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

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  • Cities in motion: how slime mould can redraw our rail and road maps

    February 18, 2014 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Japan, Tokyo

    The twenty-first century city is a complex organism, and simulating it to anticipate traffic and transportation congestions can be problematic for urban planning. Researchers around the world from Japan to England have used slime models to simulate traffic and transportation patterns, observing realistic growths, congestions, and re-routing opportunities. Biomimicry demonstrates an unconventional but useful process to understand the pulse of the urban environment.

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  • Preparing for Disaster by Betting Against It

    February 12, 2014 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, necessity has bred an interesting kind of financial invention for the New York MTA: the world’s first “catastrophe” bond - a reinsurance for the insurer - designed to protect public transportation infrastructure, specifically against storm surge. These bonds privatize risk for public gain, creating a kind of tool that may protect economic development against all kinds of natural and man-made disasters around the world.

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  • The Robots That Saved Pittsburgh

    February 04, 2014 |

    Politico |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh

    Post-industrial cities can re-platform their economies by fostering institutions that drive innovation and attract both financial and human capital. By promoting long-term collaboration between universities, cultural institutions, and entrepreneurs, Pittsburgh has undergone a three-decade-long urban reinvention. With Carnegie Mellon University as an anchor, the city’s robotics research sector has attracted investment from government projects and venture capital, creating a ripple effect of growth and urban development.

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  • Smaller-Town Startups: 'Stopping the Brain Drain' in South Carolina

    January 25, 2014 |

    The Atlantic |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Greenville, South Carolina

    The "Next" Project in Greenville, South Carolina brings local government and companies together to create a business incubator to encourage new startups to launch -- and stay -- in the area. One such business, called the Iron Yard, acts as a sort of code academy, offering a 3-month bootcamp and guaranteeing that graduates of their program will find a job in the industry. So far, they've followed through on that guarantee.

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  • Using Giant Mirrors to Light up Dark Valleys

    October 22, 2013 |

    The Atlantic |

    Photojournalism |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: Norway, Rjukan

    Small towns located deep in the valleys of steep mountains, like Rjukan, Norway, and Viganella, Italy, can be cut off from sunlight for almost half a year but computer-controlled mirrors are helping to change that. The tailor-made, computer-driven motors on giant mirrors track sunlight throughout the day.

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  • How Utah Turned Its Unpopular Public Transit System Into a Hit

    October 21, 2013 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, Utah

    In the 1990s, Utah residents spoke out against a proposed light rail system. Just two decades later, the TRAX light rail system was completed early and under budget, with abundant community support. The Utah Transit Authority was able to accomplish this by working with local officials and planning groups; finding multiple funding streams; and clearly communicating the benefits of the light rail.

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  • Geothermal Energy in Developing Countries and the MDGs

    October 04, 2013 |

    United Nations University |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Iceland, Hellisheidi

    As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of balancing rapid development and energy needs against sustainability initiatives and conscientious practices, renewables continue to provide a growing, constructive alternative to fossil fuels. Geothermal energy in particular is a resource with vast potential, as unlike wind and solar it is constant (does not have low times for which energy must be stored) and it is accessible in dozens of countries. But it will require global cooperation to fully tap the potential and define a sustainable future in energy.

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  • The Next Wireless Revolution, in Electricity

    September 11, 2013 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Tanzania

    Phone lines in Africa and South Asia would never have gotten to the poor - but these places have leapfrogged over last-century technology and gone straight to mobile phones. Now the same thing is happening with off-grid solar power: the fastest -- perhaps the only – way to power the poor.

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  • How to Design a City for Women

    September 06, 2013 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Multi-Media |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Australia, Vienna

    Gender mainstreaming is the practice of creating “laws, rules and regulations that benefit men and women equally. The goal is to provide equal access to city resources.” Since the 90s the city of Vienna has adopted this into their urban planning, building things like apartment complexes for women, parks, and public transit that takes into consideration a women’s routine. In total, more than 60 projects to date have been built around this concept. “Once you’ve analyzed the patterns of use of public space, you start to define the needs and interests of the people using it," she explains. "Then planning can be

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  • The Real Future of Clean Water

    August 21, 2013 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: India, Bengaluru, Karnataka

    Water:Charity assumed that money and celebrity exposure would be able to solve the world’s access-to-clean-water crisis. But this approach often led to more abandoned water pumps. Charities – and journalists who cover them – are now working to concentrate on making their solutions sustainable.

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