Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Children as Catalysts for Change

    Ukraine ranked No.9 on the list of countries with the highest amount of trash per capita. In Mykolayiv, the city partnered with a nonprofit to sort waste at public schools. “A total of 20,000 students took part last year, collecting, sorting, and recycling 119 tons of waste.” The program has proven successful, students compete for a top prize. Children are “our agents of change.” Other towns want to adopt the program in their own schools.

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  • A sustainable refocus helps a historic Chicago community rebuild

    Green developement has breathed new life into a once-declining town that suffered from the exodus of manufacturers. A comprehensive 10-year plan revitalized the local economy of Pullman, creating jobs and bringing new manufacturers into its abandoned buildings. Housing, transportation, public safety, and recreation were also part of the plan which was funded by tax increment financing in addition to federal funding and investments from companies located there.

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  • Heat Waves Kill More People Than Any Other Weather Disaster. These Cities Have A Plan.

    With rising temperatures occurring all over the world, cities are implementing plans to combat heat waves and protect its residents. The city of Ahmedabad in India has been a model for heat resiliency after it created its first heat action plan that centered around “community-focused social measures.” Because of the plan, a 2015 heat wave resulted in fewer than 20 fatalities compared with thousands of deaths in previous years. Other cities like New York City are also participating in heat resiliency efforts aimed at protecting all of its residents.

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  • In Italy, deserted railway buildings are patching up the social fabric and supporting migrants

    More than 400 social service centers occupy spaces abandoned by the Italian Railway Network. The sites are managed by social stakeholders but, unlike other national assistance centers, they do not require citizenship to receive benefits, allowing people who are often left out of government programs to receive food, basic medical care, and other services like laundry and a shower. Social service groups are granted the locations for up to five years, and nearly 25,000 people receive benefits across the network each year, the majority of whom are migrants, refugees, and citizens of other countries.

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  • An urban farm nourishes the poorest part of Philly as its growers fight to keep the land

    The Life Do Grow Farm in Philadelphia, run by the nonprofit Urban Creators, is a two-acre plot that yields food needed to feed the community who might not be able to make ends meet. Since June, the farm has distributed 65,000 pounds of produce, along with free children’s meals. But the farm is also a community gathering space for artists and entrepreneurs. While the land’s lease runs out in 2022, the nonprofit hopes to own it and highlight it as a “reimagination of city land, a radical collaboration in the service of empowering Black and brown communities in North Central Philly,” said the farm manager.

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  • Seattle's urban farmers are reclaiming public space

    Seattle’s urban agriculture community saw a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. BIPOC-led urban farms — like YES Farm and Black Star Farmers — had an increase in volunteers and people wanting to help provide food security, agricultural education, and land access to communities who don’t have their basic needs met. In the first half of 2020, the city of Seattle assigned plots of land to 439 new gardeners to pursue urban farming, with nearly half of them going to underrepresented populations.

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  • Why Las Vegas Is at the Heart of Western States' Water Conundrums

    After running out of water during a drought in 2002, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Water District took proactive steps to conserve the region’s water for future generations. Thanks to public service campaigns, outdoor water usage limits, and turf replacement programs, the region’s water usage per capita has dropped by 46 percent. However, many people still don’t fully comply with the city’s water regulations and the region continues to grow at an expanding rate. Yet, similar conservation efforts could be a model for other arid regions around the United States.

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  • Target Is Reopening Its Looted Store With Black Shoppers in Mind

    A Target store looted and destroyed near the site of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis, Target's corporate headquarters city, was quickly rebuilt with improvements informed by community input. The mostly white-run corporation's store previously had a poor reputation for service and for listening to its mostly Black customers. Led by a new racial justice committee, Target heard complaints about the store's wares, design, and cleanliness. The new store has earned praise from residents.

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  • Disinvested: How Government and Private Industry Let the Main Street of a Black Neighborhood Crumble

    A series of government programs designed to rebuild a neighborhood badly damaged by the 1968 Chicago uprising not only failed to achieve their goal, but actually made it worse. Hundreds of businesses in the Madison Street area of Chicago's West side were destroyed in days of rioting. Programs that emphasized clearing "blight" over building anew left vacant lots where new businesses might have emerged. Overall, "efforts turned out to be too scattered, too small and too susceptible to shifting politics to make a lasting impact," while opportunistic businesses cashed in without improving conditions.

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  • It Took a Group of Black Farmers to Start Fixing Land Ownership Problems in Detroit

    Two urban farmers launched a GoFundMe and raised $55,000 to help provide land security to Black farmers in Detroit. Through the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, they will select applicants to grow crops for five years and provide technical assistance to growers who want to purchase their own land. The amount raised is not enough to help everyone who needs it, but organizers hope city programs make land more accessible to neighborhood residents.

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