ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of October 19, 2020
Nora's Note
Small business recovery stories.
Get inspired. Finding a place in the shakeup. When Andre Soluri pressed for a liability shield in a recent 10,000 Small Businesses meeting with Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), he was seeking protections so small businesses like his, Soluri Architects, could safely step into recovery work. As a member of the AIANY’s Unified COVID-19 Task Force, an important give-back collective of architects to address COVID-19 emergency needs, Soluri set his sights on helping other small businesses reconfigure spaces to survive. His work on an outdoor dining webinar now helps restaurant owners navigate complex requirements, and through an emerging partnership with NYC's Department of Small Businesses Services (SBS), his team will bring new thinking about flexible, safe spaces to small offices and social service centers. Like hundreds of thousands of small businesses in the US, his firm was affected by COVID-19, but that inspired him to co-found Design Corps with NYCEDC, AIANY and The Design Advocates to deliver pro-bono services to struggling small businesses. Though the future is still plenty shaky, giving back may just turn out to be a powerful part of small business recovery.
Coming Soon
ascRemote has launched, a new resource to help engage audiences where they are to help civic planning projects and initiatives charge forward, create jobs and speed recovery. With our partners at Karp Strategies, we've built a toolkit you can use to get communication back on track and pointed to the future.
On October 30 at 1 PM, join CEOs Rebecca Karp (KStrat) and Nora Madonick (ASC) as they present the toolkit in a live webinar and do some real-time public engagement problem-solving. The webinar is free, but space is limited.
Transportation
Duck—Here Come Drone Deliveries. COVID-19 pushed demand for product delivery into overdrive, and like most supply/demand stories, it’s fueling new solutions to increase no-contact delivery options. The Federal Aviation Administration has granted companies like Amazon and UPS permission to launch drone delivery programs, but it is often local and state officials that must address community concerns about these operations. Read on to learn more about how collaboration between the FAA, local governments, and industry can set up a stronger regulatory framework for this emerging technology.
NY Post: NYC bike thefts have surged amid COVID-19 pandemic
Transport Topics: DOT Awards $220 Million for Port Infrastructure
Gothamist: New Virus-Capturing Air Filtration System Being Tested On Metro-North Could Roll Out To Subway System
The Guardian: Study reveals world’s most walkable cities
Trains: Railroads face December deadline for plans to meet new TSA rules
Politico: A subway revival comes to corners of Queens and Brooklyn
Curbed: This Spring, We All Drove Much Less. Yet Traffic Deaths Went Up. Why?
Transport Dive: Long-haul truckers should prepare now to transition to zero-emissions
Energy/Environment
Solar Replaces "King Coal" in Global Power Markets. The International Energy Agency (IEA), initially formed to ensure the security of oil supplies, now reports that solar is the cheapest form of electricity in history. In its annual World Energy Outlook, IEA identifies two key factors that will make solar less expensive than new coal or gas power plants going forward: solar developers have access to low interest rates and solar technology has matured. While there is still twice as much installed hydropower as there is installed solar, the report states that solar is projected to grow three times faster until 2040. Read on to learn more about IEA's recommendations for energy infrastructure.
Forbes: U.S. Utility Companies Rush To Declare Net-Zero Targets
Environment and Energy Leader: Penn State Turns to Solar, Will Save $14 Million over Duration of 25-Year Contract
Axios: Working from home is driving up power bills
Grist: Rewild to mitigate the climate crisis, urge leading scientists
NJ Spotlight News: NJ to push for public backing on climate action with new regulations
NPR: Fighting Climate Change, One Building At A Time
NY Times: Florida Sees Signals of a Climate-Driven Housing Crisis
WBUR: As Climate Change Drives Droughts, Water Conservation And Infrastructure Are Key
Economic Development
“Zoom towns” are exploding in the West. As many adjust to long-term working from home, a shift in where people call home is under way. No longer restrained by a commute into the big city, some Americans who now work from home are flocking to “gateway” communities, causing a need for economic and technological development in areas previously most well-known for their proximity to tourist attractions. Towns like Sandpoint, Idaho, were unprepared for the sudden jump in population and must now balance COVID-19 risks, increased demand for services and potential increases to the cost of living. Read more to learn about how these “zoom towns” are navigating an influx of remote workers.
NY Times: Unemployment Claims Rise Anew in Latest Sign of Economic Distress
Intelligent Transport: “No car, no job; no job, no car:" tackling an economic paradox
Washingtonian: An Outdoor, Socially Distant Coworking Spot Opens in Rosslyn
Hartford Courant: Small businesses struggling to survive seek $70M in grants from Connecticut’s share of federal coronavirus funding
Yale E360: How a Climate Corps Could Put Youth to Work in Greening America
Niagara Frontier Publications: 9 in 10 voters support Congress passing another COVID-19 relief bill to help distressed businesses
Westfair Communications: Massive development for downtown Yonkers unveiled
Governing: Helping Small Businesses Bounce Back – Legislative Watch
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