President Donald Trump has called for Alcatraz to be reopened as a modern maximum-security facility. Perched on an island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco, the former federal prison gained near mythological status in American culture after housing notorious criminals like Al Capone and Robert Stroud, known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Today, it serves primarily as a tourist destination.

Trump’s push to revert the historic site into a functioning prison has raised serious questions. Similar “supermax” prisons have cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and the process would likely trigger extensive regulatory reviews. More from me, today on CityLab:  Is Trump’s Plan to Reopen the Notorious Alcatraz Prison Realistic?

— Rthvika Suvarna 

More on CityLab

Vail to Borrow Muni Debt to Ease Ski Resort Town Housing Crunch
The ski-focused town is borrowing to fund construction of new rental housing.

From the Archive: Do Prisons Deserve a Second Chance?
Over the last decade, hundreds of jails and prisons in the US have closed, inspiring architects and designers to reimagine sites of incarceration as positive community spaces. 

States, Cities Face Funding Collapse Threat With Trump Cuts
Officials are confronting deep uncertainty about funding for programs that undergird their economies — just as Trump’s trade war has raised fears of a recession.

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