The second Knight Cities Challenge is ready to create a bigger impact in neighborhoods across the U.S. The Knight Foundation announced today a hefty shortlist of 158 Challenge finalist initiatives, which were selected out of a staggering 4,500 applicants who responded to the national call for ideas last October. Open to anyone, the Challenge posed one question: "What’s your best idea to make cities more successful?"

Shortlisted projects were selected based on their strong potential to: expand economic prospects, encourage civic involvement and connection, and to help cities attract talent.

Like last year’s finalists, the proposals are a glimpse into the challenges facing America’s cities today. Transforming vacant lots and underutilized spaces into community assets is a consistent theme. So is encouraging entrepreneurship among young people, low-income communities, and communities of color, especially in Detroit and Miami. In Detroit alone, half of all 20 finalist proposals involve job training or creating business incubation spaces.

Several proposals attempt to create bridges between diverse populations. In Akron, one project would bring together “residents from different sides of Summit Lake who don’t traditionally interact through a meal and celebration that encourages use of the lake as a shared resource.” Food — and beer — were among the most popular means proposed to create new connections.

Several applicants also hope to connect urban populations to the natural environment, by making better connections between parks, improving bike infrastructure and encouraging recreation on urban waterways. Making the civic process more transparent and accessible, through apps or pop-up events, was a consistent theme too.