Urban Underpinning Updates
Lots have changed since my last newsletter and in this issue, I dive into some exciting personal updates, forecasts for innovation across cities as we transition administrations and readings.
Hi there, it has been some time since my last newsletter exploring the future of cities and A LOT of things have changed across the country, globe and on my end.
Some Exciting Updates:
I have officially joined the SecondMuse team where I'll be launching and running a climatetech venture studio and accelerator, and overseeing a global pitch competition alongside an incredible team. If you’re here you know how my work has increasingly become more focused on place-based innovation and the future of cities over the years. A key focus of mine has been how community ties into this. I’m thrilled to join a global innovation company that works with visionary corporations, cities, governments, organizations, and startups to create 21st century economies. Additionally, I see endless synergies between the solutions and ideas driving climatetech and its close connection to how we must think about inclusive and resilient cities of the future. The global aspect is thrilling so stay tuned and more to come on that soon as I get settled in!
I’m planning out features in my newsletter for 2021. If you know a dynamic leader, initiative, founder, company, agency, or organization doing interesting work at the center of urban and place-based innovation please send them my way.
If you enjoy this content and the themes I cover please forward it to a friend who might be interested and/or open to collaborating! Stay tuned for the next newsletter feature including Donnel Baird, Founder of BlocPower, who I came across exploring collaboration with Urban Future Labs years ago. It has been great to see the amount of growth he and his team has seen over the past few years and I’ll have lots of time to think about the early-stage ideas my new team and I will be able to scale through this new endeavor. Donnel and I have an honest and open conversation about his founder journey, advancing greener buildings, navigating fundraising as a black founder, and prioritize community throughout the process.
It is no secret that the political landscape has changed what we can anticipate for investment in the cities. From the pandemic to the increased threat of the impacts of the climate crisis, a dire need to not just reimagine our cities but implement actionable steps to doing so is at the forefront of my purview and many others. Many are hopeful that a new administration led by Biden and Harris will allow us to do just that. Additionally, according to a recent analysis, global smart cities can spur $2.46 trillion in opportunities by 2025.
Readings That Caught My Eye:
Biden expected to spur growth of smart city tech market
Frost & Sullivan predicted there will be more than 26 global smart cities that meet necessary parameters by 2025, with nine of those cities expected in the U.S. Strong governance will be key to drive development of these cities, Vidyasekar said, as will leadership in supporting municipal funding and helping to foster public-private partnerships.
How Biden will shape the energy industry
President-elect Joe Biden may have a tough time rolling out his complete energy agenda unless Democrats gain control of the Senate. But he's expected to make fast work of undoing many of the Trump administration's policies that are favorable to fossil fuels.
San Francisco's gas ban on new buildings could prompt statewide action
In a meeting on Tuesday, the city's Board of Supervisors passed legislation requiring new residential and commercial building construction to utilize all-electric power, starting with projects that file permits next year. This ordinance will cover about 60% of the city's current development pipeline in an effort to reduce city carbon emissions and tackle climate change, said District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman in the meeting.
Mayors unveil $60B plan to support Midwest energy transition
Peduto started publicly pushing this plan — which takes its inspiration from the Marshall Plan that helped Europe recover from the ravages of the Second World War — last year, in a bid to help fossil fuel-dependent cities create green jobs and revitalize their economies. Those behind the plan estimate investing in a greener economy will create around 270,000 direct and indirect jobs in renewable energy, as well as 140,000 "induced jobs" that support those employment opportunities, meaning a cumulative average of 410,000 new jobs each year.
Numbers show we're not as addicted to fossil fuels as you think
The way we think about how much fossil fuels contribute to our energy mix overplays its utility. That’s because much of the energy from burning fossil fuels is lost as waste heat and noise, or as BloombergNEF’s Colin McKerracher puts it: “just sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
In July, president-elect Joe Biden revealed an ambitious plan to invest some $2 trillion in clean energy, transportation, and infrastructure, using the need to modernize the U.S. energy sector to catalyze economic recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19.
Events
Sustainable Business Summit Global, November 30 - December 1, 2020
Bloomberg is hosting the Sustainable Business Summit Global which will bring together business leaders and investors globally to drive innovation and scale best practices in sustainable business and finance. The global event will span key markets and time zones, leveraging Bloomberg's unrivaled markets expertise to convene conversations uniquely focused on the risks and opportunities for corporate executives and forward-thinking investors in a 21st-century economy.
Sustainability ROI ( Return on Impact) Symposium, December 8-9, 2020
I’m speaking the morning of Wednesday, December 9th as part of the CHANGE INSTRUMENTS: Leading Technologies To Achieve Local And Global Sustainability Initiatives panel Sustainability ROI 2020 is a two-day symposium whereby emergent models, tools, and ideas are shared, discussed, and evaluated to integrate sustainability into the financial and business environment for the benefit of all stakeholders. I hope you can join me!
That’s all from me for now. Enjoy the holiday!