Why progressives ruin cities: A conversation with Michael Shellenberger

Michael Shellenberger’s new book, San Fransicko, Why Progressives Ruin Cities, presently ranks No. 1 in Amazon’s urban planning category of books. Its success is infuriating to many progressives, in no small part due to the fact that Shellenberger was once a progressive himself. As Doug McKelway finds in this interview with Shellenberger, his criticism of […]

Published November 15, 2021 1:30pm EST | Updated December 21, 2023 6:38am EST



Michael Shellenberger’s new book, San Fransicko, Why Progressives Ruin Cities, presently ranks No. 1 in Amazon’s urban planning category of books. Its success is infuriating to many progressives, in no small part due to the fact that Shellenberger was once a progressive himself. As Doug McKelway finds in this interview with Shellenberger, his criticism of big-city Democratic leadership mirrors what he is most known for: his criticism of liberal energy policies that ignore the benefits of nuclear power.