ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of July 16, 2021
Nora's Note
No going back. And that’s a good thing. Because of the pandemic, the way audiences receive and consume information has changed, probably permanently. There’s no going back—here’s what forward looks like in public engagement. Our audiences now require us to meet them where they are, and deliver quality content and information that will improve and enrich their lives. They assume we are doing the work to understand our own challenges around racial justice and gender inclusion, that we’ve collected new knowledge to inform initiatives and how we communicate them, and that we’ve found a way to comply with the Open Meetings Law in combined virtual and in-person environments. The expectations are high and with social platforms, the public square is everywhere, and everyone has a megaphone.
Transportation
Transportation innovations could slash emissions. Researchers have identified three “revolutions” to the future of transportation – vehicle electrification, driverless cars, and ride-sharing – which not only promise notable environmental benefits, but may also lead to positive impacts on health and wellness. This transdisciplinary systems approach to understanding the impact of green transportation methods points to several positive outcomes, including the prevention of thousands of premature deaths annually caused by low air quality – leading to healthcare savings in the billions of dollars. Read on to learn more about the study and what other transportation innovations are on the horizon.
NY Times: Heavy Rains Pound New York City, Flooding Subway Stations and Roads
NBC News: Transit systems dangle discounts, new tech as they try to turn the corner on the pandemic
CNBC: Amtrak invests $7.3 billion in new fleet of modern trains to service Northeast
Transport Topics: Industry, Regulators Target Higher Adoption Rates for Onboard Safety Technologies
amNY: OMNY-present: MTA logs 100 million taps with new contactless fare payment system
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Delivering road upgrades: State considers package fee to help fund transportation
Transportation Today News: FTA announces funding opportunity for efforts to aid transit initiatives in underserved communities
CityLab: NYC Needs the Commuting Crowds That Have Yet to Fully Return
Energy/Environment
New York State pledges $12.5 million to long-duration storage and investigates green hydrogen’s potential. To achieve its 2050 greenhouse gas reduction goals, New York State has awarded $12.5 million to long-duration energy storage technologies and green hydrogen projects. With this funding, numerous agencies and institutions will collaborate to tackle potential green development and testing issues. At the top of the list stands green hydrogen demonstration at a New York Power Authority Long Island plant, among other feasibility and data collection strategies. Read on for a synopsis of the New York partnerships addressing future climate change tools and working towards a clean energy economy.
Associated Press: Elsa soaks NYC and New England as it races up East Coast
Reuters: New York entrepreneur seeks to bring energy efficiency to more communities
NBC News: Some locals say a bitcoin mining operation is ruining one of the Finger Lakes. Here’s how.
Grist: The US is about to go all-in on paying farmers and foresters to trap carbon.
NBC New York: Murphy Signs Clean Energy Bills for Electric Cars and Solar
Energy News Network: Kansas City building code update, once poised to be the most efficient, is now delayed
The Guardian: Biden’s clean energy plan would cut emissions and save 317,000 lives
The Wall Street Journal: Cash Is Good for Green Energy but a Grid Authority Is Better
Economic Development
NYC Parks Get a Funding Boost Following Covid-Related Cuts. Following an $84 million cut to the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the city is planning for a significant increase to the parks budget going into 2022. The proposed 2022 budget earmarks $620 million for the Parks Department, which will pay for more than 200 additional park rangers and patrollers while supporting community gardens, forestry management and equity initiatives. The funding will also support the “Play Fair” campaign, an initiative overseen by over 300 local groups dedicated to maintaining and protecting green space in NYC. Read on for more insights into how this funding boost will help restore New York City’s parks and expand local park programs.
Technical.ly: This Philly biz leader wants to help Black small businesses with a new accelerator
Global Times: G20 nervous over Delta threat to economic recovery
Real Estate Weekly: NYC partners with European leaders in search for big ideas to keep us social
NY Times: New York Faces Lasting Economic Toll Even as Pandemic Passes
Hudson Valley 360: LEGOLAND® to bring $300M to Hudson Valley
ArchDaily: Shrinking Cities --The Rise and Fall of Urban Environments
Travel + Leisure: New York’s Outdoor Dining Plan Extended for Another Year
New York Post: NYC hotel industry mired in economic depression: report
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