Communications & Culture

Americans are living 21st century lives using 20th century infrastructure. Now is the time to get prepared for the next crisis as well as for the economic and technological changes ahead. Stakeholders have the insights and resources to address these challenges: we must work across sectors and silos, integrate equity and climate into every decision, embrace community input and data, pursue innovative financing mechanisms, and ground infrastructure in the dynamic needs of our citizens. Congress has green-lit the path ahead. Now it’s time to get creative and work together in this historic moment.

We have entered a new era of infrastructure investment. As we step into the new year, we hope policymakers and practitioners will seize this moment to make creative, collaborative choices that meet our collective infrastructure needs for years to come. This includes shifting our mindset when it comes to what qualifies for infrastructure investment, developing new metrics for success, harnessing capital in a way that maximizes both efficacy and equity, and ensuring that communities and local stakeholders are engaged throughout the process. 

A member of the Aspen Words Literary Prize jury reflects on the power of the written word.

His novel Radiant Fugitives is nominated for the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize.

Loneliness is an innate condition. It is a shared emotion that all people experience to some degree. Sometimes paired with feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, and shame, loneliness signals the need for human connection. While most studies reporting on the topic prioritize industrialized nations, Loneliness in India offers insights into the similarities and differences driving feelings of loneliness in an emerging and developing country.

Our culture’s dependency on technology to work, eat, learn, govern, be entertained, and stay in touch underscores that digitally mediated experiences already profoundly shape our understanding of what it means to be human. To explore this deeply, Aspen Digital, with support from Pivotal Ventures, sought to reimagine how technology can shape the human experience and our sense of place.

Her novel What Storm, What Thunder is nominated for the Aspen Words Literary Prize.

His novel Abundance is a nominee for the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize.

Her novel Swimming Back to Trout River is nominated for the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize.