Michael Dudley

<p> In her new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Built-Hell-Extraordinary-Communities/dp/0670021075/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1253033030&amp;sr=8-1"><em>A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster</em></a>, journalist and essayist Rebecca Solnit describes a phenomenon that is rarely mentioned in the context of disaster preparedness: the spirit of caring -- even joy -- that can emerge in the face of calamity.

Forage SF promotes the idea of eating uncultivated food found growing naturally, and even sells boxes of "wild food." Reporter Tara Lohan joins a forager, or "freegan", as they collect goodies from the streets.

The health care reform town halls are just the latest evidence that traditional forms of public engagement are no longer effective and in fact can be counterproductive, writes Sandy Heierbacher.

The box office hit "District 9" was shot in a real Soweto slum, and now the residents are hoping that the popularity of the film will lead to real improvements to the settlement.

Having fallen to near-bottom according to most indicators of urban vitality, Detroit is now facing the possibility of bankruptcy. But there are still reasons for optimism, writes John Ibbitson.