The City of Seattle, in King County, Washington. (Photo by Lalit Gupta / Unsplash)
Welcome back to The Weekly Wrap, our Friday roundup of stories that explain the problems oppressing people in cities and elevate the solutions that bring us closer to economic, environmental and social justice.
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Report: Training Workers and Migrants To Fill in Green Jobs Could Contribute $280 Billion to Cities By 2040
A new study finds that by 2040, urban climate action is expected to create 13 million green jobs globally in the construction, transport and waste sectors alone, with Boston alone estimated to need 60,000 jobs. Cities around the world will need to support green job training for existing workers and new migrant workers to avoid major labor shortages.
“The combined impact of skills training and inclusive immigration policies could see up to US$280 billion in economic growth by 2040, across the 25 cities studied,” researchers found. Produced jointly by the Mayors Migration Council, C40 Cities and the Climate Migration Council, the research focused across seven countries.
The labor shortages are likely to be filled if new workers (like migrants) and existing workers are trained on a green transition in these areas, the study explains. The labor shortage cannot be bridged without a focus on both existing workers and training for migrant workers.
King County Bans Rent-Setting Software That Artificially Inflates Housing Prices
In June, the City of Seattle passed an ordinance banning algorithmic rent-fixing. This week, the King County Council in Washington State unanimously voted to ban landlords from using rent-fixing technology for establishing rental prices, The Seattle Times reports.
King County is now the 11th jurisdiction to ban use of controversial software like RealPage that uses an algorithm to help landlords artificially boost rent prices. This occurs because the software collects data that is then used to recommend terms for lease renewal, recommend rental prices, and even occupancy levels. Residents can now sue landlords or service providers who violate the ban for up to $7,500.
Seattle School Board Directors Are Begging the City for More Housing
Members of Seattle’s school board are pushing for more housing development in hopes that more affordable options for families will keep enrollment from declining, The Urbanist reports.
Seattle’s public schools have seen insufficient state support as well as a drop in enrollment of about 15% over the last decade – which has been linked to lack of affordable housing and families with school-aged children.
A study on Seattle public school enrollment found that low-density housing areas saw the highest rates of displacement and therefore the largest declines in enrollment. Meanwhile, communities with higher density and lower cost of living did not see a large decline in public school enrollment.
A Colorado Town Is Divided Over a Lucrative ICE Deal
The Trump administration’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will re-open a shuttered private prison in Walsenburg, Colorado as part of a major ICE expansion playing out nationally. The move will bring financial opportunity to the town of less than 5,000 residents, Mother Jones reports, but the community is torn over the cost to immigrants being targeted and detained by the Trump administration.
The town will gain revenue and jobs that were lost when the facility was closed down more than 10 years ago. Local officials have praised the influx of money as a “godsend.” But some residents disagree: “We don’t want to be known as a town with a concentration camp,” one said during a commissioners meeting. Some have gathered to protest outside of the facility weekly.
MORE NEWS
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Tribal nations in the Northwest could lose hundreds of millions in funding thanks to the ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’ Underscore
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A Mexico City cab service for women is creating a community against gender-based violence. CNN
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NYC has ramped up handing out housing vouchers to housing-insecure military veterans. Gothamist
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Wildfire smoke is prematurely killing 40,000 Americans every year, a new study says. NPR
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Philadelphia considers a tax exemption for developers who are building affordable housing. WHYY
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The Trump administration threatens Boston and Chicago’s public transit funding over “safety” concerns. WCVB
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Food delivery apps depend on cheap immigrant labor to survive, research shows. Journal of Canadian Labour Studies
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California AG says he plans to sue Trump administration for violating environmental laws. Reuters
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Most children in the U.S. rely on Medicaid for healthcare, study finds. Stateline
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Grassroot groups in California are using mushrooms to clean up after wildfires. Ambrook
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A look at how different cities around the world are working to beat extreme heat. The New York Times
OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
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The Social Innovation Lab at the John Hopkins University is accepting applications from Baltimore-area leaders and ventures building sustainable solutions for a better world. Apply by Sept. 27.
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The Ford Foundation’s NYC Good Neighbor Committee is accepting applications from community-based organizations working on education, human services, arts and culture in New York City. Apply by Sept. 30.
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Hinkley Allen is accepting applications from small nonprofits for its social justice partnership program. Apply by Sept. 30.
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The National Geographic Society is accepting applications to fund innovative projects that make farms, farming communities and natural ecosystems more resilient to the realities of climate change and extreme weather. Apply by Sept. 30.
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Project for Public Spaces is accepting applications from nonprofits and public agencies seeking to transform a street or mobility hub into a community gathering place that improves street safety and mobility in Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas. Attend a Sept. 22 info session and apply by Oct. 13.
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Envision Resilience is offering funding to university-affiliated design studios to support curricula centered on adaptive design solutions to the challenges of a warming planet in their communities. Apply by Oct. 17.
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Check out Next City’s jobs board for new opportunities.
EVENTS
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TODAY IN NYC: Sept. 26 at 5-8 p.m. Eastern: Opening reception for Cross Bronx/Living Legend, a six-week exhibition that reconsiders one of New York City’s most contested infrastructures through new photography and oral histories.
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Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. Central: Data centers have arrived in the Midwest. Will the AI boom derail or drive clean energy goals? Experts from the Environmental Law & Policy Center discuss.
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Check out events from Next City and our partners here!
This post was originally published on Next City.