The most successful and resilient development patterns include a mix of land “uses”—in other words, it allows residential units, offices, retail, restaurants, and the like to exist in close proximity to each other. More
Outside Inspiration
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Reducing Food Waste By Redirecting Restaurant Surplus Straight to Consumers at a Reduced Price
December 25, 2022According to a 2016 report by ReFED, a collaboration of organizations attempting to reduce and track food waste, 63 million tons of food in the United States is wasted either by being sent to a landfill or left unharvested and discarded... More
Bio-based packaging companies say mushrooms and seaweed are the next alternatives to plastic
December 25, 2022As major brands continue to pledge to reduce plastic packaging, bio-based packaging companies have positioned themselves as alternatives to recycled plastic products by offering options made with seaweed and mushrooms. More
‘A new way of playing’: Huge natural playground all but complete in Normal
December 25, 2022Bloomington-Normal’s next big thing in playgrounds is all but complete — a $5 million, 16-acre natural playground at Colene Hoose Elementary School in Normal. More
Calgary project turns kids into urban planners to improve school commutes
February 19, 2022Students at four Calgary schools had the opportunity to re-imagine how their school streets would look in a perfect world. And now, their designs will come to life this spring. More
Public libraries across the U.S. are taking note of this Richmond-area branch’s parent-and-child-friendly design
February 19, 2022Janelle Witcher thinks of the library as her second home. She’s a single mom who lives in Richmond, and a few times a week, she drives her four children to Henrico County’s Fairfield branch. It’s a place where her children... More
Pedestrians in Peoria complete their mission walking every street in the city
February 19, 2022The Pedestrians in Peoria, Mary Hosbrough and Jennifer Jacobsen-Wood, began the project two years ago in November 2019, right before the pandemic caused shutdowns across the country. Now, the duo said they have officially completed walking the city’s 1,439 streets,... More
Co-Op Owned by Formerly Incarcerated Women Embarks on Next Step, Thanks to Surprising Money Source
September 5, 2021ChiFresh Kitchen’s worker-owners can see their future in the building. It’s a long, six-thousand-square-foot former corner grocery, with an arched roof and big front windows facing the corner of East 71st Street and MLK Drive, in the Grand Crossing neighborhood... More
The Utility Repossessed Their City’s Streetlights. Now They’re Re-Lighting the Night
September 5, 2021Soulardarity made it a mission to use local companies to build the solar-street lights. Ypsilanti, Michigan-based Solartonic and Holland, Michigan-based Solar Lights USA, are both involved with the on-going work. More
Housing First Breaks the Homelessness-Jail Cycle
September 5, 2021Homelessness is growing in communities across the United States as housing becomes increasingly unaffordable and public systems fail to support people who need assistance, forcing thousands to sleep outside or in shelters. More
Not all views expressed in articles on the UAct website necessarily reflect the opinions of the organization.