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.

1. THE CENTER FOR THE
THE ARMOR
191 HIGHLAND
SOMERVILLE
SPONSORED BY:PRESENTED BY:
CNUNEW
ENGLAND
Information on speakers, workshops, and registration is available at: http://bit.ly/1tiv
f our american city
and with less open space than any city in
the Northeast, how will a mobility revolution --
reduced car ownership, automated vehicles, and shifting
global economics -- impact development, community, and
prosperity? Can it bring more jobs, more housing, more public
space, more accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists -- and a
reduction in carbon emissions?
Join CNU New England and the US Audi Urban Future Team for expert-led
discussion and participatory design workshops that will explore possibilities for
Union Square, Somerville -- a laboratory for the future our American city.
THE CENTER FOR THE AR
THE ARMORY
191 HIGHLAND AV
SOMERVILLE M
SPONSORED BY:PRESENTED BY:
CNUNEW
ENGLAND
Information on speakers, workshops, and registration is available at: http://bit.ly/1tivm
f our american city
and with less open space than any city in
the Northeast, how will a mobility revolution --
reduced car ownership, automated vehicles, and shifting
global economics -- impact development, community, and
prosperity? Can it bring more jobs, more housing, more public
space, more accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists -- and a
reduction in carbon emissions?
Join CNU New England and the US Audi Urban Future Team for expert-led
discussion and participatory design workshops that will explore possibilities for
Union Square, Somerville -- a laboratory for the future our American city.

2. 2

7. http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/03/12/local-cab-companies-sue-smartphone-car-service/EwiFU51exsklc5vbFzCGjL/story.html

9. 9

10. managing the future
not imagining the future
using big data to make our cities more livable

12. 12
by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will
live in cities
in 1960 it was 34%
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/07july/01.cfm
•

13. 13
cars use up to 45% of the land
in american cities

14. vehicles
piloted cars
innovation trends
14
14

15. vehicles
piloted parking
innovation trends
15
15

16. vehicles
car to x
innovation trends
16
16

17. innovation trends
apps & systems
car sharing
ride sharing
aggregators

18. innovation trends
pricing & regulation
congestion pricing
dynamic parking pricing
zero occupancy tax
road use pricing to replace gasoline taxes
18
18

21. Somerville’s
“creative crescent”
is the most significant
emerging urban area in
Boston
why somerville?
29

22. 1
somerville
union
square
assembly
row
davis
square
T
T
T T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
TT
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
innerbelt
brick
bottom
somerville’s creative crescent
boston
cambridge

23. 3 km from downtown boston
31

24. union square

25. economy
impacts
in somerville:
22%
more
9,765
jobs
33
33

26. economy
impacts
in somerville:
11%
more
$11,4m
tax income
35
35

27. economy
impacts
in somerville:
22%
more
9,765
jobs
community
impacts
in somerville:
30%
less
reduction in time
commuting
more time36
36

28. economy
impacts
in somerville:
22%
more
9,765
jobs
community
impacts
in somerville:
18%
more
public space
for cultural engagement
more street vitality
37
37

29. 39
Results Survey

30. 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

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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

34. 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

35. Walking Routes
Observations
 Primary walking routes
include Somerville Ave,
Bow Street, and
Washington Street
 Walking decreases east
of McGrath Highway

36. Biking Routes
Observations
 Primary biking routes
include Bow Street and
Somerville Ave
 Biking decreases east of
Prospect

37. 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

38. Survey questions
Age Ethnicity
32 (39%)
29 (35%)
16 (20%)
5 (6%)
63 (77%)
10 (12%)
6 (7%)
2 (2%)
1 (1%)

39. Survey questions
Occupation
18 (22%) 18 (22%)
16 (20%)
9 (11%)
7 (9%)
6 (7%)
5 (6%)
3 (4%)