Bad roads: Community bridges gap amid government neglect

Together Baton Rouge connects different organizations and individuals to collaborate on important community issues, such as advocating for needed infrastructure work. The group helped bring about the restructuring of a corporate tax break program that brought in $282 million in revenue in 2021.

Honor the Earth is an anti-data center coalition monitoring the construction of hyperscale data centers in or near indigenous land. Through their efforts, town halls, doorknocking, attending tribal council meetings and more, they’ve formed a community with people in agriculture and beyond, working to push back against data center construction and enact protections for communities. As a result of their efforts, the Tulsa City Council signed a 9-month moratorium on data centers, and the Seminole Nation also unanimously passed its own moratorium.

Kaua'i County Housing Agency uses a community engagement model for its master-planned affordable housing developments, involving community advisory committees, multiple public meetings, surveys, and online tools that allow residents to shape key housing and community decisions. The agency has applied this model for over a decade, with great results, including Lima Ola, a 550-unit workforce housing community.

The Cherokee Nation is addressing long-standing water insecurity and infrastructure challenges through proactive investments triggered by the passage of the Wilma P. Mankiller & Charlie Soap Water Act. By shifting from emergency fixes to long-term planning, the tribe has funded targeted infrastructure upgrades, leveraged state and federal partnerships, and used precise data assessments to pinpoint urgent community needs.

The city of Bangalore is combining traditional well-building practices with modern wastewater treatment technology to address the local water crisis. By getting the community involved, they’ve bolstered forgotten wells, integrated advanced filtration systems and made significant progress towards a more sustainable future. One community alone has revitalized 200,000 manholes over the course of eight years.

As violence between herders and farmers continues in other parts of Nigeria, the Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society in the Ga’ate community has found a way to coexist and benefit from each other. By setting up grazing areas for cattle, using the manure to fertilize farms and sharing security responsibilities, the community is able to grow several crops and provide basic aid to its people.

A community effort in Mansfield, Ohio, helped ensure the success of the Fourth and Main Street Area Urban Renewal Plan to revive the deserted downtown. The center of the plan was creating a park complete with a carousel, but it also included adding parking, demolishing vacant buildings, and cracking down on illegal activities in the area.

The Tamarindo Integral Development Association (ADI) has achieved success in a seemingly mundane task: taking charge of vacant lots. The ADI first borrowed use of vacant lots to start a farmers market and a soccer school. The group then mapped 40 vacant lots across the Tamarindo area. Now, the group is successfully working on reviving public spaces for the common good all across the town.

Chicago is asking its citizens, including youth, to help determine how to spend public money. Participatory budgeting involves communities identifying their greatest needs and guiding spending towards solutions.

Mysuru has become a gleaming example for solutions to India's vaster struggles with solid-waste management, toilet construction, sanitation strategy, public outreach, and other measures. The city uses a decentralized model that leverages a mix of municipal resources, NGO leadership, civil society, and cooperation from proud residents and businesses.