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  • In Seattle, Protests Over Racial Equity Turn to Land Ownership

    Over 1000 community members gathered to demand officials keep a 2016 promise to give a vacant publicly-owned fire station to the Africatown Community Land Trust. The station is in a historically Black and quickly gentrifying neighborhood and the trust wants to turn it into a resource center to develop the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. As citywide protests for racial equality spread, the city abruptly agreed to turn it over. The group also wants more unused properties turned over to Black community ownership and for the city to develop an anti-gentrification land acquisition fund.

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  • A Portland foundation's infusion of talent and money helps set small Maine town back on its feet

    A Portland-based foundation has revitalized a small town in Maine with the establishment of an arts colony, reconstruction of old buildings in downtown, and a full health center - a rarity for small towns. A declining population and the shuttering of major businesses contributed to the decline of Monson. The Libra Foundation's philanthropic efforts have spurred enthusiasm within the town well known for being the last stop along the Appalachian Trail.

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  • Greensboro's Art-Dotted Greenway a Respite During COVID-19, and an Economic Engine After

    The Downtown Greenway in Greensboro was already underway when the coronavirus hit and it has turned out to be quite the respite and economic boon. The Greenway draws visitors in with trails, greenways, public art, local businesses, and "the first grocery store to open in 30 years in downtown.” $8.5 million was invested in the project, but it has already brought in $215 million in revenue. The Downtown Greenway was created in partnership with the city and nonprofit Action Greensboro, and while it's currently being used with social distancing, it'll still be there when the quarantine is over.

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  • Designing Accessible Communities

    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

    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?

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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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