Alissa Walker
Urbanism Editor
Alissa Walker connects people with where they live through writing, speaking, and walking. As the urbanism editor at Curbed, she authors the column Word on the Street, highlighting the pioneering transit, clever civic design, and game-changing policy affecting our cities.
For her writing on design and urbanism, Alissa has been named a USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellow and Journalist of the Year by Streetsblog Los Angeles. In 2012 her project Good Ideas for Cities was selected for inclusion in the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. In 2015 she received the Design Advocate award from the LA chapter of the American Institute of Architects. She is also the co-founder of design east of La Brea, a nonprofit that has received two National Endowment for the Arts grants supporting its LA design events.
Alissa lives in Los Angeles, where she is a co-host of LA Podcast, a contributor to the KCRW show Greater LA, and a mom to the city's two most enthusiastic public transit riders.
How to make the Herman Miller picnic poster salad
Designer Steve Frykholm shares the story behind ‘Seven Layered Salad.’
Americans spend too much money on housing. Why aren’t the candidates talking about it?
The topic has barely come up in the presidential debates, but it’s one of the biggest issues we face as a country
How mayoral candidate Randi Dorman gets around Tucson
The real estate developer is out campaigning by bike, on foot, and in a solar-powered car—in the 100-degree heat.
Will the candidates talk housing and transportation at the next Democratic debates?
The candidates face off Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit.
How better weather prediction is changing the way cities are run
In his new book, Andrew Blum argues that forecasts are only as good as the decisions cities make from them.
The real reason there aren’t more kids in cities
It’s not easy to raise a family in a big American city. But it’s not any easier anywhere else in this country either.
Record-breaking overnight temperatures could make heat wave deadly for cities
More than half of Americans will be exposed to dangerous heat this week—but the scorching daytime highs aren’t the biggest problem.
Climate mayors ask Congress for swifter transportation action
In a Senate committee hearing, five U.S. mayors say they need more federal support to hit their emissions goals.
Splash Pads Are the New Public Pools
These urban oases offer residents a refuge from the summer singe, provide accessible recreational opportunities, and create a heat-friendly public space.
Pedestrian deaths keep rising in the U.S. Can Congress reverse the trend?
A proposed federal bill would require states to set aside highway funds for safer streets