Quality of Place

local businesses

Local Businesses: Important Components of Communities

June 3, 2022 / Comments Off on Local Businesses: Important Components of Communities

As you casually walk through the city streets on your way to nowhere in particular, a peculiar sight meets your eye: rows upon rows, upon rows of tables, tents, and all sorts of venues and local businesses are set up next to one another. As you focus your eyes a bit more to try to […]

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Eating outdoors

ESI Eats: Putting Values into Motion

May 13, 2022 / Comments Off on ESI Eats: Putting Values into Motion

Looking out of the window from the 4th floor of the history-laden Drexel Building, peering down at the action below never gets old. Everything from the commute to the hustle and bustle of Center City is exciting. There’s not a single place we would rather be than close to City Hall, which some consider the […]

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Decreased Public Transit

Post-Pandemic Philadelphia Mobility: New Challenges, New Innovations

April 22, 2022 / Comments Off on Post-Pandemic Philadelphia Mobility: New Challenges, New Innovations

Despite the fact that the City is once again requiring masking indoors, Philadelphians are on the move—or at least they are trying. In theory, remote work and online retail should have reduced the need for travel; however, for those who are still navigating around the city, there are serious challenges. Automotive congestion feels at least […]

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Electric vehicle charging its battery

Prioritizing Equity in EV Infrastructure Planning with Data

April 15, 2022 / Comments Off on Prioritizing Equity in EV Infrastructure Planning with Data

As gas prices skyrocketed across the country these past few months, so has the conversation surrounding electric vehicles (EVs). Congress recently passed the 1.7 trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, with nearly 7.5 billion of it allocated towards building out America’s EV charging network. Now more than ever, people are looking for alternatives to their gas vehicles and […]

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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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