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Pump House, city look to the future

Courtney McNaull

March 15, 2018 |

Richland Source |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Ohio

In Ashland, a pump factory turned into Pump House Ministries. However, after facing several fires and unfortunate tax trouble, the non-profit handed most of its property over to the local government. The city and charity are learning from their mistakes. Both want to see the building used as a community space that benefits residents. The city wants to engage city planners to get it right this time. (This is the third article in a four part series).

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The 'Most Hopeful' New Housing in Turkey

Jennifer Hattam

February 23, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Turkey, Düzce

After an earthquake devastated the town of Düzce, Turkey, residents banded together to create a housing cooperative and later Düzce Hope Studio, a group of pro-bono architects and engineers working to help rebuild the town. What makes the building team unique is that the design process included and valued residents’ voices. Yaşar Adanah, an urban researcher, states, “What’s happening in Düzce is a rare example of a holistic approach to housing that can be a model for other neighborhoods.”

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How the Cuyahoga County Land Bank revitalizes homes

Ron Regan

December 27, 2017 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

At the worst point in the 2008 housing crisis, up to 30,000 houses in Cuyahoga County were vacant. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank aims to fix this problem by acquiring houses, eliminating blight, and transforming the houses into more useful spaces. Already, the Land Bank has turned old, empty properties into a Children’s Museum and an Amazon Fulfillment Center, and it has decreased the number of empty homes to about 7,000.

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Rana Plaza

Tulip Mazumdar

December 26, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Bangladesh, Savar Upazila, Dhaka District

As large cracks appeared in the walls of Rana Plaza, workers’ safety concerns were ignored until the building collapsed, killing 1,134 and injuring many more. New regulations and organizations are improving worker safety in Bangladesh, but factories are picking up the bill more than retailers and customers. This puts increased production pressure on workers, who also cite low wages and gender disparities in leadership positions as continuing problems.

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What Vancouver, B.C., can teach us about housing

Gregory Scruggs

December 19, 2017 |

Crosscut |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

As Seattle's real estate prices continue to rise, the city looks to Vancouver, BC's attempted solutions as a way to tackle affordable housing. While many responses in Vancouver need adjustment and correction, the city's multi-tiered response to skyrocketing housing prices encourage using a comprehensive approach to the issues in the housing market.

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Chicago Designer Offers a Model for Repurposing Closed Public Schools

Nina Feldman

October 27, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

In the aftermath of Chicago closing almost 50 public schools, urban designers are testing creative uses to keep the buildings functioning as community spaces. Overton Elementary is being transformed into the Overton Business and Technology Incubator, a space for local businesses. The developer is deliberately working with locals to involve the neighborhood in the building process and keep the space accessible to the community.

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With storms intensifying and oceans on the rise, Boston weighs strategies for staying dry

Eric Bender

October 24, 2017 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Boston and other flood-vulnerable areas are having to build for the future to prevent water damage from hurricanes and other natural disasters, especially as climate change makes storms stronger and bigger. Boston is researching the feasibility of a seawall as well as building other barriers at critical points, attention is being paid to preventive efforts in order to minimize future damages.

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Finding Our Power

Kirsi Jansa

September 14, 2017 |

Sustainability Pioneers |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is one of the 2500 cities and groups that are part of the "We Are Still In" network, supporting the Paris climate agreement. The city built what officials call "the greenest public building" in America, the Frick Environmental Center. By devoting funding to green construction and using an integrated design approach, the city and its leaders are showing the commitment needed to tackle climate change and create a more sustainable future.

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Should California look to Massachusetts to fix its housing crisis?

Matt Levin

September 13, 2017 |

CalMatters |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

The California Legislature, inspired by a decades-old Massachusetts affordable housing bill, recently passed SB 35. However, a few differences distinguish the two bills. In Massachusetts, the 40B bill fast-tracks development projects that include 20% affordable units in cities that have below the mandated amount of affordable housing. California’s bill rewards affordable housing projects, but it also rewards projects with above-average income housing. Still, the bill is a big step forward in the fight for more affordable housing at the state level.

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Solar roof tiles offer tech boost for Kenya's rural classrooms

Justus Wanzala

August 25, 2017 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Murang’a

In Kenyan schools, the use of “building-integrated photovoltaics” (BIPV) acts as an innovative way to get solar energy to schools. Variations of these solar tiles have spread internationally, aided by companies like Tesla. However, the impact in these Kenyan schools means students can do school work after dark and benefit from consistent computer accessibility, and schools can better plan and budget for energy use during the school year.

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