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Government data is transforming France

Anoush Darabi

November 26, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

In France, a digital transformation is taking place. To lay the groundwork, the country passed the Digital Republic Act in 2016, which mandated local and central government to publish documents and public data, a significant step toward transparency and open data. Government taskforce Etalab, which has attracted top tech talent, built on that foundation by launching data.gouv.fr, a portal that hosts over 40,000 public datasets, and other organizations have coordinated collaborative open data projects between cities.

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Care package: the French postal workers helping lonely older people

Angelique Chrisafis

November 23, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France

France's postal office is combatting declining letter-writing by using their services to tackle another problem: the increasing number of elderly people living alone. With the new service "Watch Over my Parents," postal workers in rural France check in on the elderly and provide some company while delivering the mail - so far, the system serves 6,000 people, with an average age of 82 and a minimum cost of €20 per month.

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How 'fixing rooms' are saving the lives of drug addicts

Mattha Busby

November 21, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Denmark

In Denmark, drugs users can safely get high inside “drug consumption rooms.” One of those is Skyken, users have access to clean needles, are allowed 24 hour access, and nurses can treat overdoses with antidotes. Evidence shows these types of rooms reduce deaths. “Drug consumption rooms reduce the risk of fatal overdose, reduce public injecting, and increase access to health and treatment services.”

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Denver Becomes the Latest City to Take Mental Healthcare Into Its Own Hands

Jason Plautz

November 21, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Colorado has recently adopted a new .25 percent sales tax to create a pool of funding for mental health and addiction services. The initial funds are earmarked to create a new mental health center, while the overall vision for the funds is to create services to move addiction to a public health rather than a criminal issue.

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What went wrong with New Orleans transit?

Tanya Snider

November 20, 2018 |

Politico |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans

After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans' public transportation system had to be rebuilt, but poor planning and the nature of transportation investments means that the new transit system still doesn't work for those who need transit to access jobs and opportunity. The story of New Orleans is one that other cities can learn from to ensure they plan for transportation systems work for everyone.

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'Rhino Coin': Can a Cryptocurrency Help Save Africa's Rhinoceroses?

Adam Welz

November 20, 2018 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Johannesburg

Some South African ranchers who raise rhinos legally are advocating for a block-chain currency "Rhino Coin." They argue that secure stockpiles of rhino horn could generate much needed funding for wild populations. But the plan is fiercely opposed by many conservation groups, and its success depends on whether or not a global ban on trading horn ends.

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Philadelphia's Secret Ingredient for More Civic Engagement: a Lot of Food

Andrew Small

November 16, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food and common passions are bringing people together for solutions-oriented conversations about the communities they live in. The Knight Foundation’s “On the Table” series started in Chicago and has now expanded to 30 cities. It’s an all-day event to encourage civic dialogue.

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California Wildfires Destroy Homes and Lives. Why Do Regulators Encourage Building in Fire Zones?

Christian Britschgi

November 14, 2018 |

Reason |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

In California, Proposition 103 – a decades-old ballot initiative – disincentivizes homeowners affected by wildfires to rebuild in less fire-prone zones. The proposition – which can only be reversed through another ballot initiative – bars insurers from raising their rates based on future risks, meaning people who live in fire zones are not paying a higher rate. Furthermore, because of these regulations and the lack of response to the problem, insurance agencies often err on the side of caution and won’t sell policies at all, leaving some people uninsured entirely.

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Tanzanian Farmers Crack the Code for Fighting Land Grab

Kizito Makoye

November 13, 2018 |

OZY |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Tanzania

Indigenous people in Tanzania are using “legal expertise, political pressure and smart solutions like land mapping to win back plots — and then secure them — from corporations they accuse of using loopholes to grab territory.” While indigenous people live in most of the world’s land, they legally own less than ten percent of it. By mapping their territory and publically registering land, it is much harder for corporations to take control.

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To solve its housing affordability crisis, Boston has turned to residents

Lauren Greenawalt

November 09, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

When local policy initiatives fail, it is often because they are not meeting local needs in a way that residents want. The Boston Housing Innovation Lab, know as the iLab, seeks to combat this challenge. So far, it has used creative approaches to let residents “experience” a policy- such as walking through an example compact house to give feedback on its design. This process informed feedback that otherwise would have been difficult to glean. By constantly seeking to understand users, the iLab and local Boston housing groups will be better equipped to create policies that actually help community members.

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