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It's time to step away from the shiny object

Sara Hudson

June 04, 2018 |

FastCompany |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Anchorage, Alaska

By focusing on redefining a problem and finding a human-centered solution, government agencies can make more sustainable change than by merely using a temporary technology fix. In Anchorage, civil servants used behavioral design to redesign a debt collection letter. Though not so glamorous, this solution saved the government money, increased the rate of people who pay debts on time, and pushed the government to reassess their processes to better serve residents.

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A Blueprint for Human-Centered Change

Zack Quaintance

June 01, 2018 |

Government Technology |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In Michigan, private design firm Civilla successfully pitched a human-centered redesign of the state's unwieldy and redundant public benefits form. By highlighting and emphasizing the experience that applicants had with the old firm, Civilla convinced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to make a change, and the new form is now 22% more likely to be completed.

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Can ‘Tennessee Promise' of free tuition offer lessons for Seattle and Washington?

Katherine Long

June 01, 2018 |

The Seattle Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Nashville, Tennessee

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan looks to Tennessee's initiative that offers free community college education for every high-school graduate in the state. Only one year after Tennessee became the first state to offer such assistance, the college enrollment rate by five percent.

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The Power of Coaching

Jill Harkins

June 01, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Women’s Way, a new Philadelphia-based program, aims to promote economic equality through women’s financial empowerment initiatives. Based on a successful model in Delaware, the program uses financial coaches to help participants reach personal finance goals. It is also part of a broader initiative to decrease poverty while also changing the narrative about how people talk about the issue.

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Leave No Worker Behind

Samantha Harvey

June 01, 2018 |

Earth Island |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Mississippi

A decades-old principle called “just transition” has made international headway in the fight against climate change and toward equity and sustainability. Fundamental to the principle is transitioning from a capitalist system to a localized one that prioritizes cultural inclusion, local economies, decarbonization and environmental justice, and food sovereignty. But as this idea reaches prominence on the global stage, those that have been involved for years worry that its core meanings, morals, and actions will be co-opted.

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Mansfield vs. Hamilton: An examination of two Midwestern legacy cities

Brittany Schock

May 30, 2018 |

Richland Source |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton, Ohio has achieved recent success and growth by focusing on “placemaking,” investing money so they city is a place that will attract jobs and talent. This is part of Vision 2020, the city’s plan for decision-making that will promote public-private partnerships and economic development. Mansfield, a city that is by some metrics struggling to catch up with Hamilton, is looking to Hamilton for ideas it can try, too.

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Environmental impact bonds can help cities invest in green infrastructure

Laurie Mazur

May 25, 2018 |

Ensia |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Environmental impact bonds (EIBs) are a relatively new form of financing that combine private investment with government funding in a “pay for success” model. They are different than municipal bonds in that they are intended as a more experimental approach: for instance, Washington, D.C. started using EIBs to test green infrastructure and evaluate the results. Though all current EIBs are too early-stage to show formal evaluations, they are helping promote sustainability initiatives in D.C., Baltimore, and Atlanta.

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London's Big Push for Better Design

Feargus O'Sullivan

May 23, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Public Practice is the name of a new London social enterprise that is placing top urban planners in local government authorities. The program aims to incorporate skilled urban planners in essential city tasks: building affordable housing, developing better infrastructure, and improving city spaces. Though only in its first year, the program hopes to continue to help “London build more inclusive spaces.”

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How 6.5 tons of trash generated at an IPL match gets managed in Bengaluru

Seema Prasad

May 23, 2018 |

Citizen Matters |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru

At Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, some 40,000 spectators per match are testing a waste management system that helps reduce pollution and encourage recycling. The program has shown promise. To boot, the project provides an opportunity to educate captive audiences about waste management.

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Australia's Immigration Solution: Small-Town Living

Damien Cave

May 21, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Australia, Pyramid Hill

A town in rural Australia found an unexpected solution to its seemingly inevitable collapse through population decline: by welcoming immigrants even as Australia's urban centers attempt to restrict immigration. In Pyramid Hill, a pig farmer was the first to prove the potential of the idea when he hired 4 Filipino workers to work with him as he entered retirement; now, the area is seeing population growth, new homes, and other signs of success.

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