'Open streets' in Pennsylvania's cities: closing streets to cars, opening them to cyclists and salsa lessons
https://whyy.org/articles/open-streets-in-pennsylvanias-cities-closing-streets-to-cars-opening-them-to-cyclists-and-salsa-lessons?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Irina Zhorov
WHYY
28 May 2015
Text / Under 800 Words
Bogotá is largely credited with originating the concept of “open streets” —where city roads are closed to car traffic and given over to people for fun and fitness—but it has grown beyond that city, surfacing in Pennsylvania.
Unmasked! The Mexico City superhero wrestling for pedestrians' rights
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/09/unmasked-mexico-city-superhero-wrestling-pedestrian-rights?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Dulce Ramos
Sophie Hughes
The Guardian
9 November 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Clogged with traffic, crippled by poor infrastructure – the capital is notoriously hard to navigate on foot. Enter Peatónito, the activist fighting for safer streets.
The Suburb That Tried To Kill the Car
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/evanston-illinois-what-works-213282?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Mark Peterson
Politico Magazine
22 October 2015
Text / Over 3000 Words
Cars heavily influence building planning in the U.S. due to a historical preference for suburbs, but a town in Illinois improved its economy by thinking like a city. They created transit-oriented development which prioritizes pedestrians and attracts millennials.
Creating an environment that promotes health
http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/health/2016/05/17/creating-environment-promotes-health/84040720?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Lindsey Anderson
El Paso Times
18 May 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
In an attempt to address liver disease, diabetes, obesity and other health issues, Brownsville has launched a comprehensive, cohesive approach to promoting health, being named a model for other communities across the country.
How One Weekend in Dallas Sparked a Movement for Urban Change
http://nextcity.org/features/view/how-one-weekend-in-dallas-sparked-a-movement-for-urban-change?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Mike Lydon
Next City
20 April 2015
Text / Under 800 Words
A Dallas urban neighborhood was dilapidated with abandoned storefronts and offered no vitality for pedestrians. A group of artists and community members created Build a Better Block, in which local artisans and small businesses took over a vacant block and transformed it for a limited time to encourage the ingredients for more permanent urban renewal.
How Seattle Made Dark Alleys Safer—By Throwing Parties In Them
http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/how-seattle-made-dark-alleys-safer-by-throwing-parties-20150826?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Araz Hachadourian
Yes! Magazine
26 August 2015
Text / 800-1500 Words
Alleys in Seattle were once places of illicit, illegal, and unsanitary activity. The International Sustainability Institute in Seattle began organizing music and art events to bring in people, which, in turn, cleaned-up the crime and garbage. As an urban development strategy, adjacent vacant storefronts re-opened for business and beautification could be seen in new gardens.
How to Build a Better Neighborhood
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/18/how-to-build-a-better-neighborhood?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
18 June 2014
Text / 1500-3000 Words
The Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas suffered from recession-closed businesses and crime. Then community members used placemaking, in which people shaped their own environment to improve the quality of life, and the concept of Build a Better Block, which was a pop-up event showcasing art, food, music, and local faire. The idea gives citizens a fresh look at the possibilities through which to transform the space in which they live, and it has attracted attention across the country and around the world.
It's Not Just Nice to Share, It's the Future
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/its-not-just-nice-to-share-its-the-future?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
5 June 2013
Text / 1500-3000 Words
New York City’s brand-new Citi Bike program is not just a bike share. It’s the city’s contribution to the new sharing economy, in which people don’t buy things, but buy access to things.
Seniors Take Manhattan
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/senior-living-initiatives-ill-take-manhattan-114227?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker#.VYmluvlViko
Debra Bruno
Politico Magazine
13 January 2015
Text / Over 3000 Words
Cities tend to be dangerous and difficult places to live for older residents. A private public partnership in New York is catering to seniors through small changes in the city such as para-transit options and seniors-only hours at public establishments.
Why Sweden has so few road deaths
http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/02/economist-explains-16?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker
The Economist
The Economist
26 February 2014
Text / Under 800 Words
Sweden's "Vision Zero" program has used a comprehensive approach to infrastructure and regulation to drastically reduce traffic-related deaths, making Swedish roads the safest in the world.