Patrick Sisson
@patrickcsisson.bsky.social
Writer. Trends, tech, economics & policy shaping cities. Bylines: New York Times, Bloomberg CityLab, MIT Tech Review, Bisnow, Fast Company. patsisson at gmail dot com.
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
I am *thrilled* to say that @wired.com has republished this story from thereengineer.pro, bringing to to an even wider audience! 💪
www.wired.com/story/let-th...
www.wired.com/story/let-th...
November 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I am *thrilled* to say that @wired.com has republished this story from thereengineer.pro, bringing to to an even wider audience! 💪
www.wired.com/story/let-th...
www.wired.com/story/let-th...
The $40 billion a month data center construction industry is absolutely booming, leading firms to do whatever it takes to find electricians and flip switches. My latest for @bisnow www.bisnow.com/national/new...
Private Jets, Huge Raises And 'Man Camps': How Data Center Builders Are Luring Workers In Short Supply
The AI boom is creating a data center building boom across the nation, squeezing labor pools and accelerating timelines.
www.bisnow.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The $40 billion a month data center construction industry is absolutely booming, leading firms to do whatever it takes to find electricians and flip switches. My latest for @bisnow www.bisnow.com/national/new...
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
NEW: @propublica.org investigated the Chicago apartment raid where kids were zip-tied and citizens detained for hours. They find:
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
November 13, 2025 at 2:08 PM
NEW: @propublica.org investigated the Chicago apartment raid where kids were zip-tied and citizens detained for hours. They find:
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
Incredible article about a part of Chicago history I was not previously aware of
My latest for the Reader, a story about how Chicagoans made it really, really rough on out-of-town goons who tried to abduct Black folks off their streets.
chicagoreader.com/city-life/ch...
chicagoreader.com/city-life/ch...
Chicago has always defied kidnappings of our neighbors - Chicago Reader
Even after the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, local officials and everyday people resisted the legalized abductions of men, women, and children who had escaped slavery
chicagoreader.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Incredible article about a part of Chicago history I was not previously aware of
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
This is far worse than anyone expected.
Trump's HUD plan would cut *two-thirds* of permanent housing and push as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people back onto the street—redirecting funds to work mandates, forced treatment, and encampment sweeps.
All as mass internment camps are being built.
Trump's HUD plan would cut *two-thirds* of permanent housing and push as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people back onto the street—redirecting funds to work mandates, forced treatment, and encampment sweeps.
All as mass internment camps are being built.
Trump Administration to Drastically Cut Housing Grants
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 AM
This is far worse than anyone expected.
Trump's HUD plan would cut *two-thirds* of permanent housing and push as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people back onto the street—redirecting funds to work mandates, forced treatment, and encampment sweeps.
All as mass internment camps are being built.
Trump's HUD plan would cut *two-thirds* of permanent housing and push as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people back onto the street—redirecting funds to work mandates, forced treatment, and encampment sweeps.
All as mass internment camps are being built.
can’t order/subscribe fast enough
Real dream-team situation going on over here. @katewagner.wehwalt.net / @anjulierao.bsky.social / @nyreviewofarch.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/12/c...
New Chicago Review of Architecture wants younger voices weighing in on the city’s built environment
An offshoot of the New York Review of Architecture, the magazine will feature “erudite, humorous and hyperlocal writing.”
www.chicagotribune.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
can’t order/subscribe fast enough
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed 4 years ago. In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social we study its effects.
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
Federal Infrastructure Spending on Transportation, Four Years after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is up for reauthorization in 2026. New analysis shows that the act increased spending on transportation infrastructure, but…
www.urban.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed 4 years ago. In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social we study its effects.
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
California just passed a transformative zoning law poised to unleash a building boom. But it’s just the start. For @bloomberg.com I looked at the new YIMBY agenda
☑️ - Single-stair reform
☑️ - Building code reform
☑️ - Permitting & fees
☑️ - Design & aesthetics
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
☑️ - Single-stair reform
☑️ - Building code reform
☑️ - Permitting & fees
☑️ - Design & aesthetics
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Will the YIMBY ‘Holy Grail’ Deliver an LA Building Boom?
Supporters of the California zoning reform bill SB 79 say it will unleash a wave of multistory apartment buildings. In low-rise-loving Los Angeles, that could be a tall order.
