Five Things Nº5: access to public space, people movement trends, access to digital, transport moves, sanitiser from a gin still
Hello, welcome to the latest Five Things newsletter.
Five Things is a semi-regular newsletter of five or so topics on #collaboration, #agile and #strategicdesign in the #planning #design and #engineering for the #communities, #publicspaces, #cities and #builtenvironment that we all love. Also items of passing and eternal interest found on the internets.
Take care, and stay safe. With best wishes, Adrian Wiggins, at Arup
Thing 1: Public Spaces
NSW DPIE’s guide to using public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic
“Spending time outdoors is important for our wellbeing, but it needs to be done in a way that keeps everyone safe. Here’s what you need to know about visiting public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public spaces are vital to the community’s health and wellbeing, which is key to the resilience and ability to overcome this incredible challenge.
You cannot gather in public spaces with more than two people except:
- if you’re members of the same household
- if you always stay 1.5 metres away from other people (social distancing)
- where the gathering is essential for work or education”
Stay safe people.
Via Five Things subscriber Caroline Butler-Bowdon on LinkedIn
Thing 2: Mobility
People movement trends
Google has published datasets drawn from their app data to reveal changes in community movement since we began social isolation and physical distancing. Here is Australian data as of March 29:
From Google: “As global communities respond to COVID-19, we’ve heard from public health officials that the same type of aggregated, anonymized insights we use in products such as Google Maps could be helpful as they make critical decisions to combat COVID-19. These Community Mobility Reports aim to provide insights into what has changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID-19. The reports chart movement trends over time by geography, across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.”
- https://www.google.com/covid19/mobility/ + Australian data
- Arup colleagues Rachel Kohan and Sophie Zachulski have posted on changes in Sydney traffic volumes using TomTom data.
Extra points
Thing 3: Access & Equity
The digital divide is widening
Staying with digital.
While we’re doing well at insights, we should be very worried about inclusion. The Australian Digital Inclusion Index is a national balanced scorecard for access, affordability and the digital ability of Australians.
Key point: The gaps between digitally included and excluded Australians are substantial and widening for some groups.
“Digital technologies play an increasingly central role in our lives and millions of Australians enjoy the many benefits they bring, whether it is running a business, accessing education and services, or connecting with family, friends and the world beyond.
While this is exciting there remains a significant gap between those who are connected and those who are not. Across the nation the so-called “digital divide” follows some clear economic, social and geographic contours and broadly Australians with low levels of income, education, employment or in some regional areas are significantly less digitally included.”
Thing 4: Transport Planning
As Coronavirus Quiets Streets, Some Cities Speed Road and Transit Fixes
Image: San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency employees turn an empty cable car in San Francisco on March 4. The city has taken advantage of the commuting and tourism lull to complete transportation-related construction projects. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Eerie drone footage, dispersed block parties, unobstructed wildlife wanderings: The empty streets of the coronavirus era have given rise to all manner of creative applications. They’re also being put to practical use, with several U.S. cities seizing the opportunity to accelerate improvements to their transportation systems.
Thing 5: New Value
Young Henrys make the gin-to-sanitiser pivot
Young Henrys co-founder and director Oscar McMahon is responding to the growing need for hand sanitiser. Credit: Wolter Peeters via SMH
One of the things we can get right just now is finding new ways to operate business, new value that we can create with our assets, and new partners and customers to work with. This story of how Young Henrys has joined the health supply chain with a new, pure alcohol product from their gin still, then partnered with the pharmacy at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to create sanitiser is a great example of business at its creative and generous best in this challenging time. Applause Oscar McMahon and crew, and Kirsty Elliott at the Lifehouse. “When Sydney craft brewer Young Henrys lost nearly 80 staff and a major part of its business overnight with the nationwide shutdown of hotels and restaurants due to COVID-19, the four directors decided to personally take over operations and start making hand sanitiser as one way to keep the business afloat.”
Sixth things
- The Rise of Lifestyle Streamers
- The Royal Albert Hall Will Stream Free Live Concerts From All Your Favourite Artists
- Streaming And Providing Content Is Well And Good, But What’s Next?
- Are You an Artist Looking for a Gig? This New Website Will Connect You With Paying Customers Hoping to Learn New Skills
How can we help?
Have you got a design problem you reckon we can help with?
Get in touch via adrian.wiggins@arup.com
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This email is written in the context of Arup’s Sydney office, so expect local content.
Bye
