Europe’s ubiquitous recycling system for household batteries means virtually none get thrown away. How come the US doesn’t have something similar?

Participatory budgeting in Rhode Island began with handing $10,000 to teens. Now this form of direct democracy is spreading across the state.

In a largely unseen system, abandoned bikes are repaired and shipped to people across the US — and around the world — who can use them to travel to school or work.

Research shows that “social infrastructure” saves lives in extreme weather events. Now some groups are working to actively build it.

A groundbreaking law directs city agencies and employees — from cops to librarians — to root out practices that cause trauma. Already, lives have been saved.

In Kamikatsu, recycling isn’t just an environmental imperative — it’s the glue that unifies a community.

In the work-from-anywhere era, it’s easier than ever to keep earning your salary while volunteering abroad.

For the first time, two US cities are treating extreme heat as a crisis — and dealing with it accordingly.

Right-wing electorates in Australia are voting in eco-conscious, emissions-slashing conservatives. Could this political strategy be exported?

In the millions of posts on iNaturalist, users are unearthing new species, tracking invasive insects and making incredible discoveries. Scientists are taking note.

The Building Civic Bridges Act would create more opportunities for connections between Americans who might otherwise never interact.

Sophie Howe has one job: make sure her country’s policies benefit citizens who haven’t been born yet.

After a citizen-led campaign to draw fairer voting maps, this year Michigan voters will finally choose their politicians — instead of the other way around.

Airbnb-style home sharing is changing what it means to be displaced.

In a growing number of cities, teenagers are advising governments on sustainability — and holding mayors to account.

Urban trees need a little extra care. In the German capital, anyone can give it to them.

A support system pairs people who are unhoused with housed volunteers to offer phone support on the spot.

Legal systems around the world are beginning to confront an existential question: What rights does an animal have?

In California’s prisons, lifers — both human and canine — are setting each other free.

When filling out forms with the wrong color ink can lead to jail time, you need a navigator.

For Americans serving time but still allowed to cast a ballot, the democratic process struggles on.

Amid rows of snap peas and summer squash, incarcerated gardeners cultivate job skills, inner peace and fresh produce for the cafeteria.

To reduce incarceration, some counties and cities have stopped automatically prosecuting minor nonviolent crimes — and crime overall has gone down. A wave of policy and policing reform has followed.

They’re regular folks who share the lived experience of those yet to be vaccinated.

At the Clink, incarcerated chefs and waiters serve world-class cuisine to the public — and prepare for life on the outside.

Allowing randomly selected people to influence government policies has promise — and limitations.

For those who don’t have the time or computer savvy to scour the internet, a volunteer movement is emerging.

Can the notoriously hardline force become an ally to Black communities?

New Zealand improved recycling rates by awarding shiny gold stars, showing that social approval can be a more powerful motivator than money.

Nimble, culturally nuanced and collaborative, this Māori-led response gets to the roots of family violence.

Skeptical at first, participants on both sides now see a solution that benefits everyone.

Legal magic mushrooms? Tolerance for heroin and meth? It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

How one Canadian city took down a monument to an iconic leader in a way that brought its residents closer together.

By forcing workers to move far from home and live with unfamiliar people, the government is testing the limits of identity.

What if, instead of hating each other’s beliefs, we learned more about where they come from?

Not every racist act fits a police report, but capturing the data on everyday racism is key to creating change.

Amid all the mudslinging is a proven fact: Civility wins the hearts of voters.

An unlikely collaboration could transform a place of imprisonment into a center for equity.

Rockstar candidates, get-out-the-vote drives and mosques with polling stations are changing the political fortunes for a long-underrepresented faith group.

The data proves that regulating police behavior results in fewer killings of civilians.

Co-Op City was built as a grand experiment in social-justice housing. Fifty years later, its civic values are paying off.

Their success proves that you don’t need political power — or a Supreme Court majority — to get fair congressional districts.

Americans may find themselves following the state’s stay-at-home playbook in this year’s presidential election.

Taiwan has built a pragmatic, solutions-oriented society where democracy is expected to deliver results. Amid the pandemic, it’s paying off.

As Washington State moves to ban companies from selling its spring water, the story of Hood River County shows how even a small place can stop the extraction of its most precious resource.

A country where many parents once hid their children’s existence from the government has achieved something once thought impossible: universal birth registration.

A country that opposes human rights and democracy is also coming up with some smart solutions. Can we emulate the good without endorsing the bad?

Recently, Australian scientists proved something we once thought impossible: we can regrow the ocean forests we’ve destroyed. Now they’ve set their sights on a tougher challenge… and they can’t do it alone.

Mexico’s tax on sugary drinks will save thousands of lives and millions of dollars. Ahhh… sweet social change.

A city on Lake Erie convinced its waterfront property owners to give the public their waterfronts for free. It’s a case that could transform the Great Lakes forever.

At the Bicycle Architecture Biennale, spacious parking garages and elegant water crossings point the way to a two-wheeled utopia.

When a small-town clinic in England started prescribing human connection to its lonely patients, rates of chats over coffee increased—and hospital visits fell.

Our future survival may depend on our ability to adopt more selfless habits. One city has proven we can do it.