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8 80 Cities is thrilled to announce the relaunch of our Knight Emerging City Champions fellowship and micro-grant program after a 3-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Young civic innovators aged 18-35 with creative solutions to drive transformative change in their U.S. community are encouraged to apply and take part in this unique funding and leadership-building opportunity. The program is funded by Knight Foundation and is open to residents in Knight's 8 resident cities (Akron, Philadelphia, Miami, San Jose, Detroit, Charlotte, Macon, and St. Paul).
What would you do to transform your city? Apply now. The deadline is 11:59 pm EDT on May 27, 2024.
SAVE THE DATE! If you have questions about applying, we are hosting a virtual info session via Zoom on Friday, May 10th, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Register here.
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In the 8 Questions With 8 80 blog series, we ask people with specific insights and expertise on topics related to our mission to ignite action and challenge the status quo to create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people. We ask our interviewees about their passions, history and points of view. Then, they suggest a question for our next interviewee.
In the latest blog post of the series, Our Manager of Communications and Administration, Camila Uriona, talked to Ryan Lo, Co-Executive Director of Urban Minds, about the role youth plays in the city-planning processes.
Read the blog post...
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In this interview with Carol Coletta, president and CEO of Memphis River Parks Partnership, Diana Lind discusses the importance of public spaces to nurture democracy and encourage social connections across racial, income, and geographical divisions.
Continue reading...
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Forbes' Senior Contributor Carlton Reid discusses how Paris now has more cyclists than motorists, due to environmental concerns, government initiatives, and infrastructure improvements. Paris has taken steps to promote cycling, including expanding bike lanes and implementing bike-sharing programs. According to the author, Paris could serve as a model for other cities looking to prioritize sustainable transportation.
Continue reading...
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A group of people gathered to experience the April 8 eclipse in Quebec. Photo by J.C. Vasquez.
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On April 8th, the solar eclipse was visible in parts of Mexico, Canada and the United States. The eclipse provided an opportunity for connection between strangers, also known as "triangulation." To learn more, check out Project for Public Spaces' reflections.
Continue reading...
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Image credit: Neighbourhood design and form-based code, rendering by Steve Price via CNU.
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In this article, Robert Steuteville discusses the issue of loneliness in America, which has significant implications for health and community resilience. Studies demonstrate that social interaction plays a crucial role in health, surpassing physical activity in its importance. To address loneliness, urban planners and architects are urged to incorporate community design strategies. These include introducing small interventions in public spaces, designing neighbourhoods that promote sharing, and fostering formal and informal neighbourhood-scale institutions. By integrating such strategies with human-scale neighbourhood design, urbanists can help combat loneliness and create stronger, more resilient communities.
Continue reading...
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This article by Emma Steen from Timeout Tokyo discusses Tokyo's ranking as the sixth most walkable city in the world. Tokyo's efficient public transport system, well-connected neighbourhoods, and amenities contribute to its high walkability score. Additionally, initiatives like Tokyo's pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods and improving pedestrian accessibility contribute to its favourable ranking.
Continue reading...
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What We Are Watching & Listening To
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Paris School Streets
In this video by Streetfilms, we learn even more about the positive impacts of School Streets. The video focuses on Paris because of the high-quality implementation of the program in various Parisian neighbourhoods, making streets not only safer for kids but also beautifying the public space and making it safe for everyone.
Watch the video...
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8 80 Cities at the PRO Expedition 
8 80 Cities's Director of Programs and Development, Shannon Lawrence, Project Manager Jayne Armstrong and Project Coordinator, Tennesha Joseph, participated in the 2024 PRO Expedition and Trade Show at the beautiful Blue Mountain Resort to share all about our Senior's Outdoor Activation Toolkit (SOAT), Lending Library Project, and Open Streets Toolkit. In our first session, we outlined how the SOAT came to be our asset-based community development approach and how this tool can be used by senior service providers to engage seniors in the co-creation of fun outdoor programming in parks and public spaces. In our second session, we covered the history of open streets with inspiring examples, highlighted the key ingredients and benefits of open streets and provided tips on how to get started! Learn more about these tools and our work here".
Cities for Everyone With Gil |The Webinar
In One hOur! Re-Run Cities: Have we run out of ideas for our streets? The guest is Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. Register here.
May 14th: Cities for Life: Ending the Urban Gun Violence Epidemic. Guest: Jason Corburn, Prof. UC Berkeley, Public Health & Regional Planning. Register here.
May 28th: Nature & Technology: Allies or Adversaries in Urban Progress? - Dr. Nadina Galle, Founder of "Internet of Nature," National Geographic Explorer, and Author of "The Nature of Our Cities," Register here.
AIPH World Green City Awards 2024 Finalists
AIPH and its extensive global network of partners are proud to reveal the list of 21 Finalists for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024. The award is comprised of leading cities from around the world that are demonstrating bold and ambitious urban greening actions. Learn more about the winners here.
In addition to selecting the 21 Finalists for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024, the Technical Panel chose seven Certificate of Merit recipients in the first round of judging. You can learn about the recipients here.
Housing That Connects Us
Join Michelle Hoar (Hey Neighbour Collective) and Madeleine Hebert (Happy Cities) as they share key learnings from working with six Metro Vancouver jurisdictions to co-create inclusive, sociable design policy for new multi-unit housing. Also, expert Robert Brown (Chesterman Properties) will discuss how local governments (and others) can help mainstream great housing design—and dare to dream—deepening affordability. Thursday, May 2, 12:30 - 2 pm EDT. Register here.
Jane’s Walk Is Back in Toronto: Join or Lead a Walk
Jane's Walk, the annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs, is back in nearly 500 cities worldwide, including Toronto!
Take part in these fun events, designed to inspire dialogue, connection and community connection by joining an existing walk or creating your own. Learn more here.
 Exciting Networking Opportunities for Park Friends Groups in Toronto
Our friends at Park People present two networking opportunities to connect with people who share a love for green spaces. Join and exchange ideas and opportunities, support each other, and collaborate in making our parks and communities thrive. Starting May 6 at 6 p.m., join a series of online participatory network meetings for Toronto park groups, a new initiative led by Friends of Sorauren Park. The first meeting will be a casual online gathering to hear what topics interest the group for future meetings. Register now!
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Welcome to the 8 80 Cities Team, Verina!
We are so excited to welcome Verina Muharremi to the 8 80 Cities team as our new Manager of Finance! She brings a lengthy and solid accounting background and many years of experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She is highly knowledgeable in all of the accounting segments and has a deep understanding of database systems. Having spent part of her life in the Mediterranean and being social, Verina brings a unique perspective to city building.
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