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BIG LITTLE IDEAS
'America is the most interesting place in the world at this moment'
Deb and Jim Fallows discuss the Our Towns journey with Brett Hollenbeck on 'The Impact Code' podcast.
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
That empty space next to highways? Put solar panels on it.
Roadside solar fields across the country could power up to 12 million electric vehicles.
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
Unlocking Potential
At-risk youth in North Carolina hold the keys to flipping a decommissioned prison into a sustainable farm and community asset.
COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
Story Maps are at the Center of Community Collaboration in Kent, Ohio
New digital tools give communities innovative and engaging ways to tell their own stories. In Kent, Ohio, a community-wide collaboration among Kent State University, Main Street Kent, and the Kent Historical Society & Museum uses story maps to teach residents about the town's rich history.
GEOJOURNALISM
Why Story Maps Matter
People understand the world through stories. People absorb their stories in ever-expanding ways. Here is a preview of a powerful, emerging form of digital story-telling, which we’ll be using frequently in this space.
GEOJOURNALISM
What would it sound like if technology leaders took their social responsibilities seriously? Like this.
How can the people who invented digital mapping technology avoid worrying about writing the next chapter in the history of disinformation?
FROM THE READERS
From your towns to our inbox, notes from South Dakota and North Carolina and more.
“Our Towns” Reader Response Roundup features film screening feedback, a unique effort to support libraries nationwide, and national perceptions being addressed at the local level.
GEOJOURNALISM
We Find Our Way With Maps. But How Can Mapmakers Know Where They're Going?
A "geo-historical narrative" captured the imagination of many children in mid-20th century America. Maps have always had power to shape perceptions of reality. A memoir about their influence--and an introduction of what's to come.
JOURNALISM & CIVIC NEWS
The New York Editor with an 'Our Towns' Vision for the Country as a Whole
Few people outside the publishing world knew of Dan Frank. Many benefitted from his vision, and skill--including anyone visiting this site.
PRESS
Writers discuss state of the US in documentary ‘Our Towns’
Hoda and Jenna talk with James and Deborah about 'Our Towns,' their documentary of the month.
Press
Opinion: Biden’s American Families Plan could rewrite American politics
“The value of community colleges in giving students technical skills for the jobs of the future was explained powerfully in 'Our Towns'...
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"it might be the most subversive movie in circulation right now."
HBO documentary ‘Our Towns’ visits 6 American cities and finds unity, not division.