Hello! And welcome to Reasons to Be Cheerful, a nonprofit solutions journalism project I started a couple of years ago as I was creating the show you’re about to see.

While putting together American Utopia, I started to realize that there are people out there who are working to make their own visions of utopia a reality. This project tells their stories in the hope that they might teach and inspire others.

I hope you’ll check it out, and if you’re so inspired, make a donation. We don’t have ads or paywalls  your tax-deductible support is what keeps us going.

— David Byrne

Stories we think you might enjoy reading

The New Solar Farm Is a Real Farm, Too

The next generation of solar arrays benefits the earth — right beneath them.

India’s Amazing Art Hub

Not long ago I ended up at a biennial in Kochi, a little Indian city with a thriving art scene. Could this be a place where artists can make a living?

Spain’s Happy Little Carless City

Pontevedra, once choked with cars, is a laboratory for how smaller cities can implement a few simple tricks to reduce driving dramatically.

My bookmarks