– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

Years ago, a friend from Sweden living in the States asked why our red lights aren’t synced with sensors to reduce traffic and pollution. Apparently that’s been a thing there. The answer was elusive, but some two decades later it seems that Google’s AI may be powering some smart planning. In this piece from Engadget, it is reported that a, “…10 to 20 percent reduction in fuel and intersection delay time,” is possible by employing Google-powered AI to maximize efficiency and reduce carbon exhaust. In a related story from Grist, it’s noted that we could save one million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year by following Google Maps’ newest feature that plans the lowest carbon route for car journeys. That’s the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road per year, and nothing to sneeze (ahem, cough) at! Google’s other green efforts include posting emissions information in its airfare search results, as well as changes to its shopping engine and including sustainability efforts in hotel search results. Hopefully all of these initiatives can lead to a greener, brighter, cleaner future for all of us.

Photo credit: Randy Lisciarelli, Unsplash

The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but for those experiencing homelessness, routine tasks like doing your laundry can seem insurmountable. That’s why one group in Philadelphia began offering free laundry support to those who need it. From folks who are unhoused, to those living in various shelter or transient situations, the needs can be as complex as access to washers and dryers, to simply finding quarters or detergent. Not to be considered a charity, the group prefers the moniker of “mutual aid”.  A volunteer and organizer named Bengal underscored the difference between a charity and mutual aid, saying “We’re helping people that are similar to us, we’re in the same boat. I like to use mutual aid as a way to form relationships with our community.” To Bengal it’s about more than “helping someone that’s poorer than you, it’s about forming networks and relationships and understanding how to live in our society better by helping each other.” Please follow them on Instagram here and considering donating.

Photo credit:  PHL Laundry Support

While outdoor café culture has flourished in Europe for centuries, many U.S. cities only saw sidewalk dining as an “in-season” affaire — that is, until the pandemic forced the hands of hundreds of thousands of restaurants in the States to offer outdoor dining options, even in the dead of winter. Many built temporary structures extending onto sidewalks and into streets and previous parking spots, but overwhelmingly, the consensus has been to keep them. According to a Washington D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) survey, “…89% of local businesses operating a streatery overwhelmingly support a permanent DDOT Streatery Program.” And it doesn’t end in the nation’s capital. Cities across the country are considering ways to integrate the structures into permanent, safe and productive third places. In Philadelphia, for example, a bill has been proposed to enshrine the fixtures, subject to codes, inspections and regulations that apply to permanent spaces. Councilperson Alan Domb, who proffered the legislation, is quoted as saying, “This is the only answer to keep these restaurants alive and more importantly to make sure our residents who work in these restaurants have jobs,”.  In other places the structures were removed almost immediately after vaccinations began rolling out this past spring. What’s the situation like where you are, and do you think streateries have a future in your hometown?

Photo credit: Robinson Greig, Unsplash

Support for basic income grew exponentially in the wake of the pandemic and last summer’s social upheaval, and we’ve reported before on cities and municipalities testing UBI pilots. In good news, arts organizations in both San Francisco, CA and St. Paul, MN launched pilots that provided monthly, no-strings-attached funding to local artists from marginalized communities who have struggled during the pandemic, according to Next City.  But it’s not just at the local level that we’re seeing traction for programs like this. The national organization, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income believe that “Economic insecurity isn’t a new challenge or a partisan issue. Wealth and income inequality, which have long plagued our country, continue to grow. Even prior to the pandemic, people who were working two and three jobs still couldn’t afford basic necessities. COVID-19 has only further exposed the economic fragility of most American households, and has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown people.”  Nearly sixty cities are leading the way with similar initiatives, and you can search your city by name or mayor here.
 
Photo credit: Tim Mossholder, Unsplash

A ghost artist is beautifying the sidewalks of Downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan and the results are keeping people on their toes! Mysteriously appearing, seemingly overnight, multiple crayon drawings and sketches of downtown vistas have been discovered — and while there’s been wild speculation on Reddit and other platforms, the mystery artist has maintained their mystique. Chelsea Rose of WKFR in Kalamazoo blushes that, “I thought the picture was gorgeous and the fact that it was done on sidewalk with crayon blew my mind.” Got a clue as to who the mystery scribbler is?  Give us a shout!
 
Photo credit: u/CapsidMusic, Reddit