Publisher's note.

TRANSITIONS ARE TRICKY. Smooth transitions sometimes come about by chance, but more often reflect a mountain of thought and preparation. Rough transitions come about even when you've worked hard to be ready, when chance trumps all preparation.

New York City will be making a transition of one form or another following the November election. As I write this, it's unclear whether that will feature a new mayor, or an incumbent mayor returning. For those who think a Bloomberg re-election guarantees four more years of the same, consider what's happened to George W. Bush as he nears the end of the first year of his second term, bereft of vision and ideas for a nation in desperate need of both.

So ideas are important. In this issue of City Limits, our staff has consulted with the experts and compiled no less than 20 "big ideas" (some bigger than others) for our next mayor to consider. It's an eclectic mix, from putting tolls on East River bridges to support for a hip-hop museum. Fully implemented, it would make for a dazzlingly provocative four years. We've probably ignored some great ones (and will undoubtedly hear about them from readers), but these ideas offer a challenging start for discussion.

Elsewhere in this issue, Gabriel Thompson reports on another tale of transition: Mexican migrants fueling a wave of development in their hometowns with their earnings north of the border. Remittances from ...