Communities Across NEPA Receive State Funding for Outdoor Recreation

More than $11.4 million in state grants will support 46 outdoor recreation and conservation projects across Northeast Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program will fund projects intended to expand public access to outdoor spaces, strengthen local communities, and support outdoor recreation including park improvements, trail development, land preservation, and community recreation planning.

The investments are part of a broader $81 million statewide initiative and include projects in counties such as Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, and Wyoming, with funding directed toward ADA accessibility, trail connections, playgrounds, open space conservation, and watershed restoration.

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Philadelphia Food as Medicine Coalition Launches

A new Philadelphia Food as Medicine Coalition has launched to bring together health care providers, farmers, nonprofits, nutrition experts, and policymakers to improve access to healthy foods and reduce chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Coalition members aim to address food insecurity, nutrition education, food waste, and supply chain challenges by expanding programs such as medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, and community-based nutrition initiatives.

Leaders from organizations including The Food Trust, FarmerJawn Agriculture, and Sharing Excess say stronger collaboration and more localized food systems can improve health outcomes, particularly for children and families, while ensuring nutritious food is more affordable and accessible.

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Development Without Displacement? Pittsburgh Neighborhood Is a Test Case

A decade of research on Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood found that major investment in the Hazelwood Green riverfront redevelopment did not lead to the widespread displacement or demographic shifts typically associated with gentrification.

The study found that resident stability remained high, the share of nonwhite residents increased, housing costs stayed relatively affordable compared to many revitalizing neighborhoods, and local nonprofits used more than $24 million in grants to preserve housing, rehabilitate properties, and support community-led development.

Researchers suggest that targeted investments in affordable housing, property preservation, and resident engagement helped balance economic growth with community stability, although concerns about future displacement persist as property values continue to rise. 

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Policy Solutions for an Affordable Future

Rising costs for housing, childcare, health care, food, and other necessities have left about half of families in the United States without the resources needed for long-term economic security.

This Urban Institute report presents evidence-based policy recommendations for local, state, and federal leaders aimed at reducing household expenses, increasing earnings, and improving affordability, with a particular emphasis on actions that state and local governments can take amid federal funding reductions.

Rather than promoting a single solution, researchers suggest that a combination of strategies across multiple sectors is needed to improve families’ financial well-being, expand economic mobility, and help residents build wealth over time. 

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Tools That Fit: A Guide for Measuring Family, School, and Community Engagement 

A new Brookings Institution guide is helping education leaders address a common challenge: choosing the right methods and tools to measure family, school, and community engagement (FSCE).

The guide walks users through determining why they want to measure engagement, selecting the most appropriate approach for their goals and context, and identifying suitable measurement tools, with an inventory of surveys and rubrics that details their purpose, participants, languages, length, and cost.

Brookings Research reports that quantitative measures should be complemented with interviews, focus groups, and observations to better capture the relationships and experiences that influence student learning and well-being, and they provide a companion workbook to support implementation. 

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Americans Open to AI in Healthcare but Want Human Oversight

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that Americans are generally open to AI assisting with healthcare tasks, particularly administrative functions such as translation, scheduling appointments, and processing prescription refills, but most prefer that a human make the final decisions.

Public support declines for higher-stakes uses of AI, such as diagnosing patients or making health insurance claim decisions, and 60 percent of Americans say they would be uncomfortable if their own doctor used AI for diagnoses or treatments.

The study also found that Americans are divided on whether AI will improve patient health outcomes, with many expressing concerns about its impact on patient-doctor relationships, privacy, and the need for ongoing human oversight in medical care. 

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