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Community revitalization: 10 tips to get people to come downtown

Terri Williams Civil & Government

The heart of any city or town is its downtown area. While the lure of the suburbs has seduced many to put down roots in the outlying areas, there are ways to coax residents back to the city — if not permanently, then at least for shopping, eating, and entertainment. Once they’ve experienced a fun, walkable downtown, they’re more likely to want to live there. But how can you get people to come downtown? Programming. "Essentially, programming means creating activities that drive people downtown," explains Quint Studer, a community revitalization expert.

New study reveals Europe’s fastest-growing freight airport hubs

Matt Falcus Distribution & Warehousing

A new study by freight supplier CP Cases has revealed the current status of Europe’s cargo hubs and the airports that have been growing fastest in the sector. Obvious and well-known freight hubs naturally feature in the list when ranked by total tonnage. Because of the huge amount of belly cargo carried through passenger aircraft at these hubs, few of the dedicated cargo airports can compete with their capacity. However, a number of smaller airports rank highly in different categories, which is quite unexpected and could indicate the future places to watch as their cargo business develops.

GM strike begins in 9 states

Michelle R. Matisons Manufacturing

As U.S. auto manufacturers outsource jobs to Mexico and China, wages and benefits are stagnating and plant closures reflect globalization’s effects stateside. Beginning Sept. 16, almost 50,000 active members of the UAW formed picket lines in nine states against General Motors. This is the first GM strike in 12 years. Workers have been without a collective bargaining agreement since 2015, even after GM declared bankruptcy in 2009 with a $50 billion government bailout saving the company. GM recovered, and now workers, who stood by the company through hard times, want compensation.

The open door policy

Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Now, I’m not talking about a literal or figurative open door to the boss’ office that purports to encourage employee-employer communication. I am referring to doors of opportunity. Sometimes you don’t even recognize that it’s a door; you’re just plugging along, wondering why, putting one step in front of the other and not sure of your path, and suddenly you realize that you’ve walked through what you didn’t recognize as a door to future possibilities. Such a thing happened to me recently.

Federal emergency management: All in the name of security?

Michelle R. Matisons Civil & Government

Regarding recent controversies concerning Hurricane Dorian, National Weather Service (NWS) leader Neil Jacobs stated: "What did I learn over the last week? From now on, the National Weather Service should be at the table with emergency managers and FEMA, at all briefings." But this proposed coordination is complicated by obscured budgets in a vast, bureaucratic web. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is tasked with tracking weather changes, FEMA is tasked with providing resources for hurricane-threatened and impacted areas, among other things.

The perfect campground shower

Cindy Belt Recreation & Leisure

Even though I have a shower in my RV, I prefer to use the campground showers. Normally, there is more room, and I don’t have to worry about how much fresh water we have and what space is left in the gray water tank. Over the years, I have seen a lot of different campground showers. Some have been gorgeous while others leave something to be desired. I am continuously amazed at the variation in what is provided. Here’s my description of the perfect shower.

How machine learning helps important industries

Joseph Zulick Science & Technology

In 1952, IBM's Arthur Samuel created a program to play checkers. Samuel played with the program so often that it was able to improve with each consecutive game. It was Samuel who first coined the term "machine learning." Today, machine learning has become embedded technology many of us take for granted in our daily lives. There are many industries that currently use machine learning to help improve their daily processes. Through machine learning, businesses can move ahead of descriptive and predictive analytics to prescriptive analytics without a hitch. Keep reading to learn more.

Exploring partnerships between Amazon, police departments

Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

As more homes turn to Amazon-owned Ring for surveillance and home security, the partnerships between Amazon and police departments continue to raise privacy concerns. The doorbell camera company has partnered with 400 police departments across the country, allowing them potential access to homeowners’ camera footage. Homeowners have the right to decline the request. Ring officials say that, after the initial rollout, police have had a lot of success in solving crimes that would otherwise take a long time to solve and deterring them.

Hyperbaric safety drills: Are you prepared?

Tiffany Hamm and Jeff Mize Healthcare Administration

Knowing emergency procedures and drills are critical to safety in the workplace and for your patients. Performing drills can help in the following ways: 1. You can ensure that alarms/equipment are working properly. 2. Everybody knows their roles and responsibilities and becomes confident with how to respond to an emergency. 3. You can validate that your emergency procedures are effective or identify areas that need improvement. There are many emergency scenarios that hyperbaric staff should be prepared to respond to.

3 post-natural disaster safety checks for facility managers

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

When a natural disaster strikes, there's usually little to do except wait until it's safe to return. Preparing in advance provides facility managers the best outcome to nail down any property needs. But lack of preparation is no excuse for a sudden storm to catch you unawares. Facility managers are in a unique situation when planning for post-storm returns and assessments. While many are on the evacuation path, facility managers are a bit like first responders regarding the health of their buildings. As you inspect your buildings, there are a few things to consider.

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