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September 2019 Summary of Select Trends
Click on the source in (parenthesis) to visit the full article SCIENCE Cities are confronted and challenged to become inclusive, safe, sustainable and smart. Cities are becoming more sustainable and innovative. Here are examples. (Business Chief) ENVIRONMENT Meat alternatives and dietary changes are sweeping the US for many reasons, but mainly in hopes to curb the effects of climate change. Beyond Meat - a company that produces meat-alternative food products - went public in May, and its stock value is up more than 600 percent months later. And rival Impossible Foods partnered with Burger King this to include meat-alternative Whoppers to the fast food giant’s menu. A recent scientific study revealed that ‘not all meat is created equal’ by releasing details of the process to produce meat products. For example, it takes 32 pounds of feed to produce beef versus only four pounds to produce chicken ready to sell in grocery stores. This information could benefit those wanting to help with climate change but can’t stomach a vegan diet. (ScienceDaily) HEALTH John Hopkins Medical Center transplanted brain stem cells without anti-rejection drugs in mice, and the procedure proofed successful. By exploiting a feature of the immune system, researchers open the door for stem cell transplants to repair the brain. (ScienceDaily) TECH Laws are changing to catch up to the fast, ever-changing developments in technology and social media. This past weekend, the Oakland Raiders released Antonio Brown from their roster before the start of his first season. The controversial wide receiver has been in the press for fines, violations, skipped practices and games, and other issues while playing for both the LA team and the Pittsburgh Steelers. One specific incident has Brown facing a fine for posting a video on Twitter of a conversation believed to be the Raiders head coach, John Gruden, because in the state of California you must have all parties featured in the video give permission prior to sharing on social media or online. (NY Post) DEMOGRAPHICS In the decade following the Great Recession, job growth and housing prices have climbed disproportionately in large US cities compared to small towns. According to a report by Zillow, more than half of employment growth and nearly two-thirds in home value growth concentrated in the 25 largest job markets. The same study predicts this trend is bound to continue unless job creation extends to smaller towns and rural areas. (HousingWire) TECH Do you remember when tobacco companies were fined for advertising to children? With enhanced technology and social media since the late 1990s, the Federal Trade Commission slapped a record-breaking $170 million fine on YouTube (owned by Google) for collecting data on children and youth to advertise to them. Only days later, experts predict Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to be the next targets for similar lawsuits protecting child privacy. (CNet) RETIREMENT Have you ever tried to predict for or budget the amount of money you’d need to save before you retire? NBC’s Shark Tank star and entrepreneur, Kevin O’Leary, believes all debt (including your mortgage) should be paid in full by age 45 for success in retirement planning. And many expect that retirement means they would naturally spend less money. Many assume housing expenses to decrease after retirement, but only 30 percent spend less on housing than when they worked full-time. (Forbes) INFRASTRUCTURE Is your community ready for 5G? As the technology picks up speed, cities and local governments face mounting challenges to support the actual speed of the service and the rapid dependence on cell phones and WiFi. With 4G, cell towers could send signals for miles. But with the faster speed of 5G, cities and towns are faced with installing smaller cell towers throughout neighborhoods. Deloitte predicts a 5G upgrade requires between $130-150 billion in infrastructure investment into new cabling alone. Four cities have 5G live to-date, including Los Angeles and New York. (Governing) U.S. CENSUS BUREAU JOBS The Census Bureau conducts continuous surveys to supply the nation with important statistics on people, places and our economy. Local field workers know their communities best and are instrumental in conducting surveys with residents on a variety of topics. Please share this link with your community to help everyone be counted. Learn more and apply here. |
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Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations measure, benchmark, and affordably engage communities through high-quality metrics, surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations measure, benchmark, and affordably engage communities through high-quality metrics, surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].