Now in its third year, the Knight Cities Challenge awards $5 million to help bring ideas for parks, open gov, urban investment and more to fruition. Projects come from individuals, universities, governments and nonprofit groups in any of the 26 target communities where the Knight family has run newspapers.
Like previous years, the winners — selected from 144 finalists — include both significant undertakings, such as a plan to activate 12 empty storefront spaces in Palm Beach, Florida, or repurpose a closed Akron freeway, and more modest proposals that use existing infrastructure, such as another Florida city’s aim to use spaces like bus stops to encourage civic participation.1