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Nikil Saval (born December 27, 1982) is an American magazine editor, writer, organizer, activist, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represents the 1st district in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
Nikil Saval | |
|---|---|
 Saval in 2022 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 1st district | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Larry Farnese |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 27, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Shannon Garrison |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA) Stanford University (PhD) |
| Known for | Co-editor of n+1 |
Saval was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents from Bangalore[1] and grew up in West Los Angeles.[2] He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University with a B.A. in 2005 and received a Ph.D. in English from Stanford University in 2014.[1][3]
Saval was a co-editor of n+1,[4] as well as a contributor to The New York Times, and The New Yorker, covering architecture and design.[5] He currently serves on the board of directors of n+1.[6]
In his 2014 book Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, Saval traces the evolution of the office workplace, from 19th-century counting houses to modern cubicles, exploring how these workplaces—and the lives of the workers within them—can be improved.[7] The book was named a New York Times notable book of 2014.[8]
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Activism
Saval was a co-founder of Reclaim Philadelphia, an organization that formed out of the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign. His group helped elect Larry Krasner to district attorney of Philadelphia.[9] In 2018, Saval became the Ward Leader of Philadelphia's 2nd Ward.[10]
Pennsylvania State Senate
In 2020, he challenged Democratic incumbent Larry Farnese for his seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate,[2] earning the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders in May 2020.[11] Saval based his campaign around a Green New Deal, prison reform, guaranteed affordable housing, redevelopment of Philadelphia schools, and Medicare for All.[12] He beat Farnese in the primary and became de facto State Senator-elect, as he had no opposition in the general election.[12][13]
He was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America from 2014 through at least 2020.[11]
In 2022, Saval introduced the Whole-Home Repairs Act, legislation which aims to provide eligible residents with grants of up to $50,000 to make health-and-safety focused home repairs. Small landlords would also be eligible to apply for similar loans under the same program, and the state government would also invest in training qualified home-repair workers. This program is partly intended to help low-income residents become eligible for federal grants from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which subsidizes energy-efficiency upgrades for poorer residents. Despite Saval himself’s position on the left wing of the Democratic party, Saval’s bill has received signals of support from several Republican committee chairs.[14]
In 2024, Saval supported a legislative proposal to increase housing supply in Pennsylvania by reducing onerous zoning regulations that restrict housing. The bill would permit duplexes in small towns and fourplexes in mid-sized towns previously zoned exclusively for single-family housing, as well as permit accessory dwelling units in all areas zoned for single-family housing.[15]
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Saval is married to Shannon Garrison.[1] The couple live in Philadelphia with their son.[2]
- Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace (2014), ISBN 9780385536578
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