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How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? Read the challenge brief

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Mission #3 Get Active Find out more...

Fresh Coat Cambridge (MD)

In a small city in Maryland, local volunteers, community organizations and local businesses got together to spruce up the historic downtown. When the place looks good, more people want to be part of it.
This is a small town in a pretty part of the country, but it's still struggling. The Fresh Coat project has been a way that everyone can contribute. It lets local businesses, residents, weekenders all work together to make the small downtown a place everyone can be proud of. A coat of paint won't solve all of Cambridge's problems. But it won't look like it's wearing shabby clothes either. 120 volunteers in a town of 11,000 is pretty good. I love that the colors are bright and cheerful.
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Meaghan Orlinski

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November 28, 2011, 07:32PM
I love this concept, sometimes cosmetics are as important as infrastructure.

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Whitney Quesenbery's reply to Meaghan Orlinski's comment

Whitney Quesenbery

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November 28, 2011, 10:33PM
Agree. It's like putting a smile on the town.
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Whitney Quesenbery's reply to Meaghan Orlinski's comment

Whitney Quesenbery

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November 28, 2011, 10:31PM
I don't know much about it, but Cambridge went through a regional planning exercise last year that ended up looking pretty sensible. There's a strong mayor, a lot of need, and a lot of other activities to revitalize the town. I don't know how much the catalyst was an individual leader, but now (from the outside) it looks like activities are starting to build on themselves.

For example, a group has started to re-build the historic lighthouse. It was an unusual construction. It will be both a museum/attraction, and will house the harbor-master's office. Construction started about the same time as Fresh Coat.
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OpenIDEO

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November 27, 2011, 09:05PM
Congrats on this post being today's onsite Featured Inspiration!
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Meena Kadri

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November 09, 2011, 01:06AM
Brilliant – and what a perfect name for the venture! What a great way to engage people in reinvigorating their cities and supporting their local communities.
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