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Palaces for the People: Why Libraries Are More Than Just Books
The Guardian, Sep 24 — Libraries are not the kinds of institutions that most social scientists, policymakers, and community leaders usually bring up when they discuss social capital and how to build it. But they offer something for everyone, regardless of whether they’re a citizen, a permanent resident, or even a convicted felon – and all of it for free.
MoreAmerica’s Social Infrastructure is Falling Apart, and It’s Hurting Democracy
The Atlantic, Sep 20 — For decades, we’ve neglected the shared spaces that shape our interactions. The consequences of that neglect may be less visible than crumbling bridges and ports, but they’re no less dire.
MoreTo Restore Civil Society, Start With the Library
The New York Times, Sep 11 — This crucial institution is being neglected just when we need it the most.
MoreThe Other Side of “Breaking Windows”
The New Yorker, Aug 24 — Place-based interventions are far more likely to succeed than people-based ones. What if vacant property received the attention that, for decades, has been showered on petty crime?
MoreWant to Survive Climate Change? You’ll Need a Good Community
WIRED, May 31 — Just as the temperature of a heat wave, the height of a storm surge, or the thickness of a levee, it’s the strength of a neighborhood that determines who lives and who dies in a disaster. Building against climate change can either support vibrant neighborhood conditions or undermine them. We know how to do both.
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