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What If the Teen City Council Is Better Than the Grownup One?

Kriston Capps

July 05, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Takoma Park, Maryland

Takoma Park’s youth council may be the most powerful teen legislature in the nation. The city was the first to lower the voting age to 16 years old, so council members are not only communicating youth perspectives but also voting in local elections.

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Getting Student Power Into the Voting Booth

David Bornstein

July 04, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The ALL IN challenge implores leaders at colleges across the United States to better incorporate civic engagement education into curriculum and use non-partisan tactics to encourage students to register to vote. The recent push is in part a response to the discouraging results published by Tufts University in 2014 - during that year's midterm election, only 12 percent of college students voted, and for the 2016 presidential election, less than half cast their vote.

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Can the A.C.L.U. Become the N.R.A. for the Left?

Joel Lovell

July 02, 2018 |

The New York Times Magazine |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The ACLU has unrolled a new operation to counter human rights abuses under the current administration. They’ve hired more lawyers, taken 170 “Trump-related legal actions, and filed 83 lawsuits against the Trump administration. They’re also getting more engaged with electoral races, something they have never done before. “That’s the way we’re going to survive this. Pressure in the courts, pressure from the public.”

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Where Danes Butt Heads (Politely) With Their Leaders

Martin Selsoe Sorensen

June 23, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Denmark, Allinge

Thousands of Danes attend a political festival called Folkemodet every year to mingle with government ministers and corporate executives and enjoy live music, comedy, and art. The casual atmosphere allows participants to ask tough questions of their leaders in person. Participants say the festival helps them learn more about political issues and inspires them to become more politically active.

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Reviving the City: How an Asphalt Plant Turned Into a Public Park

Laura von Puttkamer

June 21, 2018 |

Urbanet |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Mexico City

By participating in the decision-making process, Mexico City residents successfully convinced the government to build a public park instead of an office development. The Parque Imán is 2.4 hectares, includes 163 trees, and the green space can potentially benefit up to 200,000 residents of some city boroughs. While there are some concerns about the soil quality in the park due to the adjacent asphalt plant, the park shows how participation from residents and transparency from the government allowed the public space to be built.

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Cities are getting more crowded: better design could stop violence

Edward Siddons

June 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Researchers found that more greenery in urban spaces reduces crime and this idea of combatting crime with good design is part of a discipline called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED. It spread around the world, but there also downsides. A new generation of CPTED advocates are expanding the field to consider social factors underlying crime and engage with local communities when designing projects because just discouraging crime is not enough to make spaces inviting.

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Jordan's young protesters say they learned from Arab Spring mistakes

Taylor Luck

June 05, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Jordan, Amman

Protesters opposing a proposed income tax hike in Jordan stayed away from polarizing language and avoided proposing structural changes to the political system, a shift away from rhetoric used during the Arab Spring. “This is a Jordanian movement for the core causes that affect all Jordanians: taxes, unemployment, and corruption,” said Mohammed Hussein, a 26-year-old protester. “We do not want a group to hijack this movement for their own agendas.”

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Tilden High School Civics Class Helps Students Affected by Gun Violence Find Fellowship, a Way Forward

F. Amanda Tugade

May 25, 2018 |

City Bureau |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Students in Chicago coping with gun deaths and violence among their families and friends find empowerment and support through teachers and administrators who encourage them to become active in national protests against gun violence. The students feel supported and also connected to a larger community and movement that helps them feel less isolated. It also sparked interest in getting active on other issues.

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Games in government: How to get public servants excited about work

Jennifer Guay

May 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Games can help government employees feel more engaged in their work. The United Kingdom’s Department of Work and Pensions uses a game called Idea Street to encourage innovation, and the City of Louisville, Kentucky, awards digital badges for creativity and collaborations. Sustaining staff interest in games can be a challenge. It helps to have clear rules and to align games with the top motivations of employees.

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Cities are crowdfunding more. But is it fair to ask the people to pay?

Anoush Darabi

May 08, 2018 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Brighton and Hove

Governments in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere use crowdfunded donations to restore historic areas and fund new developments. The approach can build democratic participation and community cohesion while plugging budgetary holes from falling tax revenue.

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