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Thousands of poor young people are using Minecraft to redesign their cities

Odette Chalaby

January 29, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

Too often, poor community members are not included in public discourse over how public spaces should look-- rather, the urban planning is more top-down. To change that, the UN’s Block by Block project is using the computer game Minecraft to include locals in shaping the physical spaces in their own communities by teaching them digital design skills. The UN program has engaged over 17,000 people, and 20 crowdsourced designs have already been built in cities around the world.

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Minnesota Deploys Drones to Care for Aging Bridges

Laura Bliss

January 24, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Minnesota

Bridges don't last forever without at least some occasional repair, but how do city officials know when an aging bridge is in need of reconstruction? Typically, an individual has to bungee down to inspect it or specialized (and extremely expensive) equipment must be employed. That's why Minnesota is testing out the use of drones to do the work. Although not able to be used in every instance, these specialized drones that can be flown sans GPS, are able to get to places originally untapped during bridge inspections and so far have proven to be a highly useful tool.

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In Medellin, cable cars transformed slums—in Rio, they made them worse

Anoush Darabi

January 10, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Medellín

In the 20th century, Colombia’s city of Medellin was a center for drugs and violence. Then the city developed a cable car system that enabled cheap transportation for people to find employment. The cable car system revitalized the economy of the city and made it much safer. However, other cities have tried cable cars for revitalization and found less success, even failure.

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How to turn a struggling small town around

Jan Anderson

January 10, 2018 |

The Boulder Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Montana

Boulder, Montana struggled upon learning that a major local employer, the Montana Developmental Center, was going to close. However, the news pushed the town toward a path of redevelopment. The Boulder Transition Advisory Committee stepped up by launching the “Make Boulder’s Future Bright” campaign, which involved citizens in creating goals and strategies to achieve them. Since earning a major grant, the town has been working to revitalize the downtown area. This story is part 1 of a series about housing for rural Montanans.

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How Medellín went from murder capital to hipster holiday destination

Stanley Stewart

January 04, 2018 |

The Telegraph |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Medellín

Medellín is a hub of growth and innovation, re-born after years of devastating violence. Building a metro system was an early step in the city’s transformation. “It was the first positive thing that had happened in this city for decades,” says Julian, a local guide. “With this metro, we suddenly realized things could be different, that progress and change were possible.”

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Murder in America: What Makes Cities Safer

Scott Calvert Zusha Elinson Max Rust

December 27, 2017 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Certain cities in the United States are facing startlingly high rates of homicide and violence that haven't been seen since the height of gang activity in the 1990s. But certain cities, including Los Angeles, have continued to see declines in or stable crime rates, thanks to a community-based policing approach that uses tactics such as working with former drug dealers, hosting neighborhood events, cleaning litter from the streets, and mediating sit-downs between formal gang rivals.

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How the Cuyahoga County Land Bank revitalizes homes

Ron Regan

December 27, 2017 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

At the worst point in the 2008 housing crisis, up to 30,000 houses in Cuyahoga County were vacant. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank aims to fix this problem by acquiring houses, eliminating blight, and transforming the houses into more useful spaces. Already, the Land Bank has turned old, empty properties into a Children’s Museum and an Amazon Fulfillment Center, and it has decreased the number of empty homes to about 7,000.

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Can putting the least-experienced teachers in the highest-risk schools ever result in success?

Peggy Barmore

December 25, 2017 |

The Hechinger Report |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, McDowell County, West Virginia

High rates of teacher turnover plaguing McDowell County were the reason behind a new initiative, Reconnecting McDowell, to reverse the trend. The district began creating a number of incentives to attract teachers, such as student loan support, higher salaries, and providing mentors for younger teachers. Two other efforts—to improve roads and build an apartment complex for younger residents—were stalled due to funding cuts. This article was written on the sixth anniversary of Reconnecting McDowell, and while there have been many challenges, change is slowly coming and people are still optimistic.

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New, $1 billion program will bring rooftop solar to California renters

Katy Murphy

December 16, 2017 |

San Jose Mercury News |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Sacramento, California

Renewable energy has largely been associate with wealthier consumers, but that is changing with a new initiative that will install solar panels for apartment buildings with low-income residents. The hope is that the money saved from the solar energy panels will benefit the low income residents, while also being beneficial in fighting climate change.

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These Planners Stepped Away From the Spreadsheets and Into the Community

Oscar Perry Abello

December 06, 2017 |

Next City |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

The Regional Plan Association is a research and urban planning organization. They are deeply influential in the urban planning in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut metropolitan area. The regional planning process has historically represented the needs of mostly white, affluent people, so this time RPA partnered with eight grassroots organizations, and involved immigrants from Long Island to take part in the regional planning process through focus groups, surveys, and discussions. As many as 1,600 people were engaged.

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