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Former Black Panther Launches Oakland Urban Farm to Give Ex-Prisoners a Fresh Start

Sarah Henry

September 09, 2015 |

Civil Eats |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

After incarceration, Black men and women have a difficult time re-integrating into society without financial and educational resources. A former Black Panther activist has created the non-profit Oakland &the World Enterprises to offer an urban farm as a prisoner re-entry program and community center. The Oakland project supports self-sufficiency, self-determination, and empowerment for Black people.

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Cities are finally treating water as a resource, not a nuisance

Erica Gies

September 05, 2015 |

Vox |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Cities across the world, suffering from increased threats of floods and droughts due to climate change, are finding new ways to manage water, such as reclaiming natural waterways and increasing on spot water absorption.

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Parklets Are Great, But Big Parks Pack a Big Punch

Cassie Owens

September 01, 2015 |

Next City |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Exeter

Larger green spaces may be critical to a city, as they can support more complete ecosystems. In contrast to smaller "parklets," large parks paired with high-density neighborhoods allow for healthier cities.

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How Seattle Made Dark Alleys Safer—By Throwing Parties In Them

Araz Hachadourian

August 26, 2015 |

Yes! Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Alleys in Seattle were once places of illicit, illegal, and unsanitary activity. The International Sustainability Institute in Seattle began organizing music and art events to bring in people, which, in turn, cleaned-up the crime and garbage. As an urban development strategy, adjacent vacant storefronts re-opened for business and beautification could be seen in new gardens.

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[Re]moving urban highways

Irina Zhorov

August 20, 2015 |

WHYY |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

As city leaders reconsider their urban spaces—and particularly, urban waterfronts—through the lens of a post-industrial economy and renewed urbanism, moving urban highways has become more of a priority. Urban planners have shut many of them down and built in their stead parks.

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What Do the Poor Need? Try Asking Them

David L. Kirp

August 08, 2015 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Neighborhood Centers, a Houston anti-poverty program has a simple philosophy: “The people are the asset, the source of potential solutions, not the problem.” The non-profit has scaled nationally, employing its bottom-up approach to disburse funds in poor communities.

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A Superficial Solution for Crime That Actually Works

Kate Wheeling

July 20, 2015 |

Pacific Standard |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In 2011, Philadelphia began requiring owners of vacant properties to install working doors and windows on all streets that are at least 80% occupied. A study of the impact of the Doors and Windows Ordinance has found a decrease in crime in neighborhoods where the "appearance of disorder" was changed, providing an example for other cities looking for low-cost ways to decrease crime rates.

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How Central Oregon Bet Its Future on Community College

James Fallows

June 22, 2015 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bend, Oregon

Despite the economic hardships brought on by the downfall of the lumber industry in the '80s and the housing market crash of 2008, Bend, Oregon has managed to successfully enter the ranks of a technology hub, without the presence of a university. The small but thriving city bet on its local community college, which offers a unique campus feel and rigorous course load that sets it apart from other community colleges of the same size. When the lumber industry left, the region bet its future on technology—even though it lacked a research university.

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Urban Farming

Paolo Patrizi

June 18, 2015 |

Maptia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan, Tokyo

A growing number of people in the famously crowded Tokyo metropolis are becoming ‘city farmers’, planting crops atop tall buildings or deep underground. In an age of detrimental climate change, urban cultivation and green roof agriculture will soon be necessary as food, water and energy resources become scarcer.

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Stories of Redemption in America's Coal Country

Chris Peak

June 12, 2015 |

NationSwell |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lynch, Kentucky

After the downturn of the coal industry, 8,000 jobs were lost in Central Appalachia. While some counties are renewed with the help of federal assistance, others find ways to help themselves.

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