Curbs…But Make It F̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶ Digital
Nick Brenner (he/him) is a 2020 Summer Fellow with the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics exploring new ways to map, analyze, and manage how Boston’s curbs are used by the public.
Cities across the country are scrambling to digitally map and analyze their curb regulations (think parking restrictions, loading zones, etc.).
Who knew? Definitely not me at the start of my summer fellowship.
Who cares? Also definitely not me at the start of my summer fellowship.
But now, after two months spent walking 50 miles of Boston curbs, I’ve done a complete 180. I’ve learned that competition for curbs has intensified over the past decade due to the rise of ridesharing, ecommerce deliveries, and most recently, curbside dining during the pandemic. Curb space is actually now one of cities’ most scarce and valuable resources.
I’ve also become passionate about the huge opportunity that curbside management presents to make transportation and public space more equitable, sustainable, and safer. Today, transportation and development planners are allocating curb space with one hand tied behind their backs, because they don’t have information about how their own curbs are used. Boston, like most cities, has no regularly updated map or repository of its curb regulations.
Without this curb data, we can’t respond effectively to residents and business owners asking how a project will impact parking availability or traffic. Without curb data, we can’t optimize the location of loading zones to reduce double parking and bus/bike lane obstruction. Without curb data, we can’t identify underutilized parking that could be used to make space for more trees, parklets, crosswalks or even electric vehicle charging stations.
Which brings me to my work this summer. I walked the streets of Boston testing a new technology for curb regulation mapping, identified where this data would be valuable for the city, and recommended how the city should move forward with implementing a curb data solution.
Now, as I approach the end of my fellowship, I’m handing the reins of my project over to the MONUM team; and I can’t think of a better group to drive this work forward. The MONUM family (including my fellow summer fellows), has challenged my thinking, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and instilled in me the idea that civic innovation is not about apps or data or sensors or even new ideas in general — it’s always about people.
I didn’t walk 50 miles of Boston curbs this summer to test a new technology that can map the city’s curb regulations. I walked 50 miles this summer to help the city’s planners improve public transportation access, create safer streets, and make public space more welcoming and vibrant, especially in communities of color where “outside” is often associated with hostility and danger. It’s always about people.
Nick is passionate about finding ways to drive shared economic prosperity, promote social equity, and bridge cultural divides. He is nearly as passionate about ice cream and hip-hop music. The MONUM summer fellowship is his first foray into the public sector after spending four years as a consultant at Accenture, where he focused on regional economic and workforce development in the Midwest, as well as talent and operating strategy for large private sector organizations. He is currently studying the intersection of business and public policy at MIT and Harvard, with a special focus on technology and the future of work.
About the Fellowship:
The New Urban Mechanics Summer Fellowship is designed for entrepreneurial students and professionals interested in working in public service. During this highly selective eight-week program, summer fellows work as a team and on their own projects, generating and implementing creative and thoughtful new prototypes to benefit the City of Boston.
