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Giving new life to vacant buildings can boost struggling towns

Eillie Anzilotti

August 15, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Newburgh, New York

In New York, an intentional form of housing development is keeping affordability in mind. Neighbors for Neighborhoods provides funding for locals to redevelop blighted property from land banks and rent it out as affordable housing. The parameters ensure local impact: there is a limit to how many properties an individual can rent out, and the properties must be rented to people making below 80% the median income in the region. The program has $4 million in funding so far.

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Transforming Tulsa, Starting with a Park

Patricia Leigh Brown

August 10, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Gathering Place is the name of a new park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a large-scale creative park project that, rather than receiving funding from the local government, was funded entirely through a local philanthropic foundation. One goal of the park is to bring different areas of the city together--though it remains to be seen if this will work as well as if privately-funded public spaces are effective in the future.

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What's Behind Buffalo's Public Art Boom?

Mark Byrnes

August 09, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Buffalo, New York

Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery created the position of public art curator in 2014. Since then, a combination of public and private funding has created site-specific public art across the city bringing prominent artists to Buffalo as well as involving local artists and community members.

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Trinidad seizes artist pursuits as economic development strategy

Carla Jean Whitley

August 02, 2018 |

Glenwood Springs Post Independent |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Trinidad, Colorado

One small town in Colorado has spurred economic development by implementing a strategy that focused on the revitalization of creative industries. As a result, Trinidad, CO, has seen a twofold increase in lodging tax income and restaurant sales tax as well as a drastic increase in profits from commercial building permits. Local artists recognized the potential Trindad could have as a creative district and brought the plan to city officials who were eventually able to take advantage of state programs and collaborate with a nonprofit to generate creative business, revitalizing the local economy as a result.

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Can Green Space Be a New Mental Health Treatment?

Linda Poon

July 30, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, a study has found that turning vacant lots into parks and green spaces helped reduce rates of depression in the poorest neighborhoods. These findings complement previous evidence that providing access to nature and greenery can impact mental health.

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A new 'floating park' made out of recycled plastic waste has popped up in the Netherlands

Jeremy Berke

July 28, 2018 |

Business Insider |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Rotterdam’s new Floating Park showcases how recycling can be put to use. Litter traps collect plastic from the river to prevent it from going into the ocean. Then, the plastic is recycled into hexagonal pods that are used as building materials for the floating park - creating spaces to sit, walk, and grow plants. Supported by the Recycled Island Foundation, this floating park is ideally going to be the first of many.

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A simple solution to help cities fight overheating: more trees

Adele Peters

July 20, 2018 |

FastCompany |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

Trees are an effective bulwark against summer heat, providing shade and cooling the air as water evaporates from leaves. A collaborative project mapped heat and other considerations in Dallas and picked the neighborhood of Oak Cliff to plant more than 1,000 trees. The ultimate goal is to revegetate the entire city.

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Feeding—and healing—the hood

Laura Paskus

July 20, 2018 |

The NM Political Report |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Project Feed the Hood, a community effort to increase food access and security for lower-income families, has established gardens and pilot programs at ten schools in Albuquerque. The program originally aimed to convert lawns into gardens while giving youth an alternative to military recruitment. Now, it is run by community volunteers and also offers paid internships for youth. “We’re here to resist, to reclaim our food systems, our community spaces,” explains one of the project's dedicated staff members.

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How Rwanda Tidied Up Its Streets (And The Rest Of The Country, Too)

Amy Yee

July 18, 2018 |

NPR |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Rwanda, Kigali

In Rwanda, "Umuganda" is compulsory community service once a month—citizens 18-65 must all clean up their local community. The rule is enforced by police officers who may stop citizens and force them to work on the spot. Though it's compulsory, one of the side effects is community pride.

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How the efforts of a single resident (and a few friends) beautified Yorkshire Woods

Aaron Mondry

July 10, 2018 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In the Yorkshire Woods neighborhood of Detroit, where there was once blight and vacant properties, there is now a community garden. Thanks to the enterprising efforts of Mose Primus, a community activist, the neighborhood has gained the funding, volunteers, and land to change the area. Little by little it is being restored to the tight-knit community of families it used to be.

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