Apolitical is offering a workshop teaching civil servants and policy a method that solves problems through designing, prototyping, and testing ideas with users.
Archives: Virus Articles
Giving public space to bars and cafes
To support local businesses, the city of Vilnius allocates public space to bars and cafés so they can operate despite physical distancing rules.
Digital church
An online platform creates spaces for encounter for church congregations.
Virtual proceedings in the UK Parliament
The UK parliament allows Commons members to participate in sessions virtually.
Women in detention make face masks
A reintegration programme for women in prison responded to the coronavirus outbreak by producing face masks from recycled materials.
Stock and demand platform for medical supplies
A non-profit donation platform brings together the stock and demand for medical protection and relief items throughout Germany.
Monitoring the needs of regional communities and developing innovative solutions for them
A new coalition of civil society organisations was launched to meet the emerging needs of society during Covid-19 in all regions and neighbourhoods of Jordan.
Expanding bike lanes to prevent coronavirus spread
In the Colombian capital of Bogotá, bike lanes were temporarily opened to avoid crowds in times of social distancing.
Government loans for small businesses
To support businesses with fewer than 500 employees, the city of New York offers a loan-based Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Supporting active commuting
The city of Milan is drastically increasing the space for pedestrians and cyclists to allow enough space for active commuting.
Reconfiguring streets for physical distancing
The city of Portland gives more space to pedestrians and cyclists to make sure that commuters can move freely in times of physical distancing.
Participatory document for re-opening strategy
The city of Milan invites its citizens to contribute their ideas to the re-opening strategy for the city.
Cooking for heroes
A platform lists restaurants that are offering meals for people working in the care sector and other essential professions.
Hugging a tree helps people in isolation
Iceland’s forestry service encourages citizens to hug trees for five minutes a day. This is in line with research that suggests hugging trees reduces peoples’ stress levels.
A regional supply movement started by a provincial government
A culinary initiative in Lower Austria informs about regional food suppliers to support local businesses.
A government’s call for the general mobilisation of solidarity
Faced with the coronavirus epidemic, the French government calls for solidarity among citizens to support the most vulnerable groups of society.
A handbook to make governments more resilient for future crises
Code For Germany, a network of groups of volunteers (Labs), published a handbook for governments about challenges and possible solutions for crisis management.
Government offers free webinars for a “safe home office”
The government of the Austrian province Lower Austria offers free and publicly accessible webinars on the topic of “Secure Home Office”. They inform citizens on how to protect themselves and their data.
Educational app with WhatsApp integration
By integrating digital educational material into WhatsApp, it is more accessible for less privileged children.
Smart neighborhood support
A neighbourhood support platform can be reached both via an app and via phone hotline, to accommodate the needs of both the young and the elderly.
