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Designing Accessible Communities

Anne Saunders

April 22, 2020 |

Business NH Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Design students are being taught about accessibility and the challenges faced by those who live with disabilities at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While new construction must comply with basic accessibility standards, the course is taught in an effort to make accessibility a bigger factor when architects and designers build new developments.

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Baltimore Social Enterprises Turn Abandoned Homes into High-End Furniture and So Much More

Scott Kirkwood

April 02, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

In Baltimore, a successful social enterprise collaboration involves employing formerly incarcerated people to deconstruct valuable old wood from abandoned homes, preparing the wood for production, then turning the wood into high-end furniture. The initiative has expanded by working with the U.S. Forest Service to repurpose fallen wood from around the country, and it has already found a new life for wood for at least 90 homes.

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Housing rents in big cities: What happens if we regulate them?

Pablo Jiménez Arandia

March 23, 2020 |

Global Government Forum |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Rising rents are being addressed through a variety of interventions in cities around the world. While rent control has worked in some cities, it has been a lesson of what does not work for others. Policies to keep rent affordable have included negotiations between tenants and landlords, limiting price increases, and even freezing rents. The effects - both long and short term - of these measures have all depended on the fluctuating variables in each city.

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Beside a Vast Graveyard, a New City Rises in Haiti

Jacob Kushner

March 21, 2020 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Haiti, Canaan

A survivor of Haiti's earthquake sought out a new home on an unclaimed plot of land which is home to one of the country's largest cemeteries. Madame Roy built a neighborhood from the ground up with the help of architects and funding from people who wanted to be residents of the future city. Roads, homes, a cistern, a soccer field, and a school were all built without the help of the Haitian government. 200,000 residents who lost everything in the earthquake have found a chance to start over in the new city of Canaan.

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Advocates eye community land trusts to increase access to homeownership

Martin Moylan

February 04, 2020 |

MPR News |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Minnesota

A nonprofit community land trust has helped increase the supply of affordable housing in Minnesota by buying the land beneath houses to subsidize homeownership. By owning the land and covering construction and repair expenses, the trust is able to keep the price of homes down even as values rise, keeping low and moderate-income households in their homes until they sell to the next family seeking affordable homeownership. The only drawback is that homeowners get just a small portion of any value gains in the home.

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An Atlanta Church and a Theater Nonprofit Find Sanctuary Together

Adina Solomon

January 29, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, College Park, Georgia

Collaborations can breathe new life into community churches. In College Park, Georgia, the College Park First United Methodist Church entered into a partnership with PushPush, a theater nonprofit formerly located in the metro Atlanta area. The partnership came about with the help of Good Spaces, a socially-minded real estate development organization.

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The Philippines Is Making Roads and Cement With Plastic Garbage

Claire Jiao

January 23, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Philippines

Discarded plastic can serve as construction material for major infrastructure and public works projects. In the Philippines, private companies like San Miguel are stepping in to participate in the government’s infrastructure projects. Companies are increasingly looking at closed-loop systems as a way to address plastic waste and drive construction projects. Nestlé and Unilver are among the other companies working to recover discarded plastics. Some of the programs offer incentives like cash for returned plastic waste.

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Kenyan scientist builds with bottles to beat plastic pollution

Nita Bhalla

December 13, 2019 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Gilgil

Repurposing plastic waste into construction materials reduces pollution and lessens the carbon footprint of construction. Eco Blocks and Tiles, an environmentally-savvy company based in Gigil, Kenya, manufactures roof tiles from discarded plastic and glass. The value-added product is more durable and lighter than clay. The company has received support through crowd funding and grants, and has also attracted the attention of Kenya’s National Construction Authority (NCA).

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A Construction Company Embraces Frank Talk About Mental Health To Reduce Suicide

Yuki Noguchi

December 12, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

Making mental health a priority at the workplace reduces the risk of suicide. The RK construction company in Salt Lake City has responded to employee suicide by changing its workplace culture. The company has implemented measures such as counseling services, mental health training for managers, and 24 hour access to counseling services. Work teams also practice “Toolbox Talks,” opening up and discussing issues with each other several times a week.

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The world's first 3D-printed neighborhood now has its first houses

Adele Peters

December 11, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Tenosique, Tabasco

3D-printed homes offer a solution to affordable housing in remote and underserved areas. New Story, nonprofit in San Francisco that specializes in 3D printed homes, recently expanded its work to Tabasco, Mexico. After using 3D printers to help communities in El Salvador, Bolivia, and Haiti rebuild after natural disasters, the nonprofit has brought its model to create an affordable neighborhood in rural Mexico. Partnering with Icon, the developers of a 3D printer, and a local nonprofit, Echale a Tu Casa, the initiative has created its first homes for residents.

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