In partnership with CU Boulder鈥檚 Research & Innovation Office (RIO) and the city of Boulder,听CEDaR听organized seven proposals from听the university鈥檚听research teams to compete in the 2019 National Science Foundation/MetroLab Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC).听The challenge, funded by the NSF, the Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security, supports partnerships between communities and universities that address mobility and resilience priorities.
Proposals included:
- Advancing Spatial Analysis Tools to Reduce Urban Violence听led by听ENVD assistant professors听厂丑补飞丑颈苍听搁辞耻诲产补谤颈听and Jota Samper,听in collaboration with the city of Boulder. The Spatial Justice Design Lab (SJDL) uses听architecture and urban planning methods to deconstruct spatial injustices against racial minorities.听听
- Planning Smart, Sustainable and Connected Communities,听led by听奥补苍驳诲补听窜耻辞, College of Engineering & Applied Science assistant professor, in collaboration with Boulder Housing Partners鈥� evaluation听of alternative methods听to transform villages, towns and cities into smart, connected and sustainable communities in the coming decade.听听听
- Use of Convolutional Networks to Classify Impervious Cover, led by Brian Johnson, former analytics hub director, Earth Lab.听
- Short Distance Urban Transport in U.S. cities,听led by researchers Alana Wilson, PhD geography,听and Heidi听VanGenderen,听chief sustainabily officer for CU Boulder, uses听bikes, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, recumbent bikes, skateboards, hoverboards and other alternative transportation听to navigate听cities.听
Wilson's project was selected for participation in a May 2019 scoping workshop at听NSF's headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia听to help further develop the future of the CIVIC听program.听 As part of the selection, Wilson and other academic attendees were funded to attend with a practitioner partner, in her case Natalie Stiffler, senior transportation planner with听the city of Boulder, now director of operations for Boulder's Via Mobility Services.
"There was a keen interest at the workshop from a variety of听sizes and types of communities towards听projects that听increase听affordable access to mobility services, specifically for those with mobility limitations, including challenges accessing employment," Wilson said.
Via Mobility, the city of Boulder听and Wilson also submitted a similar concept (on-demand paratransit shuttle service) for a听
"We听have not discussed a timeline or feasibility for that, given the current circumstances (of COVID-19), however it may be a good candidate to build on through the 2020 Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) program," Wilson听said.听"The Boulder Chamber also has keen interest in partnering on workforce mobility pilot projects, which could perhaps be linked to the FTA project with support from CIVIC Track A.鈥�
The is now available with a deadline of July 1, 2020. It has two proposal themes:
- Track A. Communities and Mobility:听Offering Better Mobility Options to Solve the Spatial Mismatch Between Housing Affordability and Jobs
- Track B. Resilience to Natural Disasters:听Equipping Communities for Greater Preparedness and Resilience to Natural Disasters.
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