Last year’s challenge winners include Operation Export Macon, which fosters city pride and helps attract newcomers to Macon, GA by sending one man in a roaming trailer to nearby cities, to showcase the city’s best food, goods and experiences.
The Knight Cities Challenge is now accepting applications that address the question: What’s your best idea to make cities more successful? From a pool of $5 million, we’re looking to award funding at the city, neighborhood and block level, and all sizes in between in cities across the country – including Myrtle Beach.
Knight Foundation is hoping to attract a wide variety of applications from: activists, architects, artists, block captains, city officials, designers, educators, entrepreneurs, hackers, institutions, nonprofits, organizations, planning professionals, restaurant owners, social workers—everyone is welcome. The challenge has just two rules:
1. A submission may come from anywhere, but the project must take place or benefit one or more of the 26 communities where Knight invests, like Myrtle Beach.
2. The idea should address one or more of three drivers of city success:
- Talent: Does your idea help cities attract and retain talented people?
- Opportunity: Does your idea help improve economic prospects and break down divides between people of different incomes and between workers and today’s economy?
- Engagement: Does your idea encourage people to connect with their community and inspire them to become more involved in shaping its future?
Applying to the challenge is simple. The initial application asks just three primary questions about your project that should be answered in 100 words or less.
You can send questions to citieschallenge@knightfoundation.org. And you can peruse the winners of the first Knight Cities Challenge and apply at knightcities.org. This blog post from Knight also has some great information about the challenge. Applications are being accepted until noon ET on October 27th.
Follow @knightfdn, @WaccamawCF and #knightcities on Twitter for updates and please help us spread the word!