ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of February 8, 2021
Nora's Note
Diversity Stories. This month, we celebrate the Black-owned partners on ASC’s Small Business Diversity Team, a collective of women-, minority-, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses who collaborate to meet client needs for talent and diversity. Digital storyteller Lanae Spruce brings social media thought leadership to build brand recognition and authentic community engagement—and to address racial injustice, calling on influencers to share their views on racial injustice and leverage their connections for good. Her work for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr has brought the museum—and the stories of African American figures in history—to people across all platforms. An Adweek rising star, Spruce has won Webby and Shorty awards for social media. We’re proud to bring her visionary talent to client projects.
New at ASC
ASC’s digital strategists keep you current in a changing world—read our new 21 Digital Trends for 2021 blog every Tuesday for pros, cons and how-tos of using an emerging trend to connect with your audience.
Tie Score! Last week, 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
First-ever Chief Accessibility Officer named at MTA. Last week, the MTA made agency history by appointing Quemuel Arroyo as the first agencywide Chief Accessibility Officer. Previously head of accessibility at the NYC Department of Transportation, Arroyo looks forward to "making change happen" for New Yorkers who depend on accessible transportation. Arroyo, who uses a wheelchair, plans to bring diverse voices to the table to address a range of mobility challenges, including "invisible disabilities" that impact day-to-day life, such as mental health conditions, learning difficulties, chronic illnesses and other less obvious mobility challenges. Read on to learn about his plans for helping more people get where they are going more easily.
NJ.com: Channeling Rosa Parks, N.J. activists want better bus service for people of color
Transport Topics: Automakers Push for Congressional Movement on AV Rules
Greater Greater Washington: Bikeshare could soon get federal transit dollars
The Hill: Washington state bill would require all new cars be electric by 2030
amNY: Brooklyn’s Nostrand Avenue station entrance reopens after over 30 years
City Monitor: How Covid is changing the curb
Transportation Today: Group ranks Top 25 states supporting electric vehicle adoption
FHWA Public Roads: Evaluating Ultrasonic Techniques to Detect Bridge Weld Flaws
Energy/Environment
Want Environmental Justice? Look to Energy Efficiency. Energy efficiency could be instrumental in ensuring genuine equity for all Americans. Research from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows that families that make less than $50,000 a year spend 16% of their income on energy costs, a stark contrast to the 3.5% families that make more than $100,000 spend. Energy efficiency programs can also create opportunities address racial inequity. Read on to see how energy efficiency can deliver equity across the country.
Popular Science: At New York City’s biggest power plant, a switch to clean energy will help a neighborhood breathe easier
Energy News Network: It’s time to tap potential of renewable community microgrids
Utility Dive: EIA projects swift electricity demand recovery after COVID-19, strong renewables growth
Power Magazine: Countries Roll Out Green Hydrogen Strategies, Electrolyzer Targets
Bloomberg CityLab: There Could Be an Energy Bill Debt Tsunami, Too
Scientific American: New Report Maps Out the U.S. Road to Net-Zero Emissions
Fast Company: Why cities should be designed for birds
NY Daily News: Solar is enough to power millions of Con Ed customers watching Sunday’s Super Bowl
Economic Development
Baltimore’s Downtown Partnership boosts Black-owned businesses. A new program will support Baltimore businesses that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The Downtown Black-Owned and Occupied Storefront Tenancy (BOOST) program will provide five Black-owned businesses with $50,000 each to rent a vacant storefront and support other operating expenses. By supporting brick-and-mortar locations, the program will contribute to a vibrant future for the City’s downtown while increasing access to capital for Black entrepreneurs. Read on to learn more about how the program will work.
Route Fifty: Toward a More Inclusive and Resilient Economic Development Paradigm
Mid-Hudson News: Beacon embraces Metro-North’s transit-oriented development
CBS 6 News: Renewable energy investment will bring hundreds of skilled jobs to region
NY Times: “One Property at a Time” – A City Tries to Revive Without Gentrifying
Westfair Communications: CT borrowers have received over $1 billion in 2nd round of PPP loans
Commercial Observer: Adaptive Reuse Projects in DC On the Rise
CNBC: Latino-owned businesses are achieving record growth, but big banks still won’t fund them
Knowable: Will small businesses recover from Covid?
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