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Colombia's Displaced People Find Home by Transforming What's Discarded

Megan Janetsky

November 21, 2018 |

Sojourners |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Medellín

In the late 1960s and early 1970s Barrio Moravia was an illegal dumping site where displaced Colombians fleeing violence made informal settlements. Now a community center, organizations, and a public garden with more than 50,000 species have helped transform the neighborhood. “It's a barrio that the same people we see here constructed,” she said. “It's a neighborhood I love with all of my heart, one that I have fought to transform.”

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The city turning streets into gardens

Richard Kenny

November 20, 2018 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: France, Paris

As Paris invests in public parks, local residents have been granted more than 3,000 permits to grow street gardens. The greenery is adding life to one of Europe’s most densely populated cities while fostering civic engagement and pride.

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Ramsey Walk tackles fly-tipping with guerrilla gardening

Dina Aboughazala

November 08, 2018 |

Islington Now |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Islington

In a neighborhood in the United Kingdom called Ramsey Walk, one resident was tired of illegal dumping, also called fly-tipping, in her community. On a hunch, she formed a guerilla gardening group to plant flowers where the dumping was occurring to deter would-be fly-tippers. Their success rate has been 100 percent, and their new motto is "from fly-tipping to floewr picking."

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Churches adopt five blocks in Cleveland's Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood to rehabilitate homes

Kevin Barry

November 07, 2018 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

The Cleveland-based Buckeye Ministry and Missions Alliance has “adopted” five city blocks clearing vacant lots and helping to rehabilitate homes. Their efforts have had a material impact on the appearance of the neighborhood as well as a psychological impact on its residents.

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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 |

Text |

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 |

Text |

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 |

Text |

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 |

Text |

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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