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:23 PM
California just passed a transformative zoning law poised to unleash a building boom. But it’s just the start. For @bloomberg.com I looked at the new YIMBY agenda
☑️ - Single-stair reform
☑️ - Building code reform
☑️ - Permitting & fees
☑️ - Design & aesthetics
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
☑️ - Single-stair reform
☑️ - Building code reform
☑️ - Permitting & fees
☑️ - Design & aesthetics
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
What if you use Nimby bot on data center construction? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
AI-powered nimbyism could grind UK planning system to a halt, experts warn
Tools that help people scan applications and find grounds for objection have potential to hit government’s housebuilding plans
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:54 PM
What if you use Nimby bot on data center construction? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Indie bookstores continue to be the best www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/b...
To Help SNAP Recipients, Bookstores Set Up as Food Banks
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Indie bookstores continue to be the best www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/b...
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
Here’s me taking @thewaroncars.bsky.social new book out for a spin at last month’s CicLAvia. This is going to be a great show at one of the best venues in LA. See you on November 17!
November 11, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Here’s me taking @thewaroncars.bsky.social new book out for a spin at last month’s CicLAvia. This is going to be a great show at one of the best venues in LA. See you on November 17!
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
New from 404 Media: people are 3D-printing whistles to warn each other about the presence of ICE. Some people make designs and upload them; others are given a design and are printing hundreds and hundreds of whistles at home. It's been effective in Chicago
www.404media.co/the-latest-d...
www.404media.co/the-latest-d...
The Latest Defense Against ICE: 3D-Printed Whistles
Chicagoans are making, sharing, and printing designs for whistles that can warn people when ICE is in the area. The goal is to “prevent as many people from being kidnapped as possible.”
www.404media.co
November 11, 2025 at 1:56 PM
New from 404 Media: people are 3D-printing whistles to warn each other about the presence of ICE. Some people make designs and upload them; others are given a design and are printing hundreds and hundreds of whistles at home. It's been effective in Chicago
www.404media.co/the-latest-d...
www.404media.co/the-latest-d...
California housing advocates saw a long-cherished goal come to pass: SB 79, the “YIMBY Holy Grail” that will make transit-oriented development take off. For @bloomberg.com I spoke w/@cayimby.bsky.social & others about next steps needed to start a building boom www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Will the YIMBY ‘Holy Grail’ Deliver an LA Building Boom?
Supporters of the California zoning reform bill SB 79 say it will unleash a wave of multistory apartment buildings. In low-rise-loving Los Angeles, that could be a tall order.
www.bloomberg.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:53 PM
California housing advocates saw a long-cherished goal come to pass: SB 79, the “YIMBY Holy Grail” that will make transit-oriented development take off. For @bloomberg.com I spoke w/@cayimby.bsky.social & others about next steps needed to start a building boom www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
There’s strategy & symbolism in the decision of San Juan Capistrano city government to rebuild city hall w/an attached (extremely) affordable housing development for homeless residents. For @fastcompany.com I looked at a new kind of permanent housing partnership www.fastcompany.com/91438609/thi...
This wealthy California town built affordable housing in an unusual location
For San Juan Capistrano, helping the homeless meant having them move next to City Hall.
www.fastcompany.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM
There’s strategy & symbolism in the decision of San Juan Capistrano city government to rebuild city hall w/an attached (extremely) affordable housing development for homeless residents. For @fastcompany.com I looked at a new kind of permanent housing partnership www.fastcompany.com/91438609/thi...
California YIMBY & housing advocates statewide cheered when SB 79, the transformative zoning law allowing more urban density near transit, was signed. As I found for @bloomberg.com they also rolled up their sleeves to plot ways to help the law live up to its promise
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Will the YIMBY ‘Holy Grail’ Deliver an LA Building Boom?
Supporters of the California zoning reform bill SB 79 say it will unleash a wave of multistory apartment buildings. In low-rise-loving Los Angeles, that could be a tall order.
www.bloomberg.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:06 PM
California YIMBY & housing advocates statewide cheered when SB 79, the transformative zoning law allowing more urban density near transit, was signed. As I found for @bloomberg.com they also rolled up their sleeves to plot ways to help the law live up to its promise
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
Publication day for the expanded paperback edition of THE DESIGN OF CHILDHOOD, with a new intro and my Pulitzer-winning essays up front geni.us/designofchil...
Plus a brand new audiobook www.audible.com/pd/The-Desig...
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
Plus a brand new audiobook www.audible.com/pd/The-Desig...
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Publication day for the expanded paperback edition of THE DESIGN OF CHILDHOOD, with a new intro and my Pulitzer-winning essays up front geni.us/designofchil...
Plus a brand new audiobook www.audible.com/pd/The-Desig...
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
Plus a brand new audiobook www.audible.com/pd/The-Desig...
@bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
Check out our profile of @lataco.bsky.social, an LA-based outlet thats been covering the ICE raids.
studyhall.xyz/free-newslet...
studyhall.xyz/free-newslet...
