse owners in Oklahoma City have now refused to sell their property to ICE for a detention center, as @folaak.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social report that the agency is rushing to snap up storage facilities to detain immigrants despite local resistance www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
Washington has long weighed a plan to redevelop a vast federal office enclave in SW DC.
Along comes a president willing to demolish the East Wing without warning.
Neoclassical designers sense their moment.
Welcome to DC's next neighborhood-in-waiting, FEDLANDIA: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
Along comes a president willing to demolish the East Wing without warning.
Neoclassical designers sense their moment.
Welcome to DC's next neighborhood-in-waiting, FEDLANDIA: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
Inside the Plan to Demolish and Rebuild Trump’s Washington
When President Donald Trump demolished the East Wing in October, it came as a public shock. But the White House likely won’t be the last historic DC building to face a wrecking ball.
www.bloomberg.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Washington has long weighed a plan to redevelop a vast federal office enclave in SW DC.
Along comes a president willing to demolish the East Wing without warning.
Neoclassical designers sense their moment.
Welcome to DC's next neighborhood-in-waiting, FEDLANDIA: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
Along comes a president willing to demolish the East Wing without warning.
Neoclassical designers sense their moment.
Welcome to DC's next neighborhood-in-waiting, FEDLANDIA: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
JOIN US TODAY: Can Trump make US housing affordable? Bloomberg journalists answer questions on politics, economics and Wall Street’s role in the market today at 10:30 a.m. ET.
🎙️ Stream the Live Q&A here: bloom.bg/49HYwDi
🎙️ Stream the Live Q&A here: bloom.bg/49HYwDi
January 23, 2026 at 1:33 PM
JOIN US TODAY: Can Trump make US housing affordable? Bloomberg journalists answer questions on politics, economics and Wall Street’s role in the market today at 10:30 a.m. ET.
🎙️ Stream the Live Q&A here: bloom.bg/49HYwDi
🎙️ Stream the Live Q&A here: bloom.bg/49HYwDi
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
NEW: After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org/data-center-...
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org/data-center-...
After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:06 PM
NEW: After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org/data-center-...
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org/data-center-...
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
Sorry, but triumphant claims about autonomous vehicle safety are wildly exaggerated.
It's an open question whether today’s self-driving cars are any safer than those driven by humans.
And if reducing crashes is the goal, that isn’t even the right question.
My deep dive, in Bloomberg 🧵
It's an open question whether today’s self-driving cars are any safer than those driven by humans.
And if reducing crashes is the goal, that isn’t even the right question.
My deep dive, in Bloomberg 🧵
We Still Don’t Know if Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers
And even if self-driving technology proves to be less dangerous, there are many better ways to improve traffic safety and prevent fatal crashes.
www.bloomberg.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Sorry, but triumphant claims about autonomous vehicle safety are wildly exaggerated.
It's an open question whether today’s self-driving cars are any safer than those driven by humans.
And if reducing crashes is the goal, that isn’t even the right question.
My deep dive, in Bloomberg 🧵
It's an open question whether today’s self-driving cars are any safer than those driven by humans.
And if reducing crashes is the goal, that isn’t even the right question.
My deep dive, in Bloomberg 🧵
If you've been compelled by any of the recent effusive safety assessments of self-driving cars, read this definitive reality check from @davidzipper.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
We Still Don’t Know if Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers
And even if self-driving technology proves to be less dangerous, there are many better ways to improve traffic safety and prevent fatal crashes.
www.bloomberg.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:52 PM
If you've been compelled by any of the recent effusive safety assessments of self-driving cars, read this definitive reality check from @davidzipper.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
January 2, 2026 at 2:17 PM
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
I wrote about how surprised I still am a candidate for NYC mayor won in large part by talking incessantly about buses, and also about how making them fast as promised will be an immense challenge. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
With Mamdani, the Humble Bus Gets Its Due
Enthusiasm for NYC’s mayor-elect may reflect a little-understood reality about the essential role of buses. Still, making them faster won’t be easy.
www.bloomberg.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I wrote about how surprised I still am a candidate for NYC mayor won in large part by talking incessantly about buses, and also about how making them fast as promised will be an immense challenge. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
When DCist was shut down, it had 70,000+ subscribers.
The 51st is proud to carry forward the spirit with which DCist served our city.
But we can’t stop thinking about how most of those subscribers — our neighbors and friends — are just no longer receiving the kind of local news they signed up for.
The 51st is proud to carry forward the spirit with which DCist served our city.
But we can’t stop thinking about how most of those subscribers — our neighbors and friends — are just no longer receiving the kind of local news they signed up for.
November 25, 2025 at 10:45 PM
When DCist was shut down, it had 70,000+ subscribers.
The 51st is proud to carry forward the spirit with which DCist served our city.
But we can’t stop thinking about how most of those subscribers — our neighbors and friends — are just no longer receiving the kind of local news they signed up for.
The 51st is proud to carry forward the spirit with which DCist served our city.
But we can’t stop thinking about how most of those subscribers — our neighbors and friends — are just no longer receiving the kind of local news they signed up for.
