Make It Right, the foundation Brad Pitt created to help New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina, is now backing a project to turn an abandoned public school in Kansas City, Missouri, into affordable apartments and a community center.

It takes something for a foundation like this to have staying power and back real developments, and it takes much more for it to expand to other parts of the country. It's also commendable that  Pitt, a celebrity, is using his influence to revive urban areas where he has roots. Imagine the 50 top Hollywood stars doing this in the 50 parts of the country they are from: a whole new economy would emerge whereby Hollywood funds urban renewal.

The fact that Make It Right has been consistently making progress in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and is now expanding to Kansas City only attests to its staying power. It also makes it Character Approved.

[Image: Archinect]