Quality of Place

SEPTA Key Advantage: A Driving Force for a More Equitable Philadelphia

April 11, 2022 / Comments Off on SEPTA Key Advantage: A Driving Force for a More Equitable Philadelphia

Access to reliable transportation is crucial to maintaining stable employment, achieving educational goals, accessing healthcare and social services, and participating in community life. With a per capita median income of under $30,000, transportation costs can be a significant burden on Philadelphians. How do we reduce that burden, while also maintaining a transit system that’s taken […]

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USVI Infrastructure Maintenance and Economic Growth

April 6, 2022 / Comments Off on USVI Infrastructure Maintenance and Economic Growth

In 2021, ESI collaborated with the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) at Rutgers University and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to study the links between transportation infrastructure maintenance, resiliency and economic competitiveness. The study reviewed decades of relevant research and found that regions with inadequate public investment endure higher daily costs […]

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A Follow-up Love Letter to Cities

February 25, 2022 / Comments Off on A Follow-up Love Letter to Cities

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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Using Public Libraries as a Framework for Smart Cities

February 18, 2022 / Comments Off on Using Public Libraries as a Framework for Smart Cities

For us to design cities of the future, it is important for us not to forget the institutions that helped us get to where we are today. Public libraries have played a pivotal role in communities and will need to be at the forefront when thinking about and planning for smart city initiatives. Public libraries […]

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Return on Environment: The Economic Impact of Protected Open Space in Mercer County, New Jersey

January 31, 2022 / Comments Off on Return on Environment: The Economic Impact of Protected Open Space in Mercer County, New Jersey

Mercer County New Jersey’s emphasis on land preservation began over 30 years ago, resulting in a multitude of preserved parks and open spaces that reflect the diversity of Mercer County’s natural features. Protected open space provides substantial economic, environmental, and health benefits to surrounding communities, but these benefits are often overlooked or undervalued in policy debates and investment decisions. […]

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