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Federal Tax Credits and Local Dollars Keeping Akron Downtown Lively

Sandra Larson

June 26, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Akron, Ohio

The Akron Community Revitalization Fund has already invested in the development of downtown Akron, a city once known for rubber manufacturing but now working to redefine itself. The revolving loan fund is comprised of funding from grant-making organizations, banks, and a New Markets Tax Credit. It aims to jumpstart more private investment into the city, including Northside Marketplace, a new hotel, and office space.

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Always Under Construction

Sara Hudson

June 26, 2018 |

Slate |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

To resolve road construction communications with frustrated drivers, the New Orleans government developed RoadWork NOLA - an app that showed planned road construction. Unfortunately, no one was using it. Instead of giving up on their idea of a solution, they decided to embark on a plan to make it better through project iteration and human-centered design.

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How two Belgian cities turned their pavements into playgrounds

Anoush Darabi

June 22, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Belgium, Antwerp

Urban planners in Belgium are creating play spaces, known as the “speelweefselplan,” to give children more room to be outside. The design process includes asking schoolchildren about their routes to and from school, and then planners map out ways to make those routes more interactive. As cities grow and traditional parks are limited, this model shows a way that cities can continue to be welcoming for children.

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Reviving the City: How an Asphalt Plant Turned Into a Public Park

Laura von Puttkamer

June 21, 2018 |

Urbanet |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Mexico City

By participating in the decision-making process, Mexico City residents successfully convinced the government to build a public park instead of an office development. The Parque Imán is 2.4 hectares, includes 163 trees, and the green space can potentially benefit up to 200,000 residents of some city boroughs. While there are some concerns about the soil quality in the park due to the adjacent asphalt plant, the park shows how participation from residents and transparency from the government allowed the public space to be built.

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Youth prisons are standing empty, but are a huge opportunity

Eillie Anzilotti

June 19, 2018 |

FastCompany |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Across the country municipalities are repurposing former juvenile detention centers as juvenile incarceration rates have declined and remaking them as places of healing. Each community is different in its approach, with some even knocking down the buildings to start anew, but the Urban Institute found that successful transitions had several core strategies in common, including seeking input from local community members and from those who had been incarcerated in the facilities.

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Black Entrepreneurs Lead the Charge in Baltimore's Economic Renewal

Kevon Paynter

June 18, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

The #CommunityTakeBackChallenge in Baltimore “aims to inspire Baltimoreans to revitalize neighborhoods by pooling resources to acquire neglected city-owned and privately owned properties.” This initiative, along with CityWide Youth Development, is part of a wave of Black-led projects to redevelop the city. By training youth, redeveloping vacant properties, and creating new community spaces, these entrepreneurs are creating new opportunities for city residents.

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Cities are getting more crowded: better design could stop violence

Edward Siddons

June 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Researchers found that more greenery in urban spaces reduces crime and this idea of combatting crime with good design is part of a discipline called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED. It spread around the world, but there also downsides. A new generation of CPTED advocates are expanding the field to consider social factors underlying crime and engage with local communities when designing projects because just discouraging crime is not enough to make spaces inviting.

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Urban farming has arrived: here's four ways to make a success of it

Anoush Darabi

June 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, The Hague

As urban farming proves to be a viable solution for the need to produce more food, many find the landscape of city-farming difficult to navigate due to space and expenses. In The Netherlands, however, a handful of small-scale solutions have stood out and allowed farmers to find success.

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Three ways cities remodelled their streets for people, not cars

Anoush Darabi

June 08, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Pedestrian-oriented development takes many forms, but three cities have demonstrated success. In New York City, a local transit commissioner convinced the city to pedestrianize parts of Times Square using data to make the case. In San Paulo, local officials simply repainted streets to test redesign efforts. Finally, Barcelona is becoming known for its superblocks, which decrease car use by redesigning large city blocks.

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Netherlands to build world's first habitable 3D printed houses

Daniel Boffey

June 06, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Eindhoven

After facing a shortage of bricklayers, the Netherlands found a housing solution which also doubled as a way of cutting development costs and damage to the environmental. Project Milestone, a development that creates 3D printed houses, is the first of its kind and is already drawing a steady residential candidate pool.

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