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.
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]
Saval's book, Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace (2014), examines the long-term evolution of the office, from its roots in nineteenth century counting houses to the cubicle, and considers how such workplaces, and the lives of its workers, could be improved in the future.[7] The book was a New York Times notable book of 2014.[8]
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]
