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Urban Thinkscapes

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Urban Thinkscapes

Quartz, 2018, 5:03… Urban Thinkscape is more than just a playground. It was designed by a team of psychologists and architects to encourage families to play while waiting for the bus. The researchers behind the project argue that play is crucial for early childhood development and that there needs to be more of it built into public spaces — more than a playground for kids. In 2050, 70% of the world’s children will live in cities. If the team can prove Urban Thinkscape’s success, it’s a concept that can be replicated almost anywhere.

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Advertising & Alcohol Regulation

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Advertising & Alcohol Regulation

USA Today, 2018, 5:43… Millions of Americans will hoist a glass this holiday season. And convincing you to do so is big business! In the US alone, 2 billion dollars is spent on alcohol advertising each year. Perhaps well worth it, as it results in 162 billion dollars in annual alcohol sales. You heard us right, it's not just your in-laws who are driving you to drink.

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The Problems of Border Security TV

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The Problems of Border Security TV

Al Jazeera, 2018, 9:55… For the past few years, Border Security TV has become a regular fixture on airwaves around the globe. It's a subgenre of reality TV where camera crews follow border control officials as they search for illegal goods, interrogate suspicious newcomers, and deport those deemed unwanted. Its popularity, some say, is a clear sign of the times.

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Disability Activism

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Disability Activism

Vice, 2018, 15:13… A new wave of activism by disabled Americans has quickly gained momentum under the Trump administration in response to federal policies they feel are threatening their community on issues ranging from healthcare, to education, to fundamental civil rights. VICE’s Ryan O’Connell, who lives with cerebral palsy, joined hundreds of activists from ADAPT, the largest organizer for disability rights in the U.S., as they staged several days of protest and civil disobedience in Washington D.C.

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Anarchist Commune

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Anarchist Commune

Vice, 2018, 30:55… Manisha Krishnan travels to Poole's Land, an anarchist commune on the western edge of Canada to figure out what exactly is drawing young people to live on the periphery of society. She ventures into the rainforest and confronts a variety of her deepest fears, but ultimately finds enlightenment in the spirit of the people who inhabit this mysterious place.

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Body Positive Fat Camps

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Body Positive Fat Camps

Broadly, 2018, 10:41… Broadly visits the first adult fat camp that focuses on celebrating bodies instead of changing or shaming them. Women from around the country gathered at Fat Camp in Henderson, North Carolina for a weekend of outdoor activities like swimming, campfires, and pool parties in a judgement-free space. For many of them, the experience among other fat women was a transformative step in their journeys towards self-love.

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Happiness is an Unopened Box

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Happiness is an Unopened Box

The New York Times, 2018, 4:14… On the internet, we can vicariously consume more stuff than we could ever actually buy, touch, or even see in our lifetimes. Are these videos eliminating a desire, or creating one? From Internetting with Amanda Hess.