Photo: St. Paul’s Green Line. Credit: Michael Hicks (CC) on Flickr.

Today we’re opening the second year of the Knight Green Line Challenge. The challenge asks for your best ideas to tap into the potential of the Green Line connecting the Knight community of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., to make surrounding neighborhoods more vibrant places to live and work. Winning projects will share in $500,000 in funding.

This is in the second year of the challenge, and with it Knight Foundation is trying to move three things that we know are key to St Paul’s success. The challenge is seeking ideas that do one or more of the following in the neighborhoods along the Green Line:

·      Attract newcomers and excite current residents,

·      Break down community divides and increase economic opportunity,

·      And build and strengthen a culture of civic engagement.

Applications should focus on making impact in one or more of the these areas – and need to take place in and benefit one of the six St. Paul neighborhoods along the Green Line: Downtown, Frogtown/Thomas-Dale, Hamline Midway, St. Anthony Park, Summit-University or Union Park.

The application period runs through noon (CT) Friday, July 10. The application form is simple with just four short questions to answer. We have arranged a couple of community Q&As Thursday and Friday in St. Paul where you can come and hear more about the challenge and ask any questions you may have.

We want the Green Line Challenge to serve as an opportunity to begin a conversation on building a stronger, more successful St. Paul. Follow the conversation on Twitter @knightgreenline. 

Let’s build on our community’s investment in the Green Line and take the next step forward. We believe that good ideas can come from anywhere and we want to hear your voice in this contest. Your ideas are essential to building stronger neighborhoods along the Green Line.

George Abbott is special assistant to the vice president for community and national initiatives and interim program director for St. Paul at Knight Foundation. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garthurabbott.