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

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  • An Ohio Mill Town Lost Its Identity. Can Youth Sports Restore It?

    November 03, 2020 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Hamilton, Ohio

    The promise of a youth sports facility in Hamilton, Ohio, is already prompting financial development in the once-bustling city. The indoor sports complex, Spooky Nook, will be the biggest of its kind in North America. Currently, a complex by the same company has provided a significant boost to the economy in Mannheim, Pennsylvania. In Hamilton, vendors who had once given up on the economic revival of the Rust Belt town are now returning with high hopes for the local economy, especially now that 35 weekends in 2022 are already booked for events at the stadium.

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  • Chennai Ran Out of Water — But That's Only Half the Story

    October 30, 2020 |

    bioGraphic |

    Multi-Media |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

    The city of Chennai in India is engaging in wetlands restoration and stormwater management by using traditional knowledge and community action to reduce flooding and ensure that people have access to drinking water. Through a development program called Water as Leverage, they are implementing “slow water” projects that restore flow paths for water, which could provide greater water resiliency for humans and protect and restore natural ecosystems. While it can be difficult to get government engineers to embrace green solutions, public awareness of the environmental work is helping move the projects forward.

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  • Slow Streets Were a Success. Should Cities Keep Them?

    October 29, 2020 |

    Governing |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

    A pilot project in several American cities has provided a large amount of data on how residents use streets where vehicular traffic is restricted. The initiative tested out ways to calm traffic, provide space for families to convene and exercise, and provide safer bike lanes. A transportation analysis firm was able to provide detailed analysis for how each city responded to the changes, opening up ways for governments to "implement the best project for that specific need and measure against those goals."

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  • Beekeeping empowers women, brings in honey and lush kitchen gardens

    October 09, 2020 |

    Mongabay |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: India

    Almost 1000 women across remote and rural areas of India are caring for beehives as a part of the Under The Mango Tree (UTMT) network. The beekeepers have been employed through a social enterprise that aims to provide an extra source of income for farmers while working towards environmental conservation efforts. Beekeeping not only provided crucial income during the coronavirus shutdown, but it also helped pollinate home gardens, increasing produce output and enabling families to avoid markets during a time of social distancing.

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  • Harnessing Food Waste to Empower Communities in Brazil

    October 09, 2020 |

    Yes! Magazine |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

    Favela Organica is a social enterprise that address food insecurity, increases access to healthy foods, and reduces waste. The founder, Tchelly, has provided free courses to around 30,000 people in Rio’s favelas, mostly women, who learn how to repurpose food waste from local markets and grow produce at home. The premise relies on an integrated food cycle of growing food, utilizing all of it, and creating compost with what is left to fertilize the garden to grow the food. Students use the lessons to lower food costs and, for some, to increase the amount of food they can sell, which adds to monthly incomes.

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  • How Oakland Got Real About Equitable Urban Planning

    October 08, 2020 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

    Oakland is making an effort to make city planning more equitable to include the needs of communities of color. "Esential Places" is the second iteration of a program that started off as "Slow Streets" and was criticized by local residents for catering to "white and moneyed interests." The initial attempt was informed by survey respondents who were overwhelmingly white and rich. Meetings with community members in distressed neighborhoods resulted in different traffic challenges and pedestrian needs. The shift in policy planning has led to safer intersections with no collisions at previously dangerous sites.

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  • Of hemp's many uses, one of the most promising could be in construction

    October 06, 2020 |

    Ensia |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United Kingdom

    Hempcrete is made from the dried core of hemp stalks and a lime-based binder and can be cast into blocks and panels just like concrete. But unlike concrete, which emits CO2, hempcrete actually absorbs it while also reducing construction waste. Though not strong enough to be load bearing, it has outperformed other materials in terms of insulation, and is therefore an ecofriendly option for covering walls. Reducing the need for air conditioners in warm climates limits CO2 emissions even more. Hempcrete has been used to build new structures and retrofit existing ones in Europe and Australia.

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  • A tiny house, a big step

    October 01, 2020 |

    Boulder Weekly |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

    Tiny home communities across several American cities have helped alleviate homelessness amongst veterans with the work done by the Veterans Community Project (VCP). The organization has successfully housed and served homeless veterans by designing and building tiny home villages which partner with existing local organizations to provide wraparound services to help keep people off the streets. VCP has successfully deployed the housing-first model in Kansas City, Portland, Detroit, and LA and is now breaking ground in Boulder County for its latest project.

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  • Jumpstart trains developers to fight gentrification in Philly neighborhoods Audio icon

    September 29, 2020 |

    The Philadelphia Citizen |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Jumpstart Germantown and five spinoff programs trained about 1,000 people in the art of locally controlled neighborhood rehabilitation. The Jumpstart programs target particular neighborhoods, mainly mid-range housing stock with vacant and deteriorating conditions, and lend money to newly minted developers to fix and resell the properties. Housing rehabs maintain the character of neighborhoods, rather than gentrifying them or making wholesale redevelopment changes. Beyond the community improvement benefits, the program helps diversify the real estate business and provides employment opportunities.

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  • Kenyan engineers recycling plastics for bricks

    September 28, 2020 |

    Citizen TV Kenya |

    Video |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: Kenya

    Gjenge Makers Ltd is an alternative building product manufacturing company that creates products – such as pavers and blocks – out of recycled plastics. Founded by four Kenyan engineers, the team began by studying the manufacturing process and researching what products would do well on the market. They then built all of the machinery themselves, which break down the plastics, and then mix them with other building material products to ultimately create customizable plastic bricks that can withstand larger weight and are less expensive than concrete. They are popular in rural and lower-income areas.

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