ASC's Intersections Newsletter — November 20, 2025
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Nora’s Note
Shaping a County’s Future. Meeting people where they are is a guiding tenet of ASC’s approach to public engagement, and we put the tenet to the test earlier this week when stakeholders from across Rockland County attended the final public workshop in the second round of engagement for Envision Rockland, the County’s first Comprehensive Plan update since 2011. Participants joined the workshop both in person and online, and while project prime BFJ Planning, managed an in-person open house with presentation boards, ASC conducted an online breakout with whiteboard spaces and sticky notes where participants shared comments and asked questions in real time. ASC’s Adrienne Kanter led the virtual facilitation, guiding attendees through a robust interaction on the project’s draft vision, and topics including housing, transportation, sustainability, and economic development. Outcomes reflected clear community priorities for safety, accessibility, resilience, and thoughtful growth that protects Rockland’s character. By ensuring community voices are at the center, Envision Rockland is becoming a truly community‑driven roadmap for a shared future.
Transportation
NYC-based non-profit Transportation Alternatives released a comprehensive transportation report that includes a 100-day plan and long-term objectives for the soon-to-be Mayor of NYC, Zohran Mamdani. Many of the recommendations, such as reducing speed limits, align with the goals of Vision Zero, a city initiative focused on reducing traffic fatalities. Learn more about the feasibility of the agenda—and potential headwinds—here. (Source: AMNY)
Gothamist: FAA to lift emergency flight limits Monday as NYC-area airport return to normal
Mass Transit Magazine: NJ Transit to modernize over 400 multilevel railcars to better interface with new stock
Streetsblog: St. Louis competition gets college students onboard transit
Climate
Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing an expansion of a 2022 pilot program that allows ten towns and cities to ban fossil fuels in new construction, potentially doubling participation to twenty communities. In 2023, the state introduced an optional building code designed to cut energy use and prepare for an all-electric future. Fears that the transition would raise construction costs or worsen the housing shortage have not materialized, as all ten pilot communities reported no such impacts. Read more about the program's expansion, here. (Source: Canary Media)
Inside Climate News: What Chicago’s Boulevards reveal about community, climate change, and inequality
Grist: How urban farms can make cities more livable and help feed Americn
Happy Eco News: Earth species project uses AI animal communication to understand animal “speech”
Economic Development
As New York City faces a growing affordable housing crisis, policymakers are expanding access through targeted strategies like Housing Connect, which prioritizes equity and the City’s lottery process to support those most in need. Starting November 15, NYC Housing Connect will reserve 10% of units in all new affordable housing lotteries for eligible veterans and city employees which doubles the previous preference. This expansion honors the service of more than 300,000 NYC municipal workers and veterans, giving them increased access to stable, affordable homes. Read more about this approach here. (Source: BK Reader)
Smart Cities Dive: New York seeks feedback on 10-year waste strategy
The City: Electric school buses and waterfront parks get environmental bond act boost
Daily News: Sweeping Long Island City rezoning approved, bringing 15,000 homes, waterfront development
Digital
Vail, Colorado is working to transform itself into an “agentic smart city,” using AI-enabled tools to streamline government operations and strengthen public safety. With support from tech partners, the town rapidly deployed an AI platform that integrates systems across departments and improves services for residents and visitors. A key focus is wildfire detection: smart cameras combined with AI identify smoke in real time, helping communities respond faster as wildfire risks grow. Officials say these tools will free staff for higher-value work and help manage increasing workloads. Read more about Vail’s efforts, here. (Source: Route Fifty)
GovTech: Maryland leverages AI partnership to update public services
Forbes: How climate resilience quietly redefines success through nonevents
Tech Crunch: How much of the AI data center boom will be powered by renewable energy
About Arch Street Communications
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