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In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity

Emily Nonko

November 20, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Peoria, Illinois

Green infrastructure provides a return on investment and improves the quality of life in a community. In Peoria, Illinois, the city’s Public Works Department has piloted several green infrastructure initiatives with the help of funding of a Bloomberg Philanthropies grant. Projects like the Well Farm at Voris Field, zero runoff streets are proving successful at capturing sewer runoff and creating economic value, while the youth volunteer PeoriaCorps are helping make the projects community-based.

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The least sexy, most important resilience strategy

Laurie Mazur

October 21, 2019 |

American City & County |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Norfolk, Virginia

Unprecedented challenges are frequently popping up with the onset of climate change, so governments too have to adjust their processes and strategies. Some new procurement tools used by several different cities include requests for ideas, competitions, and performance contracts. This article looks at two places using these new and publicly accessible procurement tools—Prince Georges County, MD, and Norfolk, VA—to see how it impacts their success.

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Grocery Stores and Local Recycling Centers Offer Solution to Plastic Bag Pollution

Emily Lanoue

September 25, 2019 |

Grady Newsource |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

Grocery stores across the nation have explored creative solutions to recycle plastic bags, including melting them into new bags and even using the material to build compact lumber and playground equipment. In Athens, Georgia, residents can bring their recyclables to the local Publix to be delivered to one of these specialty recycling centers.

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Fighting Gun Violence in Chicago, With Trees, Rakes, and Cleanup Crews

Brian Freskos

September 18, 2019 |

The Trace |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is trying something new when it comes to violence prevention: beautifying public spaces that have been known to be places of violence. The city has launched an official pilot program called Grounds for Peace, which partners with READI Chicago to provide jobs within the initiative to at-risk men. While the effort to beautify has shown a decrease in gun violence in other cities, Chicago residents approach this with caution, as the neighborhoods its working within are often neglected.

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Ideas from Oklahoma can help NC plan for future of increased flooding

Richard Adkins

September 17, 2019 |

WRAL-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Eastern North Carolina -- an area increasingly affected by flooding from hurricanes -- looks to Tulsa for long-term, financially sustainable solutions to routine flooding. Tulsa's comprehensive approach includes regulating building in floodplains as well as building vast drainage systems in all high-risk flood areas. The city implemented a storm water mitigation fee to residents' water bills in order to make flood insurance among the cheapest in the country.

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Drive-thru brothels: why cities are building 'sexual infrastructure'

Nate Berg

September 02, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia

Attitudes towards the legalization of sex work are changing around the world, and now some cities have even started considering public spaces for sex work while developing urban infrastructure plans. From Cologne, Germany (where there are "sex drive-throughs" that are equipped with safety features, facilities for rest, and toilets for the workers) to Amsterdam (where they are developing new rules for window-based sex work), governments are now increasingly inviting sex workers and their representatives to the negotiating table.

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Can tourists coexist with nature on Lebanon's Rabbit Island?

Olivia Cuthbert

August 30, 2019 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Lebanon, Palm Island

In a stark juxtaposition to Lebanon’s polluted beaches, just 150 off the coast lies Palm Island – more commonly known as Rabbit Island – seeking to remain pristine and pollution-free. Promapir, an EU-funded collaboration between Lebanon’s Environment Protection Committee and the Office d’Exploitation du Port de Tripoli, is charging visitors to help pay for rangers, trash disposal and maintenance of the plants and beaches. While a valiant effort, the real challenge will be changing the habits of those who visit to prevent them from leaving litter in the first place.

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Solar Panels as Solution for SEPTA's Power Outage Problems

Matt Delucia

August 26, 2019 |

WCAU-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Storing solar energy improves the resilience of public transportation systems to disruptions in the energy grid. With the potential of extreme heat or weather conditions to cause issues in the reliability of electrical power, Philadelphia’s SEPTA public transportation system has begun to invest in solar power. By storing solar energy in batteries at various hubs, the public transportation system can avoid delays caused by local outages.

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Chicago remade its 127-year-old rapid transit system. Are there lessons for Metro?

Lori Aratani

August 02, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Officials who want to improve Washington D.C.'s unreliable metro system look to the Chicago Transportation Authority to find examples of success in rebuilding a subway system. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel prioritized upgrading tracks and stations and has seen a large increase in daily riders and overall satisfaction with the system since the renewal took place. Now, Washington officials invite advice and collaboration in their quest to revamp the region's metro system.

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How Dutch stormwater management could mitigate damage from hurricanes

Nichole Marks

July 21, 2019 |

CBS News |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Designing room for rivers and coastlines can mitigate catastrophe. Following a massive flood in 1953, the Dutch government reallocated its resources toward disaster prevention and mitigation. Through measures like building surge barriers and reservoirs into recreational spaces, the Dutch have moved implemented defensive design methods. Additionally, by lowering some dykes, practices have moved from flood control to controlled flooding. The Dutch Water Ambassador serves a global role advising the UN and other countries about the Dutch engineering and design methods.

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