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Charter school takeovers: As York schools near privatization, lessons from New Orleans and Michigan

Daniel Simmons-Ritchie

January 12, 2015 |

PennLive |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, York, Pennsylvania

York schools are considering changing public schools into charter schools, following the example of New Orleans and Michigan, in order to help their crumbling school system. The privatization of these schools can help the facilities become more financially stable, in turn preventing school closures and instability for their students.

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The End of Gangs

Sam Quinones

December 29, 2014 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

In 2014, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that gang-related crime had dropped by nearly half since 2008. The transformation of LA holds lessons for decreasing violent crime through community policing, a focus on gangs, and the use of CompStat.

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Industrial-Sized Art Factory Signals Creative Renewal in Paterson

Sonia Schnee

December 22, 2014 |

CivicStory |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson, NJ used to be a home to manufacturing industries, many of which no longer exist in New Jersey. Fortunately, old factories are being repurposed in new ways. The oldest textile factory is now thriving as The Art Factory, a studio and art space for designers, artists, and builders of all types. Not only does it help artists, but it also helps the environment by revitalizing an old space rather than knocking it down and building something new.

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What Big-City Museums Could Learn From This “Company Town” for Art

Gregory Scruggs

December 18, 2014 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, North Adams, Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) uses an innovative business model to stay afloat, relying on both internal and external projects and revenue streams to make a change in the North Adams community. The museum displays contemporary art but also has invested in property around the city, renting to local businesses and encouraging visitors to take notice in their creative projects inside and outside the museum walls.

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How the Arts Drove Pittsburgh's Revitalization

John Tierney

December 11, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Investments into the arts serve as significant economic catalysts. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, legacy foundations like the Heinz Endowments, Benedum Foundation, and Richard King Mellon Foundation pooled their resources to create the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which supports art and culture in the city’s downtown districts. By purchasing and refurbishing existing real estate, as well as lending support to smaller initiatives like the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, PCT’s investments have served as an engine of growth for the city.

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These Cities are Trading in Cigarette Butts for Cash

Courtney Subramanian

December 10, 2014 |

NationSwell |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

Most cities may have enacted smoking laws to curb people from lighting up in public, but cigarette butts continue to blanket streets, parks and beaches. Salem, Mass., and New Orleans are two such communities that have partnered with TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company that pays by the pound for cigarette waste.

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How the Fastest-Warming City in the Country Is Cooling Off

Erica Peterson

December 09, 2014 |

Politico |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Louisville, Kentucky

Although residents turn up their air conditioners, Louisville heat is increasing the city’s death rate by 39 people every year. The city mayor launched a tree commission for planting more trees and since 2011 has planted over 12,000 trees. The canopies from the tree offer cooling shade and bring down the temperature of the city as a whole. The response also includes the installation of green roofs and in-depth research on urban heat islands.

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Land, Co-ops, Compost: A Local Food Economy Emerges in Boston's Poorest Neighborhoods

Penn Loh

November 07, 2014 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

By the 1980s, Roxbury and north Dorchester had been devastated by the disinvestment and white flight of the 1960s and 1970s. Racist banking and housing policies (“redlining”) had segregated people of color from opportunity, barring them from getting home loans except in certain neighborhoods. So the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) brought together residents to develop their own comprehensive plan to revitalize their community, building a community food system along the way.

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How to Attract Artists to a Down-and-Out Neighborhood

John Tierney

October 10, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

Public-private collaborations can promote entrepreneurship and foster economic revitalization. In the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, partnerships between the city of Columbus, the Franklinton Development Association (FDA), and local businesses have led to a flourishing of artist studios, maker spaces, and other community attractions. The initiatives were funded in part by grants from ArtPlace America as well as the city of Columbus.

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Everyone Wants to Copy This Pedestrian Bridge (It's Not the High Line)

Gregory Scruggs

October 09, 2014 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Poughkeepsie, New York

City officials and nonprofit organizations in Poughkeepsie used extensive research and sustainable financing to revitalize an outdated railroad bridge into a bustling park & walkway. Rather than demolish the suspended tracks, a local organization used city funds to develop a financial and development strategy, which ended up costing the city five times less than the famed New York City High Line.

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