There’s something about the end of the year that I find particularly appealing. As cliché as it might sound, I like the idea of using the turn of the year as a way of hitting the metaphorical reset button.
I often spend December waffling between two dynamics: I’m frantically finishing up pending projects and knocking those last few things off the to-do list and I’m investing time thinking about the future — what it might hold, how I show up in all spheres of my life, and what I can do to contribute in a meaningful way.
However, I have to admit, as I look at trends and news from the past year, I’m feeling a bit more deflated than normal. Despite the backlash to tourists, travel has hit record levels. Consumerism is bursting at the seams, as evidenced by the ludicrous amount of money spent on Black Friday. COP29 left a lot to be desired. And I can’t even think about politics without breaking into a cold sweat.
And yet, I remain a stubborn optimist. I think it’s the only way to be in the world we live in today.
So, with the hope of manifesting a better 2025, this year’s round-up of the best stories, solutions, and ideas is largely focused on good news and glimmers of promise. As you step tentatively or boldly into the new year (your choice), I hope you find something here that gives you a small sliver of … well, hope.
If you’ve missed previous years’ round-up articles, you can find them here:
- Places, People, Stories, and Ideas: Top Picks of 2023
- A Peek at the Past Before Moving Forward: A Selection of Readings from 2022
- Then, Today, Tomorrow: The Best Reading of 2021
- The Best Readings, Ideas, and Solutions of 2020
For the Love of Place
A Dose of Inspiration: Why Doctors Are Prescribing Museum Visits (Reasons to Be Cheerful) - "The idea of a museum prescription, which fits under an umbrella of out-of-hospital, nonclinical treatment known as social prescribing, is that exposure to art and culture or history can complement, accelerate or potentially even displace some forms of medical care in traditional settings — in an effective, enjoyable and low-cost manner."
In Juneau, Alaska, a carbon offset project that’s actually working (Grist) - "The money goes to the Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund, but instead of buying credits from some distant (and questionable) offset project, the nonprofit spends that cash installing heat pumps, targeting residents like Roberts who rely upon oil heating systems."
Building More Than Trails (Reasons to Be Cheerful) - "The goal of the Lost Sierra Route, as the long-distance trail will be known, is to improve access to public land at a time when more and more people want to get outside, while at the same time connecting isolated communities and working to diversify the regional economy, which grew around the booms and busts of natural resource industries like mining, logging and ranching."
The Tourism Case for Fostering Happiness in Cities (Rooted + Sustainable Cities) - “It is entirely relevant for tourism stakeholders to be concerned about addressing basic needs like access to food, water, shelter, and safety for residents; without these foundational elements, the environmental conditions for happiness are a moot point.”
The hiking movement to reclaim green spaces (BBC) - "While many white Americans celebrate national parks as symbols of national identity, patriotism, and nature conservation, many indigenous peoples and Native Americans see them as sites of oppression and humiliation."
Black communities are using mapping to document and restore a sense of place (The Conversation) - "Traditionally, most maps did not accurately reflect the stories of Black people and places: Interstate highway maps, for example, do not reflect the realities that in most U.S. cities the building of major roads was accompanied by the displacement of thousands of Black people from cities."
To keep building materials out of landfills, cities are embracing ‘deconstruction’ (Grist) - "Globally, the act of erecting new buildings and tearing down old ones consumes roughly a third of all resources extracted from the environment every year and produces just under a third of all the world’s waste."
The Power of People
Three good things: tour operators innovating for blind and neurodiverse people (Positive News) - "It’s also open to sighted people to experience the city through sound, touch and smell: from the low branches of an oak tree that graze your head as you wander past, or the cobblestones underfoot that help to tell the tale of Vilnius’ past."
Why It’s Time to Move Beyond “Empowering” Women in Tourism — And What is Needed Instead (Rooted) - “It’s great that women are allowed to do these things, but it goes without saying that women should be allowed to do these things. That should be the bare minimum.”
From saving owls to removing garbage: the unique work of Penticton Indian Band’s land Guardians (The Narwhal) - "In addition to stewarding the landscape, they also engage in public outreach and education, greeting visitors to their Homelands and building relationships through their patrols."
‘Tag the trees': The disappearing Kenyan language being saved with afforestation (Global Voices) - "According to Kageni, people herding livestock or collecting firewood from the forest also have an opportunity to learn the language without necessarily attending classroom lessons."
As climate change fractures communities, folklorists help stitch them back together (Grist) - "Such things are the glue that holds society together, and as the climate changes our ways of life, Owens and her peers say, it’s important to pay attention to how culture adjusts."
‘Right to roam’ movement fights to give the commons back to the public (Podcast) (Mongabay) - "Freedom-to-roam laws aren’t widely recognized outside of Scandinavia and Europe, but Moses says these rights are fundamental to repairing the damage caused by centuries of private land ownership."
On this Tuscan prison island, inmates are taught to make world-class wine (Adventure.com) - "Prison islands are now much rarer, largely due to the logistics and cost involved in shipping food over to remote locations, but rarer still are islands where a penal institution and tourism industry exist side-by-side."
Ideas That Intrigue and Inspire
In Europe, Trains Are Full, and More Are on the Way (New York Times) - "It’s all part of Europe’s ongoing rail renaissance, which is being driven in large part by strong interest from passengers."
‘Waste has value’: how surfing helps Colombia solve its plastic problem (The Guardian) - "For the children to participate in the weekly lesson, they must attend all their school classes – which include learning about the environment — throughout the week, an initiative introduced to bolster local education."
Why Social Enterprises Should Be Woven into Tourism Experiences (Rooted) - “While the traveler gets the thing they need – a place to sleep, a meal to eat, an activity to do – the real winner is the community through financial support for local residents’ health, education, job training, infrastructure, environmental protection, etc.”
From São Paulo to Venice: 15 cities with ambitious zero-carbon projects (World Economic Forum) - "Cities play a critical role in decarbonization efforts, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions to net zero."
Rebecca Solnit: Slow Change Can Be Radical Change (Lit Hub) - "A lot of change is undramatic growth, transformation, or decay, or rather its timescale means the drama might not be perceptible to the impatient."
The Coffee Shops Countering Recidivism (YES!) - "According to a 2023 report in the Journal of Labor and Employment Law, 60% of employers said they would not hire someone with a criminal record."
There Is No Border Between Humans and Nature: What can Germany’s long-defunct Iron Curtain tell us about our place on Earth? (The Revelator) - "Does it take military sites, of all places, to show us that our ecological footprint does not have to be one of destruction everywhere we step but can promote natural abundance?"
