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What if what really matters in fighting crime is how well you know your neighbor?

David D. Haynes

March 21, 2018 |

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It turns out the old adage of knowing your neighbor really can help make your neighborhood safer. A study of more than 250 cities found that a key factor behind a drop in crime in the last 20 years was the mobilizing of citizens by nonprofit organizations like block clubs. In Milwaukee these “urban guardians” have helped bring communities together and foster safer spaces that also address urban blight.

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'We exist': Public art project gives India's transgender community a voice

Priti Salian

March 21, 2018 |

NBC News |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru, Karnataka

The Aravani Art Project is a project that works to raise the visibility and voice of the trans community in India. It does so by employing them to paint murals across the country (and even one in Sri Lanka) featuring slices of life as a trans person. It took time to build trust with the community at first, but eventually the people behind the project developed a system of idea conception to realization with their participants. Over time they have developed long-term relationships with each other, and the trans community is slowly becoming comfortable with having a public voice.

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How Curators Are Taking Over Vacant Spaces and Changing Cities

Amanda Arnold

March 01, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

All around the world there is a trend for pop-ups to take over empty spaces and give the spaces meaning for a short period of time. For instance, in a time when capitalism dominates society, the Museum of Capitalism filled an Oakland warehouse for two months to spark conversation on the topic. These pop-ups act as an educational resource, a creative asset to neighborhoods, and a more accessible way for artists to engage with social issues and a large audience.

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Guatemalan women transform their town one brushstroke at a time

Sara Schonhardt

February 07, 2018 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guatemala, Santa Catarina Palopó

In Guatemala, women are challenging traditional gender norms by playing a growing leadership role in their communities. Specifically, they are leading an initiative to paint local homes with patterns from indigenous weaving traditions. Not only are they making the towns more beautiful, but they are also demonstrating to young girls that women can do the same jobs that men can do.

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A Brighter Future for Run-Down Basketball Courts

Natalie Daher

February 07, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Dozens of basketball courts around the United States have received a beautiful and functional make-over. Project Backboard cleans, fixes, and beautifies outdoor basketball courts, effectively revitalizing the social practices of sport. The nonprofit hires local artists to work with communities, and those communities need to approve the artists’ designs before they are painted. Foundations have invested in this initiative, with its value being a key component to urban renewal.

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How Memphis Outsmarted Tennessee to Remove Its Confederate Monuments

Henry Grabar

December 28, 2017 |

Slate |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Memphis, Tennessee

While there is support among the Memphis government to remove statues of Jefferson Davis and Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Tennessee state government has passed legislation which stymied local efforts. In response, the Memphis government passed a law to sell public parks to a private organization and legislators established an organization to purchase the parks where the statues were located. Through this legal means, the statues were removed and this action was outside the state’s jurisdiction.

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An Abandoned Roman Salami Factory Becomes an Illegal, Inhabited Museum

Lidija Pisker

October 24, 2017 |

Atlas Obscura |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Italy, Rome

About 200 people from around the world, most of whom were homeless, occupied a former meat factory where they cleaned the space and set up homes. An Italian artist worked with residents to create a unique venue that exhibits murals, paintings, and installations of over 300 artists from around the world. The museum does not have a budget, the artists donate their works, and it operates on a democratic concept where artists from different backgrounds and styles work together. Despite not occupying the space legally, residents believe that the value the art offers to society prevented them from being evicted.

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Wichita Art Project Brings Fresh Look at the River

Josh Cohen

September 25, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Wichita, Kansas

While the passage of the Arkansas River through downtown Wichita is a natural place for activity, it took attractions to get people to come. The ArkArt project developed art installations along the river beautifying the location and providing a hook to drive pedestrian traffic.

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How a Free Grocery Store Is Cutting Food Waste—and Hunger

Rina Diane Caballar

September 12, 2017 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: New Zealand, Wellington

In an era when 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted each year, a nonprofit organization in New Zealand called The Free Store collects surplus food from cafes and restaurants to redistribute to the public - at no cost to the consumer. The Free Store, which started in Wellington and has spread across the country, opens its doors every weeknight to anyone in search of a free meal, regardless of economic background or status.

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Learning to defuse Islamophobia

Owen Mortner

August 21, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Most bus stops have an array of ads, but in Boston one sign reads “What to do if you are witnessing Islamophobic harassment.” The message is part of a part of a public awareness campaign rolled out by the city, which illustrates “how bystanders could help a victim of anti-Muslim behavior.”

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