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
Here's a really great, clear explanation from @michael-thomas.bsky.social of what we know about why US electricity prices are rising. (No, it's not data centers, except in some very specific local areas.)
Why Are Electricity Prices Rising?
Probably not for the reasons that you think
www.distilled.earth
October 24, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Here's a really great, clear explanation from @michael-thomas.bsky.social of what we know about why US electricity prices are rising. (No, it's not data centers, except in some very specific local areas.)
Amsterdam might never have become a city if not for climate change. But the city's secret sauce is that it turned its greatest challenges into advantages, @feargusosull.bsky.social and Charlotte Hughes-Morgan explain in this great piece.
Europe’s Original Climate-Resilient City Has a Lesson for Us All
On Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, it continues to be a leader in climate adaptation — showing how a city can thrive in overcoming existential challenges.
www.bloomberg.com
October 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Amsterdam might never have become a city if not for climate change. But the city's secret sauce is that it turned its greatest challenges into advantages, @feargusosull.bsky.social and Charlotte Hughes-Morgan explain in this great piece.
Placating myself by looking at this pretty chart. www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
The Most Efficient Traveler Isn’t a Bird or a Fish—It’s You on a Bike
A famous graphic, now updated, compares locomotion in the animal kingdom
www.scientificamerican.com
October 17, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Placating myself by looking at this pretty chart. www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
Three newly published books argue that cars are destroying society as well as the planet.
Is the world finally ready to rein in the automobile?
My essay, in @bloomberg.com (gift link below)
Is the world finally ready to rein in the automobile?
My essay, in @bloomberg.com (gift link below)
‘Car Brain’ Is Making the US Unhealthy and Dangerous. EVs Won’t Fix It.
A trio of new books argue that we need to confront the full range of costs that car-based living has imposed on our cities, our health and our society.
www.bloomberg.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Three newly published books argue that cars are destroying society as well as the planet.
Is the world finally ready to rein in the automobile?
My essay, in @bloomberg.com (gift link below)
Is the world finally ready to rein in the automobile?
My essay, in @bloomberg.com (gift link below)
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
Thanks, New Yorker
October 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Thanks, New Yorker
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
Tom Homan said he was recused from anything to do with government contracts.
Turns out he wasn't. He played a role in the process to move immigration detention contracts through the Defense Department
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
With @racheladhe.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social
Turns out he wasn't. He played a role in the process to move immigration detention contracts through the Defense Department
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
With @racheladhe.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social
Trump’s Border Czar Involved in Detention Contract Talks Despite Recusal
Ethics experts say Tom Homan’s participation could violate rules meant to ensure impartiality. The White House says he has not crossed that line.
www.bloomberg.com
September 24, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Tom Homan said he was recused from anything to do with government contracts.
Turns out he wasn't. He played a role in the process to move immigration detention contracts through the Defense Department
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
With @racheladhe.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social
Turns out he wasn't. He played a role in the process to move immigration detention contracts through the Defense Department
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
With @racheladhe.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social
This school shooting tip line started by the mother of a Sandy Hook victim receives 200 tips a day from KIDS. I can't really imagine what it's like to be on their internet. abc7news.com/post/planned...
Planned shooting stopped at Bay Area high school via Sandy Hook Promise tip line
"What we know is that a student saw a concerning post on a friend's Instagram feed and reported it to our anonymous reporting system manned at our crisis center down in Miami," said Nicole Hockley, co...
abc7news.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:22 PM
This school shooting tip line started by the mother of a Sandy Hook victim receives 200 tips a day from KIDS. I can't really imagine what it's like to be on their internet. abc7news.com/post/planned...
This approach doesn't seem to grasp that even if you prefer to drive, you should still want OTHER people to take alternative modes so you can go faster.
September 23, 2025 at 1:54 PM
This approach doesn't seem to grasp that even if you prefer to drive, you should still want OTHER people to take alternative modes so you can go faster.
Any grant that isn't retaining or expanding roads is apparently vulnerable now.
Trump is rescinding road safety grants all over the country, in blue states and red ones.
The reason: those projects are "hostile" to cars.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The reason: those projects are "hostile" to cars.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Cancels Trail, Bike-Lane Grants Deemed ‘Hostile’ to Cars
The Trump administration canceled grants for street safety measures, pedestrian trails and bike lanes in communities around the country this month, each time offering a simple rationale for yanking ba...
www.bloomberg.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Any grant that isn't retaining or expanding roads is apparently vulnerable now.
Reposted by Nicole Flatow
I have a major piece in Bloomberg Citylab today. Should the US let transit fail, as Pennsylvania is already doing? And if not, what are the arguments we need to let it succeed?
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Should We Let Public Transit Die?
Urban-rural hostility is fueling a public transportation crisis in US cities. But demands to abandon bus and train riders ignore the economic and social costs of cutting service.
www.bloomberg.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:38 PM
I have a major piece in Bloomberg Citylab today. Should the US let transit fail, as Pennsylvania is already doing? And if not, what are the arguments we need to let it succeed?
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...