How L.A. Taco Filled a Gap in Los Angeles’ Media Landscape
L.A. Taco Editor in Chief Javier Cabral will never forget the Friday in June when he watched a protester get run over by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement SUV in downtown Los Angeles, liv
studyhall.xyz
November 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Check out our profile of @lataco.bsky.social, an LA-based outlet thats been covering the ICE raids.
studyhall.xyz/free-newslet...
studyhall.xyz/free-newslet...
Austin City Limits: As SF office starts to bounce back from the urban doom loop with strong AI leasing, Austin now has a higher vacancy rate, per a new report, one of many data points showing the budding tech hub is struggling commercialobserver.com/2025/11/aust...
Austin's Tech-Leasing Boom Stalls Without an AI Backup Plan
The hub doesn't have the Bay Area's luck in drawing artificial intelligence startups — it's not all doom (loop) and gloom, though.
commercialobserver.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Austin City Limits: As SF office starts to bounce back from the urban doom loop with strong AI leasing, Austin now has a higher vacancy rate, per a new report, one of many data points showing the budding tech hub is struggling commercialobserver.com/2025/11/aust...
“That means the company’s estimates translate to 560,000 people exhibiting symptoms of psychosis or mania weekly, with 1.2 million demonstrating heightened emotional attachment and 1.2 million showing signs of suicidal planning or intent.” www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
The Chatbot Delusions: Is AI Contributing to a Novel Mental Health Crisis?
Some users are losing touch with reality during marathon sessions with ChatGPT and other bots.
www.bloomberg.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:41 PM
“That means the company’s estimates translate to 560,000 people exhibiting symptoms of psychosis or mania weekly, with 1.2 million demonstrating heightened emotional attachment and 1.2 million showing signs of suicidal planning or intent.” www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
For @fastcompany.com I looked at a different way to add density; take what’s there, and build up with more lightweight, sustainable mass timber. One advocate believes these top off projects can work especially well in older cities with stronger, older structures www.fastcompany.com/91436081/the...
These 'Frankenstein' buildings show how wood can make an old building new again
Architects are adding extra floors built from mass timber as a way to expand a building's footprint in a more sustainable way.
www.fastcompany.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
For @fastcompany.com I looked at a different way to add density; take what’s there, and build up with more lightweight, sustainable mass timber. One advocate believes these top off projects can work especially well in older cities with stronger, older structures www.fastcompany.com/91436081/the...
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
“I didn't exactly panic, but here's what was going through my head,” Liz in Wisconsin, 43, who receives SNAP benefits for her and her adult daughter, explained. “We have to eat. This money will not last. What happens in December? What about January? Do I have to make this food last all winter?”
The voices of SNAP
Recipients have become political pawns. They explained, in their own words, what Trump withholding funds has been like.
www.thehandbasket.co
November 7, 2025 at 11:21 PM
“I didn't exactly panic, but here's what was going through my head,” Liz in Wisconsin, 43, who receives SNAP benefits for her and her adult daughter, explained. “We have to eat. This money will not last. What happens in December? What about January? Do I have to make this food last all winter?”
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
Last month, it was teenagers who got 8 books banned in a statewide Georgia reading bowl back into the competition. These literary heroes deserve recognition–get to meet three of these rad book-loving intellectual freedom champions.
bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
Meet the High Schoolers Who Overturned a State Reading Bowl Book Ban: Book Censorship News, November 7, 2025
A Georgia statewide reading bowl banned eight books. These students led the charge to get the bans overturned and succeeded.
bookriot.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Last month, it was teenagers who got 8 books banned in a statewide Georgia reading bowl back into the competition. These literary heroes deserve recognition–get to meet three of these rad book-loving intellectual freedom champions.
bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
10 Years After a Breakthrough Climate Pact, Here’s Where We Are www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
10 Years After the Paris Climate Agreement, Here's Where We Are
Has anything really changed in the decade since the Paris Agreement was reached? Actually, quite a lot.
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
10 Years After a Breakthrough Climate Pact, Here’s Where We Are www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Patrick Sisson
wikipedia's data shows that AI is siphoning traffic away from the site, which is a danger to its sustainability. ironically Wikipedia is more important than ever to users who want reliable information instead of slop, and to AI companies that need it for training data www.404media.co/wikipedia-sa...
Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors
“With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.”
www.404media.co
October 17, 2025 at 1:15 AM
wikipedia's data shows that AI is siphoning traffic away from the site, which is a danger to its sustainability. ironically Wikipedia is more important than ever to users who want reliable information instead of slop, and to AI companies that need it for training data www.404media.co/wikipedia-sa...