The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced 144 finalists, including 6 in Lexington, in the third annual Knight Cities Challenge, a national call for ideas to make the 26 communities where Knight invests more vibrant places to live and work. Open to innovators of all types, the Knight Cities Challenge asked applicants to answer the question: What’s your best idea to make cities more successful?More than 4,500 applicants answered the call and proposed a wide range of ideas to make cities more successful, from technology and other solutions that better connect local government with the public and increase voter engagement, to creating public spaces – parks, trails, pools, and even treehouses – that connect people from diverse backgrounds and contribute to economic growth. Many of the projects also address pressing community challenges, proposing ideas to break down racial divides, repair blighted neighborhoods, and address social and economic inequities.

Submissions came from many nonprofit and government organizations, as well as design experts, urban planning organizations and individuals focused on making their cities more successful. Each of the ideas focuses on one or more of three drivers of city success:

• Talent: Ideas that help cities attract and keep talented people;
• Opportunity: Ideas that expand economic prospects and break down divides;
• Engagement: Ideas that spur connection and civic involvement.

Winners, who will receive a share of up to $5 million, will be announced in spring 2017.

Six of this year’s 144 finalists came from Lexington:

Booths to Bricks by National Main Street Center (submitted by Jodie Hiveley): Promoting entrepreneurship by helping vendors at the popular, monthly Night Market open brick-and-mortar stores.

Build Up by NoLi CDC (submitted by Griffin VanMeter): Opening a neighborhood-owned hardware store that provides tools and services to physically improve the North Limestone neighborhood in addition to providing job training.

Civiclex.org: A Platform for an Informed Civic Democracy by ProgressLex (submitted by Richard Young): Informing and engaging more people about the issues facing city government through a new digital platform.

Plant & Play by NoLi CDC (submitted by Griffin VanMeter): Building an adventure playscape and community garden in Castlewood Park, a 30-acre neighborhood park on the north end of Lexington.

Retrofitting the RETRO: Rediscover Southland by LexArts (submitted by Nathan Zamarron): Reinvigorating a suburban neighborhood by taking a page from urban centers and commissioning site-specific art and pop-up installations along a disjointed strip mall.

That High Lonesome Data by the Office for Creative Research (submitted by A’yen Tran and the Office for Creative Research): Strengthening civic engagement by working with bluegrass musicians in Lexington to demystify civic data through song and performance rooted in Kentucky’s heritage.