Dozens of American communities have looked at their own futures and decided, collectively, that disappearing was the better option. The psychology behind those votes hasn't changed much — and neither has the argument. Visit the places where towns used to be and you'll find a surprisingly consistent blueprint for how humans agree on an ending.
Mar 13, 2026
When yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox swept through American cities, the boundaries drawn around infected communities rarely followed the science — they followed the money. The ghost towns and fractured neighborhoods those decisions left behind are still out there, and they still have things to say about how Americans argue over collective risk.
Mar 13, 2026