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How To Make Hydropower More Environmentally Friendly

Matt Weiser

December 20, 2016 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Dover, Delaware

Dams make for complex and often controversial infrastructure. While hydropower generated from large dam projects is currently providing the bulk of the planet's renewable energy, dams can also cause major environmental and social damage by interrupting animal migrations, displacing indigenous communities, and collecting toxins. A number of solutions are being implemented, however, to address the various issues caused by dams, to help make them a more eco-friendly and viable source of clean energy.

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How Mysuru became India's ‘cleanest city'

Patralekha Chatterjee

November 17, 2016 |

Citiscope |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Mysuru

Mysuru has become a gleaming example for solutions to India's vaster struggles with solid-waste management, toilet construction, sanitation strategy, public outreach, and other measures. The city uses a decentralized model that leverages a mix of municipal resources, NGO leadership, civil society, and cooperation from proud residents and businesses.

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Cities Closely Watching Chicago's Version of a Fitbit

Tod Newcombe

November 15, 2016 |

Governing |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Already a model for the 'Smart City Trend', Chicago is now continuing its innovative streak by launching an "urban sensing" project, which will gather, analyze and publicize sensory data on the city’s air quality, traffic flow, and hyperlocal weather conditions. These sensors will not only provide the public with immediate and practical information about traffic, air and weather safety, but also guide city planners’ in designing energy efficient infrastructure.

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How Raton got its groove back

Staci Matlock

November 15, 2016 |

Small Towns Big Change |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Raton, New Mexico

By investing public money, developing a branch of a local community college, and encouraging locals to invest in their own hometown, the small city of Raton, New Mexico has begun to turn their economic hardships around. City officials have looked beyond cyclical extraction businesses like coal mining in order to think about long-term financial success for their community members.

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Rural economies get high on legal cannabis

Leah Todd Lin

November 15, 2016 |

High Country News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Trinidad, Colorado

Many small towns in Colorado who have previously struggled economically are now benefitting from the legal marijuana industry. The marijuana sales tax is helping towns pay for infrastructure and development efforts. However, local officials are wary of becoming too reliant upon this industry, as it may not be sustainable. For the time being, towns are using their extra tax dollars to build up their communities.

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Can Metro Detroit's municipalities cooperate?

Ellen Vial

November 14, 2016 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Faced with insufficient revenue to fund key services like fire departments thanks to state laws limiting tax rates, two communities in Southeast Michigan used another state law to form a regional services authority that levies a property tax to fully fund both cities' fire departments. The authority is looking to mentor other communities on how to do this. Similar regional cooperative agreements are in place at a larger scale in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Pittsburgh addressing things like transportation, regional planning and affordable housing.

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A Renewable Energy Revolution in Small-Town America

Nicolas Pollock Deborah Fallows James Fallows

November 03, 2016 |

The Atlantic |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Spearville, Kansas

Small towns across America are leading the shift towards renewable energy. Part of a series called "American Futures", this video visits Kansas, Pennsylvania, and California to learn more about green initiatives in biofuel, wind, and solar power. Although each solution is different, each are a new way of generating income for the residents of the towns and often comes with societal acceptance as well.

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There's No Business Like Snow Business

Marlene Cimons

October 28, 2016 |

Popular Science |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan, Tokyo

Instead of treating fallen snow as waste, several countries are using it as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel for cooling and air conditioning applications. Countries like Japan and Sweden collect snow and use snow cooling systems during warmer months.

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There's a Message for City Planners in Cape Town Plumbing Poll

Ann Babe

September 26, 2016 |

Next City |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town, Western Cape

If you’ve ever been to a music festival, you’ve probably stepped inside a chemical toilet. The blue, plastic toilets, are meant to be temporary. However, in post-Apartheid, Cape Town, they are permanent fixtures for a large population of mostly black, poor residents.

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The City That Unpoisoned Its Pipes

Anna Clark

August 08, 2016 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lansing, Michigan

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, has left the city in dire straits without funds or political will to replace its lead pipes. Less than fifty-miles away, the city of Lansing has managed to replace almost all of its pipes, even during the Great Recession. Between Flint and Lansing, divergent approaches to management of utilities, funds, and citizen health provide extraordinary lessons about what worked and what caused the failures.

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