covid-19
We are two years and counting into a pandemic that has upended the entire world, from public health systems and global supply chains, to the ways we conduct business and attend school. When we first wrote Our Love Letter to Cities just days into the pandemic, we were holding our breath imagining whether the future […]
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The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted to cities around the world the importance of smart city programs—the use of technology, data, and innovative solutions to address their social, environmental, and economic challenges. Indeed, 65% of city leaders surveyed in 2020 as part of ESI ThoughtLab’s Smart City Solutions for a Risker World reported that the top lessons […]
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Over the past year, the construction industry has been buffeted by many factors due to the fallout from the spread of the coronavirus. One area that has proved particularly troublesome is the rapid increase in prices for construction materials. One specific item—lumber—is notable for its sharp increase in price that has remained high for a […]
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As we look forward to a “better normal” in a post-pandemic world, how can cities and economic development professionals ensure that incentives and programs targeted at business growth are equitably distributed? Diversifying how state and local governments support economic recovery and growth across our communities is more important now than ever. ESI Principal Gina Lavery […]
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Will museums be the same after the pandemic has passed? Before closing their doors due to the pandemic, museums and galleries were slow to adopt digitalization. The ways we explore the arts have not changed much since the early 20th century, with visitors crowding into a room to look at one or two works at […]
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As we come to the end of this unprecedented year, we reflected on ESI’s most viewed blog posts of the year. Topics span from cybersecurity, real estate, transportation, and of course the most talked about topic this year: COVID-19. We send big thanks to everyone that contributed to our blog, Present Value, in 2020. We […]
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