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To Get Rid of Blight, Baltimore Tries Something New

David Kidd

November 01, 2018 |

Governing |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

As Baltimore's population has rapidly declined in the past few decades, outmigrants have left a trail of over 16,000 vacant homes. After decades of underwhelming initiatives, the city thinks it might have found a partial fix - the Vacants to Value program sells city-owned vacant homes to individuals or developers who then have a set period of time to rehab the property.

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Citizen of the Week: Adam Kesselman

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

October 31, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, the City Bright initiative is working to pay individuals experiencing homelessness to help clean up the streets in city neighborhoods. While it might not pay much and is not a silver bullet solution, incentives like recommendations and the small amount of pay can help - and are part of a larger trend around the country.

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The cost of keeping Singapore squeaky clean

Tim McDonald

October 29, 2018 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Singapore

Singapore maintains its state of cleanliness through fines, public education, and an army of low-paid cleaners. Fifty years ago, the Keep Singapore Clean campaign was the first time the government used fines as a method of social control. Now that the city is wealthier, the fines aren’t as effective. Singaporeans rely on cleaners to do the majority of the work.

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NYC Pilot Program Hopes to Beautify Miles of Scaffolding

Rachel Kaufman

October 12, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City has launched City Canvas, a program to commission artwork to beautify sidewalk sheds set up to protect pedestrians in construction sites. Arts organizations partnering with the project will pick locations and select artists to create artwork on vinyl.

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Tamarindo Revives and Transforms Abandoned Lots With Projects for the Community

Noelia Esquivel

September 25, 2018 |

La Voz de Guanacaste |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Tamarindo

The Tamarindo Integral Development Association (ADI) has achieved success in a seemingly mundane task: taking charge of vacant lots. The ADI first borrowed use of vacant lots to start a farmers market and a soccer school. The group then mapped 40 vacant lots across the Tamarindo area. Now, the group is successfully working on reviving public spaces for the common good all across the town.

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The Movement for Urban Tree Expansion Is Growing

Maria Dolan

September 18, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Austin, Texas and King County, Washington are both participating in a new experiment by non-profit City Forest Credits (CFC) that uses creative financing to fund green spaces and tree-planting in cities. More specifically, CFC is piloting a new way that private entities can "offset their carbon emissions by buying credits for tree planting or preservation." Although the work is costly at the beginning, organizers hope the public benefits of more urban trees will make the program a worthy investment.

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Trash to Treasure: A Mongolian Man Turns a Landfill Into a Children's Park

Didem Tali

September 10, 2018 |

The Diplomat |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

A Mongolian man named Ulziitogtork transformed a former granite mine that was filled with rubbish into a park/community center for children that sits on top of an artificial lake. Children used to play in the mine, which presented a real health risk, but now they can use the park to boat, ice skate, watch movies over the lake, and learn about Mongolian culture. Ulziitogtork considers it a work in progress and is counting on the local government to address the pollution and infrastructure problems that led to the park's creation, but already provides fun for over 6,000 children a year.

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Much to Do about (Vacant) Lots

James A. Anderson

September 10, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

In St. Louis, Philadelphia, Detroit, and other postindustrial cities, community organizations and city officials are trying a number of methods to reduce the number of empty lots and vacant houses that plague neighborhoods. As opposed to earlier, one-off programs, cities are now forging coordinated approaches that acknowledge the systemic issues underlying persistent vacant land -- for example, in St. Louis, an inventory of all vacant properties is shaping the work of a series of related city initiatives.

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Silo art becomes national movement and this is how it all began

Ellie Honeybone

September 09, 2018 |

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia, Northam

A project to paint murals on silos across Western Australia has brought artists from around the world for work. These murals--some 36 meters high--have created stunning public art and cultural tourism for often struggling small towns.

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What If All Community Development Started with Local Arts and Culture?

Jared Brey

August 30, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania

An Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania art project "gently" demolished a historic, vacant building and reassembled it as a communal space. This is an example of "creative placemaking," a method to both preserve the character of a community and help address vacancies and the need for development.

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