ASC's Intersections Newsletter — May 2nd, 2025
Nora’s Note
There’s no place like home. As Governor Hochul continues to advance her statewide agenda for expanded affordable housing, local communities are stepping up to turn policy into action. One standout example: Rockland County’s third annual Housing Forum, attended by 200+ on April 25 at the Rockland Fire Training Center in Pomona, where planners, municipal leaders, developers, housing advocates, and nonprofit partners focused on addressing the county’s housing crisis. ASC Communications Director Malaysia Thomas and I attended the forum and had productive meetups that will inform two important New York housing initiatives in the works at ASC: a Rockland County Housing Affordability awareness campaign, and a statewide landlord outreach campaign for Enterprise Community Partners’ Making Moves Mobility program. One message we heard often and clearly: putting homes within reach is a requisite for healthy communities and a thriving New York.
Transportation
‘Blue Highways’ Moves Forward with New Freight Dock at Hunts Point Market. The EDC along with the City of New York has been looking to increase the amount of goods being transported via waterway rather than roadway. Over 90% of the city’s goods are transported via truck. The development of this freight dock combined with an e-bike delivery service and an expansion of related infrastructure is a step in the right direction for the future of the city’s consumer transportation. Read more about this new freight dock. (Source: Streetsblog)
ALX Now: Northern Virginia Transportation Authority unveils draft plan for Bus Rapid Transit system; it includes several Alexandria routes
Mass Transit Mag: Two EZfare agencies offering transit ticketing rewards in Transit App
Santa Barbara Independent: Frank Reynoso: 50 years with the Metropolitan transit district
Climate
Sponge made from food scraps produces clean water from thin air. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed an innovative hydrogel that can absorb atmospheric water, even in dry conditions, offering a sustainable, low-cost alternative to petroleum-based water harvesting materials. After testing in a real-world scenario, the researchers are now working to scale up production for commercial use. Read more about how this system can help to address global water scarcity. (Source: Anthropocene Magazine)
Gothamist: 7 big ideas to get New York’s climate goals back on track
Science News Explores: A secret climate superhero lies beneath our farms
Governing: Alabama is bringing forests into schoolyards
Economic Development
NYC needs thousands more teachers. Can it grow them from the ground up? Facing a major teacher shortage, New York City is exploring “grow your own” strategies to build a sustainable teacher pipeline. At Brooklyn International High School, alumni are being trained and hired as educators through programs like Future Ready NYC and CUNY’s College Now. These efforts aim to diversify the workforce, improve student outcomes, and fill urgent vacancies amid a class size reduction mandate. Read more about this transformative program. (Source: Chalkbeat)
ABC 7 NY: NYC's first microhubs for deliveries open on Earth Day on the Upper West Side
CoStar: New York advances plan that would bring about 15,000 housing units to Long Island City
Toledo Blade: Connecting grounds: local art flourishes in library exhibit
Digital
From overworked to optimized: technology and the future of primary care. As primary care providers face mounting burnout, technology is emerging as a vital tool to lighten their workload and improve care delivery. From automating administrative tasks to enabling remote patient monitoring, digital solutions are helping clinicians focus more on patient outcomes and less on paperwork. Read more about how innovations like telemedicine and electronic health records are shaping the future of primary care. (Source: Forbes)
Technical.ly: Working in libraries gave this leader a roadmap for tackling digital inequity
Geo Week News: How geospatial technology can help drive green infrastructure
Route Fifty: As energy demand grows, Indiana looks to advanced technologies
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