after the mobility revolution: opportunities for union square
DESCRIPTION
US Audi Urban Future Team lead Philip Parsons presents on emerging trends in mobility -- technology, pricing and regulation, and ownership trends -- and implications for the future of cities everywhere. Reveals the preliminary results and analysis of the MyUSQ survey about the user experience of Somerville's Union Square, and introduces the concept of a multi-modal mobility hub. Includes the results of the MyUSQ survey.TRANSCRIPT
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/03/12/local-cab-companies-sue-smartphone-car-service/EwiFU51exsklc5vbFzCGjL/story.html
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managing the futurenot imagining the futureusing big data to make our cities more livable
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by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in citiesin 1960 it was 34%
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/07july/01.cfm
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cars use up to 45% of the land in american cities
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vehiclespiloted cars
innovation trends
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vehiclespiloted parking
innovation trends
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vehiclescar to x
innovation trends
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innovation trendsapps & systemscar sharing ride sharing aggregators
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innovation trendspricing & regulationcongestion pricingdynamic parking pricingzero occupancy taxroad use pricing to replace gasoline taxes
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Somerville’s
“creative crescent” is the most significant emerging urban area in Boston
why somerville?
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somerville
unionsquare
assemblyrow
davissquare
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innerbeltbrickbottom
somerville’s creative crescent
bostoncambridge
3 km from downtown boston
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union square
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economy impactsin somerville:
22%more
9,765
jobs33
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economy impactsin somerville:
11%more
$11,4m
tax income35
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economy impactsin somerville:
22%more
9,765
jobs
community impactsin somerville:
30%less
reduction in time
commutingmore time
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economy impactsin somerville:
22%more
9,765
jobs
community impactsin somerville:
18%more
public spacefor cultural engagementmore street vitality
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Where do you hang out?Love the Somerville Community Growing Center!
Observations Includes indoor and
outdoor spaces Clusters form around: Bloc 11 Sherman Café The Independent Union Square Plaza Prospect Hill Park
Beer and open space
We love the outdoor seating at Bloc 11
Bloc 11 is great for work meetings or work at home days.
It wouldn't bother me at all to see this parking lot removed and the land added to the Union Square plaza.
Love to sit in the park, talk with friends, read, attend community events
Where do you go for community events?
Observations Union Square Plaza
functions as the center of community events
Festivals, farmer’s markets, Fluff Fest
Wish there were even more events on the hill.
Union Square Plaza: Farmers' market, other events. Love it. Wish it were a bigger space.
Preserve and enhance the plaza at all costs! A flexible gathering space that can be programmed in many ways.
Where are your favorite open spaces?
Observations Clusters form around Nunziato Field Growing Center Prospect Hill Park Union Square Plaza
Aside from Union Square Plaza, the center of the square lacks desirable open spaces
A simple grassy field is an amazing community resource.
I don't even own a dog but I love passing by the dog park.
Walnut Park is great- well shaded and maintained. Great for kids!
The Union Square Plaza is one of my favorite places in the world. The Farmers' Market, the Old Guys Sitting On Park Benches, the constant flow of colorful hipsters... It's not unlike an Italian piazza - it creates a focus for civic life.
This park is underappreciated. The tower should be renovated and reopened!
Needs work, but Lincoln Park has potential for great open space.
Where do you go out to eat?
Observations Diversity of dining
options Strong dining corridors
along Bow Street, the Plaza, and Somerville Avenue
The Neighborhood Restaurant has been here forever - great food and fine people.
Lunch to watch people
Where would you like to see new elements?
Observations Open spaces Enhanced retail Crosswalks and
pedestrian safety
Somerville Ave. from around Market Basket to Union Square has a lot of dead space, especially on the south side of the street.
New public plaza should be built by eliminating the slip lane and squaring the intersection
Crosswalks.
More open space and less roadway, more plazas and green, seating too!
Some kind of green space insulated from traffic anywhere in a few minutes walking distance from here would be fantastic.
Plaza instead of parking lot
I want to see a walkable Prospect Street with new developments, not junk yards and junk shops
Walking Routes
Observations Primary walking routes
include Somerville Ave, Bow Street, and Washington Street
Walking decreases east of McGrath Highway
Biking Routes
Observations Primary biking routes
include Bow Street and Somerville Ave
Biking decreases east of Prospect
Where do you wait for the bus or crosswalk?
Observations Imbalance between the
duration of time for pedestrian to walk versus time allocated to vehicles
Longest wait for crosswalk signal in the world
This is a truly wretched crosswalk light. Only people walking very swiftly can make it across all the way before the light changes.
This is a good bus shelter.
Difficult to cross here - long waiting time for a walk light
Let's add a few more seconds to get across this huge intersection
Survey questions
Age Ethnicity
32 (39%)
29 (35%)
16 (20%)
5 (6%)
63 (77%)
10 (12%)6 (7%)
2 (2%) 1 (1%)
Survey questions
Occupation
18 (22%) 18 (22%)
16 (20%)
9 (11%)
7 (9%)6 (7%)
5 (6%)
3 (4%)
