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What a City-Sized Sharing Economy Looks Like

Lauren Kaljur

October 05, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada

The First Nation–Municipal Community Economic Development Initiative is a nationwide initiative to foster positive relationships, empowering First Nation and municipal leaders to talk as equals. There have been hundreds of requests and 15 pairs completed the program. The goal is to foster joint economic development, but it also initiated discussions about the impact of colonization and ensures First Nations are represented in decision-making. Pairs have cooperated on infrastructure projects, such as highway expansions and solar farms, and have a renewed sense of being connected.

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Jersey City's Composting Program Expands During a Pandemic

Emily Nonko

September 16, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

Since the Jersey City composting program, over 50,000 pounds of disposable waste has been used to fertilize home gardens, parks, and community gardens, instead of going into landfills. While scaling the program is a challenge due to the lack of infrastructure for integrating composting as part of the city’s waste removal, residents were eager to participate.

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Lawmakers want to revive FDR's Depression-era "tree army" to help boost rural economies

Jason Nark

August 31, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal program to build outdoor recreation facilities, creating thousands of jobs during the Great Depression and building iconic state parks. Delaware programs, like the Senior Corps that enlists the help of people over 55, encourage civic engagement modeled after the CCC. Pennsylvania's Outdoor Corps hires young people to restore public lands over the summer. Congress introduced bills to revive CCC-like initiatives that could support rural economies hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, but environmental funding is not a priority of the current administration.

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On the Delaware, A Promising New Era in Cleanup of an Urban River

Jon Hurdle

August 20, 2020 |

Yale Environment 360 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Camden, New Jersey

Once known for being dirty, the Delaware River is being cleaned up by nonprofits and government entities to the point where they’re encouraging people to swim in it again. The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority diverted the flow of sewage at 52 municipal plants to a new treatment plant, which has kept 15 million gallons of sewage out of the river each day. While overflows have not been completely eliminated, a national advocacy group even named the Delaware its River of the Year because of its improvements in water quality.

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How the World's Largest Garbage Dump Evolved Into a Green Oasis

Robert Sullivan Jade Doskow

August 14, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Staten Island, New York

The former Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island is turning into a public park that will accept visitors in 2021. By capping the trash site with plastic, covering it with soil, and planting native grasses, city officials are restoring the area’s former tidal wetlands and scrublands; nearly 314 plant and animal species have already been sighted. While the successful closing of the dump nearly 20 years ago means that the trash is being sent to other neighborhoods in the United States where people dealing with economic hardship live, the project could be a model for sustainability and urban renewal.

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Waiting for a New Deal job program? These US parks are already hiring

Jodi Helmer

August 14, 2020 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Asheville, North Carolina

With many people out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some cities and nonprofits are creating outdoorsy job programs to relieve unemployment. Inspired by the conservation corps programs created during the Great Depression, North Carolina, Alaska, and Texas have these initiatives. The reliance on fundraising to pay workers can be a challenge, but these programs are providing jobs for nearly 250 people and are making some conservation progress. For example, the Carolina Climbers Coalition crew has already completed projects at state parks in the Southeast.

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Zion National Park's shuttles are falling apart, but there is no funding to replace them. Why?

K. Sophie Will

August 13, 2020 |

St. George Spectrum & Daily News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Springdale, Utah

As part of a collaboration between Zion National Park and the nearby town of Springdale, shuttle buses were introduced to limit the amount of noise in the canyon and deal with issues of over parking. However, those shuttles have now reached the end of their lifespan and threaten to disrupt the flow of tourists into the park. Efforts to replace the buses with an electric fleet, that could also reduce carbon emissions, have hit roadblocks as they’ve been denied federal funding.

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'Cool pavement' experiments help urban planners find ways to ease rising temperatures

Erin Stone

May 15, 2020 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

To combat the effects of rising temperatures due to climate change, Los Angeles piloted an experiment called “cool pavements,” where they coat streets with a light-colored sealant to reflect heat. Researchers are studying how effective this method is at reducing the urban heat island effect. Using a mobile sensor station, they found mixed results: While the surface temperature of the road was cooler, a person could feel warmer on the reflective roads. Figuring out how to balance different heat-mitigating strategies could be helpful as cities like Phoenix figure out how to implement cooling infrastructure.

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Appalachian solar advocates continue efforts despite setbacks, pandemic

Elizabeth McGowan

May 04, 2020 |

Energy News Network |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Virginia

A solar workgroup in Virginia is inviting developers to present information on the best ways to build solar and battery storage projects for the region; a new approach they are taking after previous failures in getting solar projects off the ground. Despite a lack of funding and local developers in the area, solar advocates are hopeful that the passage of a new energy law in the Commonwealth could be an economic incentive for commercial-scale solar projects.

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Greensboro's Art-Dotted Greenway a Respite During COVID-19, and an Economic Engine After

Cinnamon Janzer

April 28, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Greensboro, North Carolina

The Downtown Greenway in Greensboro was already underway when the coronavirus hit and it has turned out to be quite the respite and economic boon. The Greenway draws visitors in with trails, greenways, public art, local businesses, and "the first grocery store to open in 30 years in downtown.” $8.5 million was invested in the project, but it has already brought in $215 million in revenue. The Downtown Greenway was created in partnership with the city and nonprofit Action Greensboro, and while it's currently being used with social distancing, it'll still be there when the quarantine is over.

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