Common Ground

There was a turnout of neighbors and officials at the June 11 ribbon-cutting at the new house on 617 Ada St., developed by Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services. Photo: Fran Dwight There are five new houses on the blocks along Ada and Simpson Streets on the Northside. They’re part of a two-pronged development approach — building new houses that are meant to remain affordable for 99 years and rehabbing houses already there — undertaken by Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services.

Traverse City’s work to improve accessibility goes beyond ramps, parking spaces, and following building regulations. Most people planning a vacation face familiar questions: Where should we stay? Which beach should we visit? Where’s the best place to eat? Travelers with disabilities often ask a different question first: Will this place work for me? Many cities want people to visit. Some only do what the law requires. But Traverse City is trying to do more.

This story was originally published on this site. Camron Bridgford was eating dinner outside at a Miami restaurant when she saw a strange sight: two sidewalk delivery robots in a standoff, each one blocked by the other. “One finally had to back out and let the other one through,” says Bridgford, senior principal at Cityfi, who worked on a 2021 landmark sidewalk delivery robot pilot program in four cities.

Northern Michigan organizations partner to improve accessibility, helping more travelers enjoy Traverse City while building a more welcoming tourism destination.

The husband and wife team of Michel and Bernie Link lead the Assumption Garden operations and spend a Saturday morning weeding. Photo: Amy Hutchinson As the calendar page turns to July, the bounty of vegetable gardens around the area begins to emerge. Whether it’s a large, fenced-in space or just a few containers on the patio, there’s an undeniable soul-filling feeling a person gets when growing food for oneself, family, and friends.

This post was originally published on this site. After a rush to attract data centers with incentives, more communities are pushing back against their development. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey The fierce backlash against data centers shows no sign of easing up. Since early 2024, more than 1,200 public actions – including zoning fights, public campaigns and temporary moratoriums – have been logged by the Data Center Tracker, a public U.S. database of community responses to data center site selection.

Midland’s community gardens are helping fight food insecurity by growing and donating fresh produce to local food pantries. Powered by volunteers, the gardens provide thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables to families in need each year.

Midland’s community gardens are helping fight food insecurity by growing and donating fresh produce to local food pantries. Powered by volunteers, the gardens provide thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables to families in need each year.

Better-off cities see more benefits from data centers than rural areas Data center development can boost growth and jobs, but these benefits are most pronounced when the local economy is more urban and developed.

Ohio oral health advocate Cindy Lord says changing health professional education is one of the best ways to improve access to dental care. While more than 100 million Americans do not visit the dentist each year, the majority of them visit a primary care provider regularly. Health leaders say that is a missed opportunity to identify oral health problems before they become larger health issues.