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Replacing Vacant Lots With Green Spaces Can Ease Depression In Urban Communities

Rhitu Chatterjee

July 20, 2018 |

NPR |

Radio |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

By using a "greening intervention," in which abandoned lots in low-income neighborhoods were turned into parks, researchers were able to determine that having a park in close proximity improved community member's mental health and wellbeing.

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A simple solution to help cities fight overheating: more trees

Adele Peters

July 20, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

Trees are an effective bulwark against summer heat, providing shade and cooling the air as water evaporates from leaves. A collaborative project mapped heat and other considerations in Dallas and picked the neighborhood of Oak Cliff to plant more than 1,000 trees. The ultimate goal is to revegetate the entire city.

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How Rwanda Tidied Up Its Streets (And The Rest Of The Country, Too)

Amy Yee

July 18, 2018 |

NPR |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Rwanda, Kigali

In Rwanda, "Umuganda" is compulsory community service once a month—citizens 18-65 must all clean up their local community. The rule is enforced by police officers who may stop citizens and force them to work on the spot. Though it's compulsory, one of the side effects is community pride.

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How the efforts of a single resident (and a few friends) beautified Yorkshire Woods

Aaron Mondry

July 10, 2018 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In the Yorkshire Woods neighborhood of Detroit, where there was once blight and vacant properties, there is now a community garden. Thanks to the enterprising efforts of Mose Primus, a community activist, the neighborhood has gained the funding, volunteers, and land to change the area. Little by little it is being restored to the tight-knit community of families it used to be.

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How a yoga garden nourishes the soul of a West Side block

Heidi Stevens

July 05, 2018 |

Chicago Tribune |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Under the care of a local non-profit, what was once an abandoned lot is now a safe space—an urban garden where yoga classes are offered. Classes are donation-funded, as is the continued expansion of the project. For locals, it's a chance to think about possibilities outside of the difficulties of the neighborhood.

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Why Women From Asia Are Confronting U.S. Fracking: Oil Extraction Equals Plastic Production

Isabelle Morrison

June 25, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Manila Bay in the Philippines is covered in trash - more specifically discarded plastic waste that has been exported from the United States. Facing an imminent risk of the Bay (which many local fishers depend on) disappearing, two organizations partnered together to create the “Stopping Plastic Where It Starts Tour." Targeting specifically U.S. communities experiencing the harmful impacts of fracking, the tour aims to reduce plastic consumption and production through awareness.

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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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Want to go green and get in shape? Try 'plogging'

Nicole Spector

June 18, 2018 |

NBC News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sweden

Small changes to routine activities can have a large impact when everyone participates. Plogging, the act of picking up trash while jogging, is one such instance that has recently garnered widespread attention for its many benefits including improving both the health of the environment and individuals participating.

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A look at how Ohio's land banks are battling blight

Tracy Geibel

June 15, 2018 |

Richland Source |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mansfield, Ohio

Ohio has more than 50 land banks, which are best known for reducing blight by demolishing old buildings, but several land banks are trying creative ways to enhance their land on a budget. Successful projects include a program for locals to redevelop old lots, a pop-up art gallery in a condemned house, and urban forests to make communities more welcoming. The collective effect of these projects is to revitalize cities all across the state.

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How a Low-Tech Solution Helped Anchorage, Alaska's Gardeners

Sara Hudson

June 13, 2018 |

Slate |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Anchorage, Alaska

Starting small has had a big impact in Anchorage, Alaska as the city looks at low-tech composting solutions that could alleviate their growing landfill problem. By revisiting a once-failed attempt to encourage composting, the local government found a way to not only build trust with the community, but also increase sustainability and resiliency efforts city-wide.

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