• Article

    ‘Knight Cities’ podcast: Jeff Risom of Gehl Architects on improving the quality of public life

    Published October 22, 2014 by

    Public life is making a comeback in U.S. cities after more than 50 years of decline, inspired, in large part, by the work of Gehl Architects in Copenhagen. Helping cities accelerate that movement and get the details of public space right is a special talent of Jeff Risom. He is partner and managing director of Gehl Studio, the U.S. subsidiary of Gehl Architects, where he oversees design, planning and research projects throughout the Americas. Gehl has worked with cities worldwide to use public space to shape public life. Listen to my conversation with Jeff here. And sign up for the “Knight Cities” newsletter to get alerts as soon as new conversations are posted.
  • Article

    Five answers with Matt Voigt, saambaa

    Published October 22, 2014 by

    Matt Voigt is the founder of saambaa, whose product enables media publishers to publish local information and entertainment content, publish it to a mobile app and derive additional revenue.  Saambaa is already working with 25 media companies, including Hearst, and a variety of local newspapers. Knight invested in a seed round for Saambaa via the Knight Enterprise Fund. This article is cross-posted with permission from the Newspaper Association of America. Five Answers is a weekly series that features a member of the newspaper industry answering five questions. If you'd like to participate, email [email protected] Matt Voigt is the Chief Instigator at saambaa, which is supported by the Knight Enterprise Fund. Saambaa enables newsrooms to publish local information and entertainment content on a branded mobile app that helps them generate revenue and connect with a younger audience.  Matt presented at NAA mediaXchange in March during the inaugural Accelerator Pitch Program 1) How do you read the newspaper - print, online and/or mobile?  I haven't read a printed newspaper since March of 2009. I consume news 90% on mobile and 10% desktop. I can't share stories on print, and I share 20-30% of the stories I read with friends and family. I'm also always on the go, and it's kind of hard to fit a newspaper in my pocket. :)   
  • Article

    Sundance comes to #KnightCities

    Published October 21, 2014 by

    By Nate von Zumwalt, editorial manager for Sundance Institute. Discovering and supporting independent artists is what Sundance Institute is all about. We believe that providing an inclusive space for artists to create and thrive encourages diverse stories and greater understanding. In 2013, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation...
  • Article

    Duval-Carrié joins ranks of art elite

    Published October 21, 2014 by

    Opening night for "Imagined Landscapes," solo show from Duval-Carrié at PAMM. Edouard Duval-Carrié needs no introduction to the local art world, or to the socially active community. Fresh off his highly acclaimed solo exhibition at PAMM last spring, Duval-Carrié has cemented a permanent place in Miami’s...
  • Article

    New events combine Miami’s love for sports with technology

    Published October 21, 2014 by

    The newest events on the Miami tech scene, Tech Weekend @ The Dolphins and Tech Networking @ The Dolphins combine South Florida’s passion for sports with its rapidly growing tech scene. These sports-themed gatherings allow local software and IT enthusiasts access to insights from Dolphins IT staff and Sun Life Stadium facilities to learn, network and share ideas. They will also add another layer to Miami’s increasingly diverse idea ecosystem, allowing participants the chance to explore how technology can leverage and enhance Miami’s great love for sports. The events are supported by Knight Foundation, as well as the Dolphins. The first of these, Tech Weekend @ The Dolphins will kick off this week on Oct. 25, bringing together sports, technology and entrepreneurship. Included in the program are tech meetups at Sun Life Stadium and professional training sessions on IT and coding. A teach-a-thon event will also introduce local high school students to HTML web design and game development, as a way to engage them in idea-building.
  • Article

    41 ideas advance in Knight News Challenge: Libraries

    Published October 21, 2014 by

    Last week 11 advisers helped us select a group of semifinalists for the Knight News Challenge: Libraries. Today, we are excited to announce that 41 projects have moved to the next stage of consideration. These semifinalists will have a week to fine tune their entries before we begin work with another set of advisers to choose the finalists. We received 680 submissions to the challenge, which is focused on the question: how might we leverage libraries as a platform to build more knowledgeable communities? Having the opportunity to look at a multitude of ideas from the library community is immensely valuable to our work. It gives us the chance to understand the shared energy among those working to innovate in the field and the shifting role of libraries in the digital age. Here are some of the themes that emerged as we reviewed the 680 entries:
  • Article

    Get fed, get funded at MIAMI SOUP

    Published October 21, 2014 by

    The first MIAMI SOUP microgrant led to the creation of a free, interactive theatrical performance that took place at locations across the city last month. “History on Wheels” is bike tour and performance based on the life story of city founder Julia Tuttle and her inventive interactions with other Miami figures like Henry Flagler, George Merrick, and James Deering. Photo Credit: Pati Laylle. Miami’s latest recipe for social innovation offers changemakers an opportunity for network support and funding. MIAMI SOUP has invited  three people with big ideas to dine with community members -- over  gourmet soup, salad and bread -- to decide “what’s next” for the community. How it works: Each dinner guest is a donor; event registration includes $50 for a plate of fine food and the opportunity to vote for one of three people with a small-budget idea that they believe would have big impact. The third MIAMI SOUP will take place Nov. 9 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Macy’s Test Kitchen in the Dadeland Mall.
  • Article

    Walden: The Knight Neighborhood Challenge did this

    Published October 21, 2014 by

    This article is cross-posted with permission from The Telegraph. This week a finale celebration was held atop Coleman Hill to recognize the impact of the Knight Neighborhood Challenge. Since 2009, this community-driven grant program invested $3 million in the College Hill Corridor by funding ideas that would make the area thrive. What made the program so successful is how the people of Macon embraced it. We dreamed big. We embraced creativity. We applied innovation. We rolled up our sleeves and invested the time to not just talk the talk of, “You know what would be great?” but to walk the walk of, “Let’s do this.” Our resulting projects ranged from the simple with a complex purpose to the downright funky, quirky and completely, uniquely Macon. There were simple tasks such as requesting a few hundred dollars to distribute light bulbs with sensor cells so neighborhood homes would automatically have a friendly front-porch light turn on as day turned to dusk. Not only did this enhance the sense of safety, but it encouraged neighbors to be neighborly. If you received a light bulb, you also received an extra to pass along to someone else on your block who could use it.
  • Article

    Sundance expands to more #KnightCities

    Published October 20, 2014 by

    2014 New Frontier Flash Lab, Miami. Photo by Michael Toledo.  Nate von Zumwalt is editorial manager for Sundance Institute.  Discovering and supporting independent artists is what Sundance Institute is all about. We believe that providing an inclusive space for artists to create and thrive encourages diverse stories and greater understanding.  In 2013, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation joined us in support of this goal by helping Sundance Institute reach into two new communities, Philadelphia and Miami, in search of new voices, new perspectives, and new stories to be told. Now Knight Foundation is expanding its support with a new $1 million investment. The Knight Fellows Project will provide filmmakers and related artists in eight U.S. cities with local programs modeled on the Institute’s renowned residential Labs and successful one-day workshops for emerging filmmakers. Over the next three years, storytellers from Akron, Charlotte, Detroit, Macon, Miami, Philadelphia, San Jose, and St. Paul will have access to creative and tactical training from esteemed Sundance Alumni and Advisors.  Programs will include ShortsLabs, New Frontier Flash Labs and Screenwriters Intensives, as well as immersive workshops on documentary storytelling, film music, and creative marketing and distribution.