ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of July 9, 2021
Nora's Note
A bigger piece of the federal pie. ASC is nearly 30 years old, and in all that time, the Small Business Administration has only reached its goal of granting 5% of federal contracts to women-owned small business twice, in 2015 and 2019. The picture is better at the state level, but there remains a 15% gap at the federal level between men and women business owners awarded contracts. A report from the Bipartisan Policy Center, as reviewed by the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Voices program, sees the gap growing, highlighting the importance of the Biden administration taking the lead to level the playing field for underserved businesses. We’re looking to SBA’s new administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, to raise the share of contracts we, and our colleagues in minority-owned businesses, receive. The Biden administration is looking to raise the share of contracts allocated to underrepresented businesses by 50% over the next 5 years—we’re counting on it.
21 Digital Trends for 2021
Over the past 21 weeks, ASC's digital strategists have explored the pros, cons and how-tos of using an emerging trend to reach wider, more representative audiences right where they are. Last week, the team wrapped up with its final Tech Trend Tuesday article, Citizen Experience (CX). In case you missed it, click below to read more on why we consider Citizen Experience (CX) to be the most important trend in public engagement coming out of the pandemic.
Transportation
USDOT's Quest to Become a Driver of Justice. With a renewed focus on equity and racial justice, the U.S. Department of Transportation is considering some major policy changes. The USDOT is now exploring opportunities to address inequities caused by previous work to establish the Federal highway system in the 1950s and 1960s, and earlier this year, the agency began work to better measure equity-related transportation data. Read on to learn how public and industry input over the coming weeks could shape this civil rights effort.
Staten Island Advance: MTA Access-A-Ride shared rides returning July 6
Washington Post: With a focus on equity, Everett Lott takes helm of agency overseeing how people get around D.C.
Metro Philadelphia: ‘SEPTA for All’ challenge aims to make public transit more accessible to people with disabilities
amNY: MTA riders can now access 311 if in need of assistance on the train
LA Times: Battery-powered trains could be a climate game changer. Is everyone all aboard?
Transport Topics: DOT Announces $905 Million in INFRA Grant Awards
CNBC: TSA screenings surpass 2019 levels in pandemic first as airlines, airports scramble to staff
Associated Press: NHTSA unveils new, easy-to-use auto recall search tool
Energy/Environment
Hybrid Energy Production Gets a Serious Look. As researchers explore new ways to meet energy demands and reach climate goals, many are looking to hybrid power systems, like those that combine solar power and battery storage, as potential solutions. As these systems are explored, a recent National Renewable Energy Laboratory report calls for additional research to better define these systems and understand how they might fit into the grid of the future. Read on to learn more about NREL’s recommendations for further work on hybrid power systems.
Philadelphia Inquirer: New Jersey’s second offshore wind project will power more than a million homes
CNN: Unprecedented heat, hundreds dead and a town destroyed. Climate change is frying the Northern Hemisphere.
Yale E360: How Cities Can Help Solve the Biodiversity Crisis
The Conversation: Most buildings were designed for an earlier climate – here’s what will happen as global warming accelerates
Washington Post: Capping methane-spewing oil wells, one hole at a time
CNBC: U.S. announces millions in funding for projects focused on wave energy tech
Solar Power World: Renewables generated more than a quarter of the country’s electricity in April 2021
World Economic Forum: Hydropower is the 'forgotten giant' of clean electricity, IEA says
Economic Development
Economic Inclusiveness Tool Reflects D.C. Region's Racial Wealth Gap. In a new Inclusive Growth Dashboard, a D.C.-area economic development group has analyzed key metrics to better understand economic inequalities in the region. The dashboard illustrates significant racial wealth gaps across different measurements. For example, only 5% percent of the region’s small businesses are owned by Black residents, even as 25% of the region’s residents are Black. Read on for more information on how this data could be used to make the region’s economy more equitable.
Pew Charitable Trusts: International Tourist Drought Hits Some States Hard
Nonprofit Quarterly: Economic Development Fund Seeks to Boost Black Economic Infrastructure
The Seattle Times: With travel restrictions barely easing, U.S.-Canada border towns stuck in economic limbo
PBS Newshour: A tech apprenticeship program helping middle America find jobs without college
Yahoo Finance: Small businesses in NY, CA ‘turn the corner’ from COVID, more support needed
Bloomberg CityLab: Want to Build Your City’s Economy? Think Transportation, Not Tax Breaks.
Route Fifty: How Governments can Leverage Federal Funds to Partner With Local Nonprofits
Reuters: U.S. labor market recovery gaining steam; worker shortages an obstacle
Get in touch to learn how our signature approach can work for you.
Subscribe to Arch Street Communications' Newsletter Intersections