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  • This revolutionary housing reform bill out of Portland would bring relief to tons of Philadelphians

    September 16, 2020 |

    The Philadelphia Citizen |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

    Portland's new policy allowing for multi-family homes resulted from a long campaign of coalition building to address a need for middle-income housing that often gets overlooked in many cities. Although the Residential Infill Project will not take effect until August 2021, its enactment offers cities like Philadelphia lessons in strategic policymaking that overcomes entrenched views at opposite ends of the income and class spectrum, from property owners concerned about declining home values and advocates for low-income housing concerned about gentrification.

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  • How social-distancing symbols are changing our cities

    September 16, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: France, Paris

    Across the world, local governments and communities are looking for ways to draw boundaries that guide people's behavior towards social distancing. Although the perfect sign has yet to be determined, urban psychologists and researchers have found that community created signs as well as France's "wave-shaped sign" have inspired loyalty and a shared goal.

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  • Will the Special Investigative Unit decrease gun violence in Flint? Audio icon

    September 15, 2020 |

    Flint Beat |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Flint, Michigan

    In the first full month since it was created to take illegal guns off the street, Flint's Special Investigative Unit seized 64 firearms and made dozens of arrests. The unit's predictive policing approach relies on data that tell the police where gun crimes are concentrated. Critics contend that focusing enforcement on historically high-crime areas creates a feedback loop of racially disparate policing, in that more cops in a neighborhood means more arrests, which in turn invites more enforcement. Targeted gun enforcement has a mixed record of crime reductions and racial inequities.

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  • Women Data Scientists Created GPS-Driven App to Help Kenya Keep Covid-19 Numbers Low

    September 11, 2020 |

    Zenger News |

    Multi-Media |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: Kenya

    Women in GIS Kenya created a digital tool that helps the government track the number of Covid-19 cases, recoveries, and confirmed deaths, as well as the number of tests administered. The online database combines a survey that assesses a person's symptoms with cellphone GPS data to create a map of current hot spots and recommend treatment locations. The government credits the tool, which can also predict high-risk areas vulnerable to future outbreaks, with helping to keep Kenya's COVID-19-related deaths relatively low compared to other countries. The tool is popular among younger, tech-savvy populations.

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  • The buildings heated by human warmth

    September 08, 2020 |

    BBC |

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    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Sweden, Stockholm

    Harnessing body heat provides energy-saving heating to commercial and residential buildings. The Stockholm Central station in Sweden and the Mall of America in Minnesota both capture body warmth to provide some of the buildings' heat. Each has over 100,000 daily visitors during non-coronavirus times, generating substantial heat that can be captured by energy-efficient construction. Body heat is also utilized in residential spaces, where thermal insulation helps keep the warmth inside. Using body heat requires energy-efficient building materials and generally cannot provide all of a building's heating needs.

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  • Will API Small Businesses Survive in Post-COVID Era?

    September 05, 2020 |

    Rafu Shimpo |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

    Business counseling for struggling entrepreneurs has been crucial for small businesses trying to get back on their feet in the aftermath of the shutdown. The Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program was specifically formed for Asian Pacific Islanders, who failed to find help because of language barriers. API SBP brings together different business communities to work collaboratively and pool resources. In addition to rent relief, navigating changes to PPP, and finding available grant programs, counselors have recently assisted businesses with social media presence and building websites.

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  • Maryland Stands Up Online Grants Application in Just 8 Hours

    September 02, 2020 |

    Government Technology |

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    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Maryland

    The Maryland Department of Information Technology adapted an existing system to quickly distribute small-business grants and loans due to Covid-19. The Maryland OneStop platform, a single site for state licenses, permits, and certifications, was built with an agile approach decoupling front-end user experience from the back-end where the program does the work, which allowed quick front end modifications to launch the loan and grants online when coronavirus hit. The system processed 18,000 applications in the first 3 days and 56,000 within a month. The success was preceded by many years of planning and work.

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  • Rural California Transit Agency Reinvents Itself During COVID

    August 31, 2020 |

    Governing |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, California

    The coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced the ridership of the Monterey-Salinas Transit District, so the system shifted services to help the mostly rural community it serves. Despite cash-flow problems, unused drivers and vehicles helped Meals on Wheels deliver 8,000 meals to seniors and persons with disabilities, wi-fi-enabled commuter buses parked in rural areas to provide hot spots for students, and the system donated unused vehicles to groups serving veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and at-risk youth. The system continues to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances.

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  • Hope, the Senegalese app that saves lives by optimizing blood donations

    August 30, 2020 |

    Heidi.news |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Senegal, Thies

    An app developed by a two telecommunications design engineers in Senegal is helping to connect hospitals with blood donors. The app alerts donors in nearby areas when blood is needed and sends "messages of thanks and donation reminders," which has helped to decrease the regional stigma about donating blood. Although the technology has not achieved widespread adoption, where it has been used, blood donations have significantly increased.

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  • How Many Coronavirus Cases Are Happening In Schools? This Tracker Keeps Count

    August 28, 2020 |

    NPR |

    Multi-Media |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Kansas

    The National Education Association has launched a school-focused COVID-19 case tracker in the U.S., all thank to the efforts of a Kansas theater teacher. Alisha Morris started with an excel sheet and took to online searches to start logging the number of positive cases, first around her state, and later was tracking 48 U.S. states. By the time she handed off the data to the NEA, Morris, along with various volunteers "had logged over nearly 4,300 cases at more than 1,000 schools."

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