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From ‘hallway' to artery, a town rebuilds Main Street

John Miller

October 31, 2017 |

High Country News |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Farmington, New Mexico

Small towns like Farmington, New Mexico take advantage of federal funds from Main Street America and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Act in order to revitalize their town centers and boost their local economies. Farmington, which saw an economic decline surrounding the coal & mining industry, has been able to use money to repair store fronts, replace water systems, and more.

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Chicago Designer Offers a Model for Repurposing Closed Public Schools

Nina Feldman

October 27, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

In the aftermath of Chicago closing almost 50 public schools, urban designers are testing creative uses to keep the buildings functioning as community spaces. Overton Elementary is being transformed into the Overton Business and Technology Incubator, a space for local businesses. The developer is deliberately working with locals to involve the neighborhood in the building process and keep the space accessible to the community.

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Teens With Criminal Records Are Beautifying Baltimore By Planting Flowers

Emily Weitz

October 12, 2017 |

Vice |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

'Tha Flower Factory' is setting out to help provide employment, mentor kids, and restore hopefulness and beauty to the city of Baltimore. This project employs individuals to plant flowers and seeds, helping bring down criminal records and change the landscape at the same time.

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Victims of Gentrification, Meet Your Patron Saint

Maya Kroth

October 02, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Mexico City

In a rapidly gentrifying Mexico City neighborhood, two artists refurbished an icon and set up an altar for Santa Mari La Juaricua, a saint to protect residents from eviction. The saint raises awareness and acts as a reminder about housing issues and the icon has been taken up by the residents and has been used in processions and protests.

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China's Crazy Plan to Keep Sand From Swallowing the World

Vince Beiser

October 01, 2017 |

Mother Jones |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Duolun

Overfarming, over-grazing, climate change and population growth are all to blame for turning Duolun County in China's Inner Mongolia region into a bigger desert than it was to begin with. With 87 percent of the area turned into desert, sandstorms began to be the norm and would often engulf the neighboring region of Beijing. The Duolun project attempts to stop this by embarking on a tree-planting mission. Not without it's limitations and criticisms, this solution is by no means perfect, but it's somewhat of a start that has seen Duolun reportedly increase to 31 percent forested land.

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Why Tearing Down Dams Could Help Save Endangered Killer Whales

Hanna Brooks Olsen

September 25, 2017 |

News Deeply |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The population of Orca's is declining and a large portion of pregnancies are ending in miscarriage due to a decline in their food source- Chinook salmon. Taking down Hells Canyon dams, which disrupt the migration patterns of salmon, would help this problem as would decreasing detrimental human activity such as deforestation and boating.

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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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The Future is Pittsburgh's To Lose

Bruce Katz

September 24, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh

In the future innovation and technology are only going to become more important to a city's status. Pittsburgh is making great strides by cultivating research, technology, and workers.

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Study suggests when mobile markets take wireless food stamps, more people buy healthy food

Michael D. Regan

September 24, 2017 |

PBS NewsHour |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

People living in food deserts have very limited access to healthy food, prompting 'Green Carts' (street vendors with vegetables and fruits) and other mobile markets to pop up. Critically important to the success of these markets is their provision of Electronic Benefits Transfer machines to allow customers to pay with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamps.

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In Germany, Blue-Collar Jobs Provide Bulwark to Populism

Jack Ewing

September 21, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

With nearly one in five Germans working in manufacturing, the closing of steel mills and coal mines spelled trouble. Instead of despairing, blue-collar cities such as Dortmund leapt into the future. State and local officials in Dortmund expanded the technical university, gave start-up capital to entrepreneurs, and offered newly built office space to young companies. Unemployment is falling fast, and the city seems to have avoided the sense of alienation that has led to a rise in populist sentiment elsewhere.

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