The Bottom-Up Revolution

The people closest to your home are often the people you know the least. Samira Reyes, a physician and creator of Samira Unscripted, wanted to see whether a low-pressure experiment could make that gap easier to cross. She invited neighbors into a group chat for small, practical help, and 16 people joined after she left 40 notes. Now she’s testing the idea with hundreds more p...

The decisions that look simple at the start of a board game can become the problems you spend the rest of it trying to solve. Nick Shrag, a video game programmer and board-game designer, built 'People Live Here' around two players sharing responsibility for the same town. One manages local government finances and development, while the other represents the community and the w...

A house can take years to plan and build, but Andy Dragt and his wife can finish one in about five weeks. Norm Van Eeden Petersman joins Firefly Tiny Homes founder Andy Dragt, whose work has moved far beyond the tiny-house lifestyle people often see on HGTV or social media. Built for permanent living and movable when circumstances change, these homes can serve as a starter ho...

Allendale had already lost much of its population after one freeway cut through the neighborhood, and another highway project threatened to deepen the damage. Planner and architect Kim Mitchell first came into the fight thinking his professional role was to bring answers, but listening to residents changed how he understood the work. In 2012, he helped form a “learning and do...

Memphis is the deadliest metro area in the country for people walking, with 5.5 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents. Sheridan Harris nearly lost her life in a hit-and-run while training for a triathlon three years ago, and she is still working toward getting back to the riding she loved before the crash. Since then, she has become part of My Green Line Project, which is c...