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Community Service Partnership Builds Capacity and New Leaders

By Mary Beth Powell on June 8th, 2016

Maria Restuccio had never heard of a Splash Park before she researched others in North Carolina and across the country. By the time she completed her investigation, however, she had […]

Wellness Collaborative Works to Create Livable Environments

By Mary Beth Powell on February 10th, 2016

Tired of its reputation as a “bedroom community,” Alamance County leaders want to change the county’s landscape and norms so that it is a healthy and desirable place to live, […]

Aging Gracefully Through Site Design and Community Connections

By Mary Beth Powell on November 4th, 2015

I have the “honor” of being the oldest person at Active Living By Design and one of only two Baby Boomers in a sea of Gen Xers, Gen Ys and […]

A Blighted Philadelphia Park Becomes Neighborhood’s Jewel

By Mary Beth Powell on June 3rd, 2015

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Philadelphia’s 87-acre Hunting Park has had a miracle resurgence thanks to community activists and a broad-based coalition. Established in 1856, Hunting Park’s neglected […]

Forging a New Generation of Outdoor Enthusiasts

By Mary Beth Powell on March 18th, 2015

“Everyone must believe in something. I believe I’ll go canoeing.” —Henry David Thoreau. Numerous barriers discourage outdoor activity, like lack of transportation, safety concerns, and for low-income families, the very […]

Less Fluff, Healthier Stuff: Adopt Healthy Vending Policies

By Mary Beth Powell on February 18th, 2015

I recently had the privilege of attending the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)’s kick-off meeting to announce its new $500 million investment to help all children grow up at a […]

How Will the Millennial Perspective Change our Work?

By Mary Beth Powell on January 21st, 2015

“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.” – Bill Gates Before my 21-year-old […]

Exploring New Waters

By Mary Beth Powell on October 8th, 2014

Think you’ve exhausted all options? Reach out to some new players. Stretching beyond one’s comfort zone and into a different field of work can be intimidating. “I try to stay […]

Jailed for Justice

By Mary Beth Powell on August 15th, 2014

“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made.” – Oscar Wilde In the last year […]

Do You Know a Connector When You See One?

By Mary Beth Powell on June 18th, 2014

“There are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. All you have to do is find them.” – Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make […]