ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of February 15, 2021
Nora's Note
Learning from the best. This week, we continue our Black History Month celebration with a feature on ASC diversity partner Kurt Williamson, managing partner of HollandWest Productions (HW). We first met Kurt at Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and later teamed on a series of videos mapping the green journey for nine towns enrolled in New York’s Clean Energy Communities program. What we learned is that Kurt is not only a talented producer; he is a force for film for good. Despite the pandemic, Director Kurt and Nia Fairweather, writer (and lead actress) produced and entered Four Seasons into the diversity/inclusion-focused Chicago Southland International Film Festival, winning the 2020 Audience Choice Award for their love story charting a young Black couple across life’s seasons. In the same month, his team released a video for More than a Vote, an organization spearheaded by LeBron James and others to encourage early voting. HW ended the 2020 pandemic year with #whenweallvote. We’re still clapping.
New at ASC
Two weeks ago, many of you joined us for the launch of 21 Digital Trends for 2021, a new weekly blog of ASC digital strategists' views on new technology to connect your message with your audience. Click through to the latest post every Tuesday for the pros, cons and how-tos of using emerging trends.
Tie Score! We asked for your top challenge in public engagement equity. Here's what you told us: "Ensuring activity participation reflects the demographics of the whole community" and "Providing virtual presentations and content to non-English speakers." Find solutions in the ASC Virtual Engagement Playbook.
Transportation
More women are riding bicycles. Last year’s global bike boom increased more than the number of cyclists out on the road. It also narrowed the gender gap in bikeshare use worldwide. Sixty percent of new Citi Bike users in NY were women in 2020, and other U.S. cities saw an 80% increase in women cycling last year. Read on to learn more about how cities are campaigning to continue to close gaps in bicycle use.
Mass Transit: Transit agencies celebrate Black History Month
NJ Spotlight: NJ to spend $100M on green energy, environmental justice
Albany Times-Union: Amtrak route restructure targets new corridors
NBC 4 NY: NYC Subways Resume Some Overnight Service Next Week
Astoria Post: DOT Unveils Plans for Permanent Protected Bike Lanes on Northern Boulevard and Broadway
Transportation Today: FRA details positive train control milestone
Cities Today: How to become an EV city
Bloomberg CityLab: Post-Covid, Transit Agencies Must Look Beyond Ridership
Energy/Environment
Get your grid on, America—blackout can catalyze innovation. Recent cold weather extremes led to blackouts that left millions of Texans without power. While the debate continues as to whether renewables or outdated energy infrastructure is to blame, opportunity is knocking for investment and innovation in a revitalized grid, energy storage development and newer, cleaner resources to make the United States’ energy infrastructure more resilient. Read on for more details on how energy infrastructure could evolve to better prepare for future extreme weather incidents.
Solar Power World: Solar and environmental justice orgs team up for new ’30 million solar homes’ campaign
Smart Cities Dive: The system of GHG emissions reporting is broken, experts say
Bloomberg Green: U.S. Power Crisis Leaves Millions Cold, Dark as Blackouts Expand
T&D World: New York Commission Approves 54-Mile Transmission Line
Popular Mechanics: Your Neighbor's Solar Panels Are Secretly Saving You Money
The Guardian: How environmental racism leaves the vulnerable behind
KQED: Wildfire Smoke Could Be the Main Way Californians Experience Climate Change
Grist: Do we need more scary climate change articles? Maybe.
Economic Development
Small Business Strikes Back. Small business may have been down in 2020, but they weren’t out. Nearly 90% of small businesses have fewer than 20 full-timers; 88% of Black-owned small businesses are owned and run by a single person. Small business generates two-thirds of new jobs in the United States—supporting them is critical to economic recovery. Read on to learn more about the resiliency of small businesses.
Niagara Frontier Publications: $87 million available for rail & port infrastructure improvements statewide
Spectrum News NY 1: Pandemic Hit is Permanent for Many Small Businesses in Brooklyn
Gothamist: The Digital Divide Is Keeping Many NYC Seniors From Scheduling COVID-19 Vaccinations
WWNY: 2 companies eye Watertown Airport Business Park
Route Fifty: Tech Alone Isn’t Enough to Create a Successful Smart City
WKWB Buffalo: "That Brown Bag" helps to amplify Black-owned businesses
Commercial Observer: NYC Economic Development Chief James Patchett Leaving Next Month
Connecticut Examiner: Legislators Join Women’s Business Development Council to Share Advice on Weathering Pandemic
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