Community

Dec 3

Giving away money is good for you

Excess wealth can mean less empathy, addiction, even unhappiness. Among affluent young people, a movement of extreme generosity is growing.

Aug 13

Free supermarket opens for Adelaide’s needy

A new supermarket offering free groceries and cooked meals has opened in Adelaide, all stocked from donated goods.

Jul 10

Co-ops offer alternative to supermarkets

Australian households are making big savings on their grocery bills by forming small shopping co-ops and buying groups.

May 20

Plating it forward

First-gen Sri Lankan-Australian opens a string of Sydney restaurants and social enterprises that celebrate multiculturalism and diversity.

Apr 19

Tool library chips away, one borrow at a time

With its monthly repair cafés and nearly 5,000 items to lend, Buffalo’s Tool Library is chipping away at throwaway consumerism.

Mar 7

Pairing seniors and students to ease housing crisis

With social isolation and housing affordability at crisis levels, a Canadian startup is experimenting with pairing seniors and students.

Dec 7, 2023

Drought-proofing India one village at a time

Villages in a drought-plagued part of North India have been transformed by a revival of old farming practices.

Jul 14, 2023

Former supermarket becomes indoor skatepark

A disused Sainsbury’s supermarket in Portsmouth, England, has been transformed into an indoor skatepark.

May 26, 2023

Guerrilla gardening comes to south-west Sydney

Horticulturalist embraces guerrilla gardening, planting more than 100 unauthorised trees in south-western Sydney.

Apr 23, 2023

Designing better public spaces using desire paths

Redesigning Denmark’s busiest train station to make it safer for those on foot or bike took note of how people moved about in the snow.

Jan 12, 2023

BMX biking boosts youth mental health

Teenagers are riding BMX bikes while learning life skills and dealing with mental health challenges due, in part, to the covid lockdowns.

Jan 6, 2023

111 trees per daughter changes village's future

How an unusual ritual led to fewer child marriages, less flooding, a boom in girls’ education — and a cultural transformation in India.

Dec 20, 2022

Kashmiri women thrive with a restored internet

With fewer internet shutdowns, Kashmiri women and entrepreneurs have launched online businesses and turned content creators.

Nov 9, 2022

Two more US states approve marijuana

Von November 8, voters in the US states of Maryland and Missouri passed referendums to legalise recreational marijuana.

Oct 25, 2022

Co-design helps reshape social housing

It’s crunch time for many of Britain’s post-war housing estates. Could co-design provide a model for delivering regeneration at scale?

Oct 24, 2022

You want a bike with that book?

Campuses and libraries across the US are increasingly adding bikes to what you can borrow, increasing access to cycling along the way.

Oct 9, 2022

Getting to know your neighbours

Being friendly with your neighbours has huge social benefits, and getting started can be as easy as a casual wave hello.

Sep 9, 2022

Staying at home but still getting about

Volunteers run a mini-van to transport residents to keep them living longer in the bush.

Aug 9, 2022

Fine dining serves up training and dignity

Inspired by his own experience, a chef offers ex-prisoners help to get back on their feet.

Aug 3, 2022

Greening around Kenya's biggest landfills

From dumpsite to baby shower venue: green spaces are sprouting up within Nairobi’s many landfills.