Christian Madera

Christian Madera was managing editor of Planetizen from 2006 to 2008.

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Full Bio

Christian Madera was managing editor of Planetizen from 2006 to 2008. He currently lives and works in Hong Kong.

Christian has written about urban planning, policy and technology issues for the Los Angeles Times, Planning Magazine, The Southern Sierran, and Next City Magazine, where he was a 2010 Urban Leaders Fellow. His past experience includes working as a community planner and the web and new media manager for the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington, DC, as well as a policy analyst for a non-profit housing developer in Los Angeles.

Prior to joining Planetizen, Christian worked as a program manager for the China Planning and Development Institute in Shanghai and Beijing. Christian also spent three years as a web developer at Urban Insight, the internet consulting firm that supports Planetizen, and contributed significantly to the development of Planetizen from 2000-2003. He has interned and consulted with a number of governments and non-profit organizations, including the Port Authority of NY/NJ, the Rockefeller Foundation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy, New Jersey Future, the City of Newark, NJ, and the CUNY Building Performance Lab in New York City.

Christian holds a BS in urban planning and development from the University of Southern California's School of Policy Planning and Development, and an MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University.

What Happened To Good Old Fashioned Taxes?

Congestion pricing is really just a regressive tax thats hurt the poor, argues one New York Assemblyman. If government wants to improve transit and the environment, it should simply tax wealthy Americans more to do it.

A Look Back At Pie In The Sky Plans

From mile-high skyscrapers and floating cities, a look back at some of of the impractical and unrealized dreams of architects and planners.

Front Yard Farming

A few eco-conscious -- and business savvy -- suburbanites are ripping up their lawns and growing vegetables to cater to the increasing demand for local produce.

Will Congress Finally Raise The Gas Tax?

With the nation's infrastructure in dire need of investment, a debate over the need to raise the federal gas tax is brewing in Washington, D.C.

The Transformation Of A Light Rail Corridor

Seattle's new light rail line is poised to usher in a new era for Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Though most are excited about the new development, the fear of gentrification has made some residents worry that they won't be around to reap the benefits.