The Providence Eye

Summer is heating up. Providence residents can visit their local splash pad or pool while data suggests beach access is still an issue for lower-income communities in the state.

Who Gets a Beach Day in the Ocean State? Providence Turns to Water Parks as URI Measures Inequitable Shore Access Providence splash pads and pools opened up on Monday, June 29, offering places for neighbors to cool down from the summer heat. Christian, a 15-year-old visiting his father for summer break, was the first to jump in the water when city officials reopened the Joslin Park splash pad. “I came here wi...

In 2025, Providence saw 1,630 housing code cases with the majority centered around lead, debris, weeds, pest infestations and unsanitary living conditions. Despite the focus on building new units, Providence still has the oldest housing stock in the state—the median age of a housing unit in Providence is 85 years old, being built in 1939.

To keep the city’s aging housing stock safe and livable for residents, Providence’s new budget continues investing in code enforcement and low-cost financing for home repairs. https://pvdeye.org/housing-code-violations/

On May 18, RIDE Commissioner Infante-Green signaled that the battle for control between the state and city was still far from over. She issued a new list of 15 conditions that the Mayor and School Board would need to meet over the next 13 months for her to even consider a return before July 1, 2027.

Then, on May 20—in a stunning reversal—she announced that the six-year state takeover of Providence Schools will end effective July 1 of this year.

The sudden return to local control illuminates a long list of potential local disputes that will come with the shift of authority from state to local government.

Read more at pvdeye.org.

Chef Rollie Wesen will be joining The Providence Eye next Monday, May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Farm Fresh building for an engaging conversation about the past, present, and future of Providence as a culinary city.

I’m a Chef Who Believes Providence is America's Greatest Food Town. Here’s Why. - The Providence Eye Since my wife Claudine Pépin and I arrived here in 2011, I have come to realize that per capita, Providence is one the best food towns in the country. This is the result of a number of factors, including: great agriculture and farmers, skilled chefs with a farm-to-table ethos and authentic cultural...

This week, security consultant Teneo is asking people at Brown University to share their input on campus security changes after December’s mass shooting.

Brown University’s Security Review Enters Final Phase. How Will Campus Change? - The Providence Eye Brown University students returned to a different campus in January. New emergency phones appeared in front of their dorms. Twice as many police officers were on patrol. Private security guards checked for school IDs as they entered the library. New cameras watched them travel to class. This week, s...

“This is a perfect example of why curation matters,” said Nicholas Platzer, a founder of Conflux Art Projects and the former mural manager at The Avenue Concept. “[...] To do this well, there’s so much planning that goes into all of these projects.”

Watching Controversy from the Other Wall: Providence Mural Community Reflects on Role of Public Art - The Providence Eye A 43-foot tall, 38-foot wide mural on the side of Downtown bar The Dark Lady shows an outline of a blond woman framed by blue geometric shapes. Just one eye is finished—the rest of the face remains a beige and blue outline. The bottom of the mural, in gold plated lettering, reads Iryna Zarutska, 2...

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