Building Community
Our Theme in November 2019
What Norwegians can teach us about beating the winter blues
Today the sun will set in the Norwegian capital of Oslo at 3:30 pm. That sounds awful, especially for those of us living in the US, and makes us beg the question: how do nordic countries beat the winter blues when sunlight is so fleeting? One Stanford researcher, Kari Leibowitz, spent a winter in Read More...
OK Boomer? OK Millennial? The benefits of cross-generation collaboration
If you’ve ever had the experience of teaching an elderly relative how to use their smartphone, you may be familiar with some of the frustrations of working with a different generation. Although different generations of workers may bring different approaches, ideas, and strategies to the Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: Holiday Conversations - How to keep it positive
Let’s talk about the Optimist in the room "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." G.K. Chesterton By Amelia Buckley The holiday season kicks off in the autumn with Thanksgiving, and extends through the New Year in Read More...
How a neighborhood dedicated to farming sprung up in inner-city Detroit
Have you ever heard of an agrihood? Unlike urban farms and gardens, agrihoods are entire neighborhoods dedicated to agriculture. Nationwide, there are about 90 of these agrihoods, with most of them being home to affluent millennials looking for close proximity to fresh and “clean” foods. But Read More...
Restore Oakland brings together design and restorative justice programs
Innovative prison systems in countries like Norway and Denmark are demonstrating the power of restorative justice for reforming our criminal systems. Restore Oakland, a center in Oakland, is adopting principles of rehabilitation and community strength to end the cycle of mass incarceration in their Read More...
A former landfill in Maryland becomes the perfect site for a community solar farm
Solar power is an effective way of producing clean, renewable, energy, but finding the space for large solar farms, especially in populated areas, can be a challenge. Fortunately for the residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland, they already had a large area of land unsuitable for Read More...
New refugee shelter design provides shelter and a catalyst for community growth
Refugee camps consist of poorly built temporary shelters, but often these camps end up existing a lot longer than what was originally intended. In fact, one refugee camp in Kenya has been in operation since 1992 and has more than 185,000 residents. This is why Cutwork, a Paris-based design Read More...
From desert to oasis: how community-driven grocery stores can reduce food insecurity
Low incomes can make accessing healthy food a challenge. But what if the closest grocery store with nutritious options is more than a mile from your home? This is the daily reality for the 6.2% of Americans who live in food deserts: areas where residents do not have the purchasing power to support Read More...
Community solar projects are finally including low-income households
Although community solar projects are on the rise in America, there’s one major flaw: less than half of US community solar projects have any participation from low-income households, and of the projects that do include lower-earning families, only about 5 percent involved a sizable share above 10 Read More...
The art of friendship starts with the humble acquaintance
Friendship substantially contributes to our health, wellness and of course - optimism. Research has clearly shown the negative impacts of loneliness. In a world that is full of “much too much” to do, and the fleeting facebook “friend” experience, creating impactful connections is truly Read More...