How to Write for Vital City
We’re looking for writers and article pitches.
Vital City publishes smart, accessible writing about how cities work — and how they could work better. We’re mostly focused on New York, but we run pieces on other places when the lessons travel. Our sweet spot is pragmatic ideas rooted in research and data that might actually improve urban governance, public safety, housing, transit, parks, budgets and the countless other forces that shape city life.
We’re not interested in invective or ad hominem attacks. We believe in civil conversation, even (perhaps especially) about contentious topics. And while we want everything grounded in evidence, we’re not an academic journal (please use hyperlinks, not footnotes). Whenever possible, the writing should be lively. You can be a writer, or a public policy practitioner, or an academic, or something else. The evidence you draw on can come from randomized controlled trials, personal experience, reporting, or just deep thought and study. We love pieces that incorporate data, presented honestly and clearly. We’ll help you design infographics if that’s not your thing.
What we publish
Some of our best pieces have been deep dives into policy questions that don’t get the attention they deserve: why a particular program succeeded or failed, what the data actually shows about a hotly debated issue, or how a reform in another city might translate to New York.
We like “keyhole” pieces — small, achievable changes that could yield outsized benefits without requiring a political revolution. We also like essays that bring readers inside institutions, from jails to the parks to transit, and help them understand how decisions really get made.
Other pieces we’ve run include historical case studies that illuminate present-day debates, infographics that make complex trends legible and profiles of people doing unglamorous but important work in city government.
How to pitch us
Send a few short paragraphs summarizing what your piece will argue, report or reveal to submissions@vitalcitynyc.org.
Your pitch should clearly state your central claim and gesture toward the evidence you’ll marshal. We want to see that you’ve done some homework. For example, if you were pitching a piece on congestion pricing’s early results, you might write:
Three months into congestion pricing, the early data tells a more complicated story than either supporters or opponents predicted. Traffic in the congestion zone is down about 8% — meaningful, but short of the 15-20% some models projected. But the composition of that traffic has shifted in ways that matter: through-traffic has dropped sharply while local deliveries remain steady, suggesting the toll is filtering out the trips with the most alternatives.
Meanwhile, subway ridership in the zone is up modestly, but bus speeds on crosstown routes have improved dramatically — an underappreciated win. The piece will draw on MTA data, traffic counts and interviews with transportation planners to assess what’s working, what isn’t, and what adjustments might help.
Include your best statistics and examples to give us a sense of how substantive the piece will be.
If we like your pitch, we’ll ask for a one-page outline with more detail on sources, structure and key evidence. If the outline holds up, we’ll agree on a deadline and work with you through editing.
Most Vital City pieces typically run around 1,500 words. We also accept longer essays and shorter, punchier arguments. If you’re not sure whether your idea fits, pitch it anyway.
What we’re looking for
We don’t have a running list of assignments, but here’s the kind of thing that catches our attention:
Policy puzzles. Why does New York spend more than almost any city on X but get middling results? What would it take to change that?
Comparative urbanism. Another city tried something bold on housing, transit or public safety. Did it work? What can New York learn?
Data that surprises. You found a trend in city data that challenges conventional wisdom or reveals something important that’s been hiding in plain sight.
Accountability without outrage. A city agency or program isn’t delivering. You can explain why in a way that’s fair, specific and points toward solutions.
History that illuminates. A past episode in New York — or another city — sheds light on a current debate.
Practical fixes. A specific, achievable reform that doesn’t require a new mayor or a new governor or a new federal administration.
A few things we’re not looking for
We’re not the right home for partisan scorekeeping, op-eds that are mostly vibes or pieces built primarily on outrage. We’re skeptical of arguments that blame everything on one villain or assume bad faith. We want writers who can acknowledge the strongest version of opposing views before explaining why they disagree.
We also tend to pass on pieces that are too inside-baseball for general readers or too general to say anything new. The best Vital City pieces are specific enough to be useful and accessible enough to be interesting to someone who doesn’t already follow the issue closely.
Logistics
We pay for accepted pieces. Rates depend on length, complexity and reporting required — reach out and we’ll discuss.
We edit carefully but collaboratively. Expect at least one round of substantive edits and a close line edit before publication.
We ask that pitches be exclusive while under consideration, but we move as quickly as possible. You’ll typically hear back within two weeks.
Questions? Pitch ideas? Send them to submissions@vitalcitynyc.org. We looking forward to hearing from you.