Without an Address, You're No One

In Portland, legislation to legalize marijuana also includes a provision to provide funds specifically to marijuana businesses run by those disproportionately impacted by the "war on drugs." Now, Portland offers competitive grants to small cannabis companies so that entrepreneurs can thrive.

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.

In 2014, Dunkirk, France, launched a four-year initiative to become the country's largest city with fare-free public transit. The city rebuilt its bus system with 150 vehicles serving 200,000 residents, redesigning routes, improving vehicle quality, repositioning stops, and implementing 10-minute service intervals. The approach included daily bus cleaning, same-day repairs, smartphone tracking apps, and a testing phase with free weekend travel before the full 2018 rollout. The initiative has increased bus ridership by 165%, with 10% of users abandoning their cars altogether.

Seaweed farming on Pemba Island is allowing women to earn income and support their families. Improved cultivation techniques introduced by the Tanzanian government and The Nature Conservancy via a training program have not only accelerated economic but also environmental rehabilitation.

Sacramento’s Cannabis Opportunity and Racial Equity program is helping people who were adversely affected by discrimination during America’s war on drugs to start businesses in the regulated cannabis industry. Qualifying entrepreneurs receive wraparound support including funding and small-business education. So far, 10 dispensary licenses have been awarded to participants.

Community solar projects like the Oxon Run Community Solar Farm in Washington D.C. give lower-income communities a chance to reduce energy bills while helping the city meet climate goals. These solar farms are typically set up on vacant lots and the electricity is directed to specific users through the grid instead of used onsite.

Locally owned restaurant delivery platforms charge lower commissions than national giants like GrubHub, allow customers to order food on smart-phone apps, and have found ways to be profitable while also keeping money in local economies. While platforms differ by locale, cooperative models are increasingly popular. For example, Delivery Co-op in Lexington, KY provides customers with unlimited deliveries for a monthly fee, charges participating restaurants a flat monthly fee, and pays drivers a base salary plus tips, with benefits kicking after three months of full-time work and profit-sharing after one year.

Sustainable rural tourism on the Osa Peninsula has been combined with economic prosperity in a campaign known as Caminos de Osa. A mentorship program matches experts with local entrepreneurs to successfully set up travel destinations. 35 small businesses have been vetted and promoted by travel agencies and the project has created a tourism chain in rural Costa Rica, generating a source of income for small business owners.

An alternative to demolition - deconstruction - is the disassembly of old houses to reuse wood for new construction. “Old-growth lumber from big old trees” can be reused, diverting tons of material from landfills. The process can divert 95 percent of the material that would typically go to waste and end up in landfills. Some cities, like Portland, have successfully passed ordinances that require the deconstruction of buildings older than a century, making the market more competitive for the industry.

2020 was the first presidential election where a limited group voted using a smartphone app created by Voatz, expanding access to people with disabilities, those in Covid-19 quarantine, and people out of state due to an emergency. Advocates say it is cost-effective and secure, though many disagree. Voters are biometrically identified and matched to legal records. Ballots are cast on mobile devices and stored on the blockchain until Election Day, when they are printed and counted with other mail-in ballots. Use is expected to increase in the future and pilots are planned in Brazil and other locations.