ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of September 7, 2020
Nora's Note
Ready or Not? One of the big lessons of this pandemic is that lack of preparation quickly turns a crisis into a disaster. A public process is needed to build a community engagement model to address crises that can be scaled, applied and replicated across regions. We’d like to see a public initiative launched during this National Preparedness Month to build a more resilient infrastructure. In our playbook, we might start by identifying vulnerable populations, the organizations that routinely serve them and the emergency services groups they depend on, and advance a collaborative process to build preparedness capacity. If we want to do better, building more resilient infrastructure and developing emergency plans for essential services are two giant steps toward a better response plan.
Coming Soon
We're putting the finishing touches on a live webinar to share virtual solutions to tough public engagement problems. We'll be introducing ascRemote—a suite of tools and ideas to keep meaningful dialogue open from a distance. Sign up for updates at asc-remote.com.
Transportation
9 Major N.Y.C. Roads Get Lower Speed Limits as Traffic Deaths Surge. Traveling safely in the time of COVID-19 requires building awareness of emerging trends and requirements, like using personal protective equipment on public transportation and educating a burst of new cyclists on best practices. It also means picking up the pace on communication to slow motorists that are speeding on newly open roads. Along with a 67 percent increase in speeding incidents tracked by safety cameras, The New York Times reports that deaths on the City’s roads in 2020 have already exceeded the total number of fatalities at the end of 2019. City officials announced a reduction in speed limits on several roads across the five boroughs—read on to learn how roads will be impacted as the City continues to reopen.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Cashless tolling remains on track for Thruway despite pandemic
FHWA Public Roads: Facing Volcanic Challenges
Altoona Mirror: Amtrak expands carry-on bike program
Energy News Network: Connecticut weighs options for making electric vehicle rebates more equitable
TechCrunch: Track autonomous vehicle testing in your state with this new tool from the US government
NY Post: Subway ridership tops 1.5 million for first time since start of COVID-19
Transportation Today: USDOT announced strategic plan for America’s freight system
The Verge: Uber pledges to shift to ‘100 percent’ electric vehicles by 2030
Energy/Environment
The Energy Jobs Gen Z Actually Wants. Much like renewable energy, Generation Z is growing up fast. The oldest members of Gen Z, the generation born after 1996, are now entering the workforce and are bringing their viewpoints on energy and the environment with them. Nearly half of the Gen Z respondents in a recent survey say they think humans can slow down climate change. For many respondents, this translates to an interest in renewable energy jobs—50 percent of respondents say they would be interested in a career in the solar energy industry, in comparison to 65 percent of respondents that are uninterested in working in coal. Gen Z's climate concern isn't the only way young people are making an impact on the energy sector; read on see how this translates to their attitudes about business and investments.
Smart Cities Dive: It's time to reimagine a greener New York that mitigates extreme heat
Axios: The renewable threat to biodiversity
BBC News: EU says one in eight deaths is linked to pollution
Grist: New York’s plastic bag ban has survived the pandemic
MIT Technology Review: Air conditioning technology is the great missed opportunity in the fight against climate change
Politico: New York, New Jersey race to develop ports for offshore wind
Spectrum News NY 1: Con Ed Wants State to Allow It to Own Large Scale Solar and Wind Farms
Fast Company: When roads heat up during the summer, the asphalt poisons urban air
Economic Development
Neighborhoods Now shares design-based recovery strategies for NYC communities hit by COVID-19. As communities continue to face the impacts of COVID-19, collaboration and creativity have been vital in keeping businesses and neighborhoods afloat. In New York City, one forum for collaboration is the Neighborhoods Now project, which paired five interdisciplinary design firms with five community organizations across the City to create best practices and prototypes to improve outdoor dining, shopping and other open-air activities. In Jackson Heights, Queens, one of the partnership has supported the creation of multilingual education materials about COVID-19 protocols and street barriers to support restaurants with outdoor dining. Neighborhoods Now joins other collaborations like Design Corps in helping small businesses and community organizations prepare. Read on to see how else other communities benefited from the partnerships.
Broadband Communities: Digital Town Squares Drive Economic Development
Examiner News: Traffic, Use of Green Energy Prime Concerns at North 60 Hearing
Next City: Milwaukee Latest City to Put an Equity Lens on its Parks
Quartz: Three charts that show the US economy is going extreme
American Planning Association: Planners Are Helping Small Businesses Become Resilient Amidst the Pandemic
The Real Deal: City ends talks with Gilmartin’s group to jointly rezone former Amazon site
Ozy: A Loan Crisis Looms for Commercial Property
Westport News: CT community colleges offer free fast-track health care programs
We want to hear from you and work with you! ASC delivers communication solutions that help communities see the possibilities.
Coming Soon: ASC will soon launch ascRemote—a suite of tools and ideas to keep a meaningful dialogue open from a distance. Sign up for updates at asc-remote.com.
Get in touch to learn how our signature approach can work for you.
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