ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of April 5, 2021
Nora's Note
Time to rethink your audience. At a COMTO New York webinar we’ll be a part of in two weeks, we’ll be refocusing our conversation from how to communicate during COVID to how to engage audiences in a post-COVID world. The before-time is just that; in the after-time, people and places are different, some forever changed. For smart public engagement teams, that means going back out to speak with audiences you thought you knew. You may find safety is higher on the priority list and even pressing a button on an iPad intercept survey may now feel high risk. Public input may be hyper-focused on immediate concerns and big ideas may no longer get a welcome reception considered against needs for housing and food security. Time alone and in isolation will surely impact interaction, at least for the near term. The opportunity is in learning—not guessing—what has changed and getting creative about turning what you learn into new ways of reaching and involving audiences.
21 Digital Trends for 2021
Each week, ASC's digital strategies explore the pros, cons and how-tos of using emerging technologies to meet your audiences where they are. Read this week's blog to learn how new email marketing tools can help you build and maintain flexible campaigns with unified messaging.
Transportation
If You Build It, They Will Bike. New bicycle infrastructure is helping cities address COVID-related travel changes while reducing transportation-related emissions. A new study that analyzed the early pandemic cycling activity of over 100 cities found that cities with bike lane programs saw up to 48% more activity than cities without these programs. As cities reopen, continued investments in bike lane programs can continue to encourage cycling. Read on to learn more about the potential impacts on post-pandemic transportation.
FHWA Public Roads: Looking to The Sky for Geotechnical Data
Bloomberg CityLab: The Rules That Made U.S. Roads So Deadly
Roads and Bridges: Connecticut Releases Strategic Plan for Connected, Autonomous Vehicles
NY Post: Biden infrastructure plan could fund 2nd Ave. subway extension, Gateway tunnel overhaul
Transport Topics: Drones Could Help Bridge Divides for Vaccine Distribution
Smart Cities Dive: Auto leaders urge adoption of 'common language' for AV safety
Roll Call: Making equity matter in transportation
Cities Today: Boston pilots free public transport for commuters
Energy/Environment
Living in the same city doesn’t mean breathing the same air. This year’s World Health Day theme was “building a fairer, healthier world," and a recent study highlights the relationship between environmental justice and well-being. Researchers in California's Bay Area found that the negative health impacts of high levels of air pollution were most pronounced in communities with higher Black and Latinx populations. Higher levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions and particulate matter exposure in these communities were linked with significant increases in childhood asthma and other health issues. Read on to learn more about how cities are addressing community-level differences in air quality.
The Counter: Why combining farms and solar panels could transform how we produce both food and energy
Grist: The U.S. is finally looking to unlock the potential of wave energy
Fast Company: The U.S. just set ambitious offshore wind power targets. What will it take to meet them?
Yale E360: Washington’s Famed Tidal Basin and Cherry Trees Face Rising Waters
NCPR: North Country power lines to receive major upgrade in coming years
Energy News Network: In a record year for clean energy purchases, Southeast cities stand out
CBS News: NASA measures direct evidence humans are causing climate change
IEEE Spectrum: Can California's Canals Deliver Water and Electrons?
Economic Development
A small neighborhood with a big vision for the Erie Canal. In 2019, New York’s Reimagine the Canals initiative awarded Madison County with resources to repurpose formerly industrial spaces along the Erie Canal. Recently, the County has made new progress by selecting the developers that will advance a 2.5-acre “pocket neighborhood” near downtown Canastota. The neighborhood, which will combine different residential and commercial uses, will support the nearby downtown by connecting community members to local businesses within walking and biking distance. Read on to learn more about the role the pocket neighborhood plays in the future of Central New York.
The Hill: To build lasting digital equity, look to communities
Entrepreneur: How the Pandemic-Related Changes Small Businesses Made Are Impacting Their Bottom Lines – In a Good Way
Gothamist: 7 Things You Ought To Know About The SoHo/NoHo Rezoning
The Conversation: City dwellers gained more access to public spaces during the pandemic – can they keep it?
Commercial Observer: Two Trees’ ‘River Ring’ Residential Towers Will Get First Public Hearing in April
Route Fifty: The Wide Gaps Between Minority and White Business Ownership in America’s Cities
Greater Greater Washington: Can suburban counties in Virginia transform malls into spaces for urban living?
Statescoop: North American cities are 'most digitally advanced,' new report says
Get in touch to learn how our signature approach can work for you.
Subscribe to Arch Street Communications' Newsletter Intersections