ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of January 25, 2021
Nora's Note
Are you an accessibility champion? Equity, inclusiveness, accessibility play in my mind as likely words of the year for 2021. Everyone working in, for or with government will be called on to root out and replace selective communication with new approaches that reach vulnerable and underserved populations—finally giving them a real seat at the table. The team at ASC is going back into the pandemic-driven virtual engagement toolkit we created at asc-Remote.com to find, build and add new ways to leverage digital to connect the public sector with its constituencies. And to get trust to top this year's word list.
Coming Soon At ASC
Missed our webinar, “How to Maximize Your Virtual Engagement," with CEOs Nora Madonick (ASC) and Rebecca Karp (Karp Strategies) last year?
ASC and Karp Strategies are teaming up again to present the webinar to WTS-Greater New York on February 5 at 12:30 PM. Register now and join us to:
Learn to use new technology to reach and engage audiences
Find out what works and what doesn’t
Take away guidance from real-world scenarios
Our webinar will showcase the teams' collaboration—Toolkit for Virtual Engagement—and you can download it today at ascRemote to build a strategy to meet your audiences where they are to advance the civic planning projects and initiatives that will speed recovery.
Transportation
Transmission Should Be a Department of Transportation Priority. The convergence of transportation and energy is at a critical tipping point. The American public will benefit from the lower costs, improved resiliency and cleaner environment that will come with electrification of the transportation sector. But those benefits will require expansion of electrical transmission and connections across the United States. A dedicated partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation could be invaluable in furthering a clean, sustainable grid through Federal land acquisitions and changes to transmission siting policies—if "not in my backyard" positions are addressed. Read on to learn more about what this DOE and DOT collaboration can accomplish for energy siting and the future of both industries.
Bloomberg: New York City Ranked Top for Carbon-Friendly Transportation
NJ.com: Port Authority unveils bold design for new bus terminal in NYC
Roads & Bridges: CTDOT Releases Five-Year Transportation Improvement Plan
Grist: Electric car batteries with 5-minute charging times produced
Bulk Transporter: NHTSA seeks to modernize driverless vehicle safety standards
CNET: Biden administration promises an EV era, new world for the auto industry
Washington Post: Metro launches pilot program to test new air filtration system in subway cars
FHWA Public Roads: Reducing Rural Roadway Departures: Moving FoRRRwD, Part II
Energy/Environment
Online portal aims to be clearinghouse for community solar subscriptions. One key trend in the renewable energy market in 2021 will be making clean energy more accessible to consumers. Community solar projects, which enable consumers to use solar energy even if they are unable to install their own solar panels, are expected to grow significantly. By 2025, the Solar Energy Industries Association anticipates community solar will generate enough power for an additional 650,000 homes. Connecting potential consumers with community solar projects in their area will be necessary to meet this target. New resources, including those connecting underserved populations with community solar, are popping up. Read on to learn more about how these new resources and policy changes may shape the way consumers learn about renewable energy in the future.
Utility Dive: To bolster green economy, New York will build nation's largest offshore wind program
Newsday: 2022 start date expected for $1.5B Fire Island to Montauk Point Project to combat erosion
The Conversation: Cheaper solar power means low-income families can also benefit – with the right kind of help
E&E News: Fed creates climate committee
Inside Climate News: The South’s Communication Infrastructure Can’t Withstand Climate Change
Earther: The U.S. Approves Permit for the 'Proving Ground for the Future of Wave Energy'
Fast Company: Empty office buildings are still devouring energy. Why?
The River: How Hudson Valley Farmers Are Experiencing Climate Change
Economic Development
Make Way for the “One-Minute City.” The “Fifteen-Minute City” got a lot of attention last year as cities began to imagine a post-pandemic future, and Sweden’s “One-Minute City” brings community participation in urban spaces to a whole new level. As part of their plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Sweden’s hyperlocal project asks citizens to weigh in on the immediate environment outside of their front door. Using Lego-like kits of wooden street furniture, residents can act as architects of their own neighborhoods by creating desired amenities like parklets or electric car charging stations. This technique seeks to engage residents in identifying more permanent community improvements. Read on to see how this approach can provide lessons learned for communities around the world, including those in the United States.
City & State New York: Climate activists celebrate Brooklyn wind turbine plant
Hartford Business Journal: Developer Winstanley bets big on New Haven as a bioscience hub
The Chronicle: Orange County Partnership praises Schumer for advancing Route 17 expansion project
Route Fifty: Census Estimates Show Population Decline in 16 States
Patch: New Biotech Centers Awarded $38M In NYC Grants
Politico: U.S. jobless claims decline to a still-high 900,000
WIVB: Mandela Market completes $145,000 expansion project
Smart Cities Dive: CES showcases 6 trends to shape smart cities in 2021
Get in touch to learn how our signature approach can work for you.
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