Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a writer and Associate Teaching Professor in the English department at Seattle University. Her writing explores the intersections of race, gender, and class in urban spaces.
See more...We are an independent, nonprofit publication reporting on the world’s biggest challenges through the lens of local action in cities.
Each of our stories is based on interviews with individuals who work on the ground to implement solutions and provides accurate perspectives on urban issues, social innovation, and solution-driven activism.
A letter from the founder:
Why I started The Urban Activist
I never harbored a desire to write, yet at some point I felt the urgency. After almost 15 years working in the corporate finance world, I understood one thing: companies operate based on business strategies that affect a global citizenry, and yet do not act in the public’s best interest. And I was not (and am still not) convinced that even governments can fully compensate for that hard truth and solve the world’s most pressing issues. It is us — each of us — who must act. We all have agency, which bears gifts only if we use it.
Cities have always been magnets for immensely talented people whose humanity outshines even their ambitions. Many fascinating individuals in the most unexpected places have been waging battles on countless issues that affect us all. They have engaged in struggles as diverse as human rights and the environment.
Often, these people do not fall into the profile of the advocate or the protester; rather, they come up with concrete solutions to the challenges on their doorstep — and they fight for them. These are the people the public needs to know about.
While there is extensive reporting on CEOs’ strategies, businesses’ solutions, governments’ decisions and politics, there is little reporting on these important actors in our midst.
I founded The Urban Activist to fill this void.
We are a media project taking a fresh approach to journalism. While it’s up to mainstream journalists to inform the general public and hold those in power to account, our journalism project centers its reporting on the world’s biggest challenges through the lens of local action and the power of city people to create social change – and exercise influence globally. I believe that a story out of New York can inspire action in Nairobi. What is effective in Buenos Aires could also work in Berlin.
Reporting on local movements, grassroots groups, activists, and advocates narrows the disconnect amongst researchers, decision-makers, policy-makers, government officials, and the local citizens they ostensibly serve, among others. Society needs journalism committed to reducing polarization and bringing back dialogue. One that dares to abandon the profitability of shouting and simplified and extreme discourse. We need journalism that invests in coexistence.
I am also aware that Rome was not built in a day, and it takes time to build this new kind of journalism that leads to solution-driven action beyond the media stories it produces. I am honored that some of our articles have contributed to many positive changes: activists’ work being supported by nonprofit organizations, harmful city decisions being reversed, and activists and organizations uniting to exercise more power with their causes, to name a few.
As a publisher, I do my best to avoid any power imbalance between the journalist and the storyteller being interviewed. We want to do justice to any story we print, always with journalistic independence.
Also, shifting the narrative of what Western cities are and can be, is an important part of our publication. We report on the boldness and innovation of people in far flung places, who are facing multifarious issues and taking them head on, in often remarkable ways.
As the world gets increasingly urbanized, I believe using journalism to encourage public engagement is crucial. It puts much of the power to make change in the hands of the people; it strengthens democracies.
OUR IMPACT
American architect, writer, and philosopher Buckminster Fuller said: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Established in 2019, we have published over 250 impactful media stories to energize new approaches to pressing urban issues.
We bridge the gap between people with solutions in hand and policymakers, city officials, and decision-makers.
In November 2024, The Urban Activist held an event at the WORLD URBAN FORUM by the UN-HABITAT in Cairo. We gave the podium to local grassroots activists from Cairo, Nairobi, and Ghana, who are remarkably taking on the problem of mounting waste while transforming their communities into green, resilient and thriving societies.
EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE POLICY
At The Urban Activist, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of journalistic integrity and editorial independence. We report on urban issues, social innovation, and local activism with accuracy, fairness, and transparency—free from outside influence.
Independence from Funders and AdvertisersWe accept funding from individuals, foundations, and sponsors who support our mission. However, our editorial decisions are made solely by our editorial team and are never influenced by donors, partners, or advertisers. Financial support does not grant any right to review, edit, or influence our content.
Transparency and AccountabilityWe align with journalism regulations and ethical codes of conduct. We are transparent about our sources of funding and disclose any potential conflicts of interest. If a story involves one of our partners or funders, we will clearly state this within the article. We also welcome feedback and corrections from our readers to uphold accountability.
Editorial ProcessOur editorial team operates independently, guided by principles of public interest and journalistic ethics. We prioritize underreported stories and voices, with a focus on truth, inclusivity, and the social impact of our reporting. stick to editorial and fact-checking policies, making sure to deliver accurate perspectives from the ground that readers can trust.
Reader TrustTrust is the foundation of our relationship with readers. We believe that journalism plays a vital role in civic engagement, and that role can only be fulfilled when readers are confident in the integrity of the reporting they read and feel empowered.
At The Urban Activist, we strive to earn and maintain that trust by being transparent in how we report, clear about what we know and don’t know, and open about our sources and motivations. We verify information thoroughly, provide context, and credit original sources when reporting on third-party material.
Funding has been made possible by The Puffin Foundation, Ltd.
