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Barcelona wants to build 500 superblocks. Here's what it learned from the first ones.

David Roberts

April 09, 2019 |

Vox |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Spain, Barcelona

Calming traffic reduces noise and brings new public spaces to urban neighborhoods. Across Barcelona, Spain, neighborhoods designated as superblocks—where through traffic is prohibited—now serve as shared-use spaces. Existing superblock projects, created through years of collaboration between Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona and the city’s administration, serve as pilot programs for the city’s broader vision to create hundreds of such spaces.

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With $6 Rides, L.A. Rideshare Program Helps Under-Served

Doug Zanger

March 25, 2019 |

Adweek |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

FlexLA, a local rideshare program in Los Angeles, offers discounted and even free rides for folks looking for affordable alternatives to Lyft and Uber. While the battle to stand out among transportation behemoths proves difficult, this rideshare program looks to cultural roots of LA for advertising and marketing ideas to spread the word.

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The happiness movement: How cities around the world are pursuing joy by fostering social change

Charles Montgomery Tristan Cleveland

March 22, 2019 |

National Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

Cities around the world take an unconventional yet effective approach to combat poverty: measuring happiness. Cities like Vancouver, British Columbia have found success in building personal relationships among the economically disadvantaged members of the society, which leads to a more productive and satisfying work life.

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Inside the Battle to Close Rikers

Maurice Chammah

March 22, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City plans to close the eight jail complex located on Rikers Island and replace it with a series of four smaller, community-integrated facilities in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. While the administration has faced community pushback, the city has gleaned insights about the process, including jail reform and design and how to receive feedback from the community. The goal is for this plan could lead to further decarceration, financial savings for the city, and facilities that incorporate job-training, substance abuse treatment, and counseling into its services.

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Pittsburgh's ‘living building' focuses on eco-friendly construction

Karen Hao

March 20, 2019 |

Quartz |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Creating sustainable buildings requires rethinking many of the norms in construction and city planning. The Center for Sustainable Landscapes, part of the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received the first Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification. To achieve this, CSL advocated for changes to Pittsburgh’s laws on the use of public water utilities. CSL also had to seek out construction materials that avoided the use of harmful chemicals-a task easier said than done.

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These five cities are taking bold steps to rein in sprawl

Robert Kunzig

March 14, 2019 |

National Geographic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

The sustainable city of the future involves public transit and a revitalized downtown - at least, that’s the common thread between what five cities are working towards across the globe. Los Angeles, Atlanta, Shanghai, Hamburg, and La Paz have all taken efforts to invest in building cities where families can work and live without commuting in a car, and where walking is encouraged. Some have made more progress than others, but government investment in sustainable design bodes well for the future.

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The Street Corner Answer

Bruce Katz Ross Baird

March 14, 2019 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Louisville, Kentucky

Access Ventures, a community development organization founded in a Louisville neighborhood, uses a comprehensive investment approach that encourages funds to be dispersed in all issue areas. Instead of creating one "affordable housing fund" or "homeless services fund," the group interweaves investment strategies, making sure to look at the bigger community picture when laying out an investment plan.

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Could Designing a Better Bus Lane Be Done With a Simple Can of Paint?

Laura Bliss

March 09, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Everett, Massachusetts

The implementation of "tactical transit lanes," or bus-only lanes, has allowed for decreased commute times for both buses and drivers in cities across the country. Many cities, like Everett, Massachusetts, choose to conduct a rough pilot of the TTLs, relying on community feedback and commute statistics to guide more permanent plans.

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Why History Matters in Equitable Development Planning

Oscar Perry Abello

March 07, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

A new park plan in Washington, D.C. addresses systemic racism and inequity in current city infrastructure, digging deeper than traditional urban planning landscapes. The new plan takes into account perspectives from minorities and low-income households to ensure the community space is built by the people, for the people - establishing economic justice along the way. This D.C. park plan is helping people purchase homes, finance businesses and get jobs.

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‘Scrap it, start fresh, and think:' What Milwaukee can learn from New York City on housing young offenders

Allison Dikanovic

March 06, 2019 |

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

As Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County seeks to transform how it handles young offenders, it looks to New York City as a model for change. In New York, the city has shifted its focus from large, state-run facilities to community-based programs and secured, residential homes. Milwaukee County weighs the lessons learned from this initiative and seeks to re-evaluate the services and long-term effects of its criminal justice programming.

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