Charlotte passes LGBTQ nondiscrimination law
Charlotte, North Carolina has passed an ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity after years of delays and billions of dollars.
Cities
This archive collects milestone stories where cities are the driving force behind positive change. From urban planning breakthroughs to local policy wins, these stories highlight how municipal governments, city agencies, and urban communities around the world are solving real problems.
Eighteen million trees to be planted around Glasgow
An urban forest of 18 million trees, is to be planted around Glasgow over the next 10 years. The number of trees being planted is equivalent to 10 trees per resident.
Oakland to launch alternative response program for nonviolent 911 calls
Following successful alternative policing programs in Denver and Newark, Oakland, California is the latest city to adopt such a program with an initiative to redirect nonviolent, noncriminal calls to mobile teams of civilians.
A historically Black community in Houston will be home to largest urban solar farm in the U.S.
The solar panels will create enough electricity for about 5,000 homes annually, offsetting 120 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Construction is slated to start later this year with plans to be in operation by 2022.
Denver to donate bison to Tribal land as form of reparations
The 10-year initiative has culminated in the first bison making their way from to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma and the Tall Bull Memorial Council in Colorado.
Dutch cities to allow only zero-emission deliveries by 2025
City councils must give four years’ notice before imposing bans as part of government plans for emission-free road traffic by 2050. The city bans aim to save 1 megaton of CO2 each year by 2030.
St. Louis elects Tishaura Jones as first Black female mayor
Running on a progressive platform, Tishaura Jones has committed to the “reimagining” of public safety, stricter gun control, and the closure of one of the city’s pretrial detention centers accused of inhumane conditions.
Getty and City of Los Angeles announce new project to identify and protect African American historic places
As of now, just over three percent of the city’s 1,200 designated local landmarks are linked to African American heritage.
Evanston, IL to implement the U.S.’s first reparations program for Black citizens
The Evanston City Council will vote later this month to approve a measure which would allocate an initial disbursement of about $400,000 for housing needs, and residents will be eligible to apply for a designated $25,000 of this to use towards home improvements or mortgage assistance.
Early results of Stockton, CA basic income trial report success
The results from the first 12 months of a small universal basic income trial in California suggest those receiving the monthly unconditional payments report increased rates of employment and improved mental health.