Mercer University’s Center for Collaborative Journalism (CCJ) and the Sunlight Foundation will host an unconference focused on the issue of urban blight, Aug. 14-15, on the Macon campus. The event is funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

From Detroit, Michigan, to Macon, Georgia, many of America’s once-proud cities have suffered waves of depopulation and flight to the suburbs, leaving behind empty homes and crumbling streets. Unblight – a national unconference on blight – will bring together community advocates, technologists, journalists, policymakers and students interested to exchange ideas and share lessons about combating blight and repurposing abandoned parts of our communities. It will explore questions such as “How big is the problem?” and “What innovative solutions can take us from a blighted past to a brighter future?”

“Open property and housing data is just one example of how putting more information in the hands of the public can help create real change,” said Ellen Miller, executive director at the Sunlight Foundation. “Sunlight Foundation is pleased to be a part of the Unblight unconference, which is bringing together some of the most innovative people, projects and technologies to help to create tangible solutions for the myriad housing challenges around the country.”

“The Center for Collaborative Journalism is excited to host this national gathering of experts and those interested in addressing this very real issue,” said Tim Regan-Porter, director of CCJ. “In our survey of the Macon community, blight emerged as one of the top concerns of residents. Our conversations with others involved in housing and urban development reveal that Macon is not alone, and we can all benefit by sharing our experience in combatting blight.”

An unconference is a more participant-driven take on the traditional format of a conference. The agenda is set by the attendees, as open space is created for peer-to-peer learning, collaboration and creativity.

During Unblight, experts and practitioners will present mapping and visualization projects, examples of successful tactics for foreclosure prevention, tools to help identify blighted and vacant homes, and creative ways to reclaim public space and ways to use technology and data to create more thriving communities.

The unconference is one of three components of the CCJ’s latest engagement project, which is focused on the issue of blight. The project also includes an initiative to map blighted homes in Macon-Bibb County and a series of stories in The Telegraph and GPB set for the coming months.

For more information on Unblight, and to register, click here. Registration fees are $25 for students and $55 for others.