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Houston, we have a solution: How the city curbed homelessness

Henry Gass

November 18, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Across the country, governments at every level are working to tackle homelessness. In Houston, connecting permanent housing to services has proven an effective strategy but it has required an increase in affordable housing stock and more strategic organization between non-profits and officials.

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Creative Freedom

Gwynne Watkins

November 18, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

New York-based nonprofit, Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), runs theater programs for individuals experiencing incarceration as a way of improving mental health and reducing recidivism. While the United States’ criminal justice system has been focused on punitive measures, there’s been a trend toward rehabilitation across the country in recent years. Participants in RTA have shown a rate of recidivism of just 5% – compared to a 60% national average – but funding and sustainability remain a consistent hurdle.

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Turning Paris's underground car parks into mushrooms farms

Dougal Shaw

November 11, 2019 |

BBC |

Video |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: France, Paris

Mushroom farms are popping up in underground parking lots in Paris. The city, facing a surplus of lots as car ownership declines, has been holding competitions to find creative, new purposes for them. Urban farmers, Cycloponics, won one of these competitions and now operates three of these mushroom farms, selling their crops to local organic grocery stores in the area.

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Could a Tax Credit Reduce the Impacts of Philly Students' Debt?

Rachel Chernasky

November 05, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Leaders in Philadelphia are considering offering a $7,500 tax credit to college graduates who owe $35,000 or more. The city hopes that the program will help retain more talent and chip away at Pennsylvania's high levels of student debt.

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We've Had Terrible Fires. Why Haven't More Homes Burned?

Sharon McNary

October 31, 2019 |

LAist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

In and around Los Angeles, firefighters have been able to better respond to wildfires because of better equipment and more personnel. With more off-road trucks, fire helicopters, fire engines, and a new supercomputer system, the fires of 2019 have had less of an impact than in past years. But without a formal analysis – including one that takes into consideration external factors like socioeconomic status – it’s hard to concretely understand why there’s been less damage.

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In some states, the census is an investment. Not Connecticut.

Mark Pazniokas

October 30, 2019 |

The Connecticut Mirror |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Connecticut

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving granted $448,400 to 20 community organizations to support voter registration and the census. Connecticut did not earmark any money in the state budget for the census. Public libraries will use grant money to hire staff to help residents complete the census online, the method being encouraged due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The census is tied to federal aid and political representation so advocates warn that, despite being a federal responsibility, state funds are needed to support nonprofits and foundations working to ensure an accurate count of Connecticut residents.

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This Conservative City Built a $132 Million Park Using One Weird Trick

Zach Mortice

October 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After falling behind in urban planning and innovation in the 1990s and early 2000s, Oklahoma City created a limited-time sales tax called MAPS to pay for capital projects, like the new Scissortail Park. The tax consisted of a series of one-cent sales taxes and has brought in over $1.5 billion and has helped fund convention centers, other urban green areas, and more.

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California Just Legalized Public Banks. Will the Rest of the Nation Follow Suit?

Ananya Garg

October 04, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

In California, Governor Newsom recently signed into law a regulatory framework for public banking in the state. Public banking, a concept not without its detractors, has been established successfully in North Dakota and California hopes to follow suit to tamp down on frustrations that big banking institutions put profits over social good. Supporters of public banks see them as a tool to create positive community change and support historically marginalized groups.

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Finding Home: When Eviction Looms, Landlords Have Lawyers. Now More Tenants Do, Too.

Mary Newsom

September 30, 2019 |

WFAE |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

In North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County, they’ve allocated funding for tenants to have access to free legal aid, provided by Legal Aid of North Carolina, in their eviction cases. With eviction often being the start of a downward spiral, having legal representation can help people prevent or delay their evictions. Beyond funding some legal aid, the courthouse also provides residents with information about evictions and their specialty eviction court.

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Should Calgary have free-fare transit?

Hadeel Abdel-Nabi

September 24, 2019 |

The Sprawl |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Calgary, Alberta

Though Calgary already goes further than some cities in the public transportation sphere by offering a free-fare downtown zone, other cities that offer free transportation -- often through added taxes -- have seen drastic decreases in carbon emissions and cars on the city streets. One of these cities, Tallinn, Estonia, saw a 10% reduction in cars in the city center after introducing a free public transit system.

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