Alessandro Rigolon
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alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon
@alerigolon.bsky.social
13K followers 2K following 6.1K posts

Associate prof of urban planning. Research on green space equity, green gentrification, climate adaptation, and health equity. Love SLC, my family, and the great outdoors. Opinions (good or bad) are my own 🇮🇹🇺🇸 🌩️👀 rJgnW3igNgz7 .. more

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Environmental science 45%
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alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · Nov 18
My older daughter learned to ride a bike today. She was so happy. As she was riding, she said, “I feel free.” My heart is full.

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 7h
It’s white pepper

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 7h
Mostly use the white one. I add some black one on top when I serve it

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 8h
Cacio e pepe
Pan with spaghetti

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 12h
I'm not saying I "trust" it. It's something to watch, and it makes sense that robotaxis could be safer in normal driving conditions

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 12h
This is a peer-reviewed study in a reputable journal, but the authors all work for Waymo. Still, better than data presented in a NYT op-ed because it undergoes more vetting
Comparison of Waymo Rider-Only crash rates by crash type to human benchmarks at 56.7 million miles
SAE Level 4 Automated Driving Systems (ADSs) are deployed on public roads, including Waymo’s Rider-Only (RO) ride-hailing service (without a driver behind the steering wheel). The objective of this...
www.tandfonline.com

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 13h
I said "from Waymo" in my first post. Seemed pretty clear, but OK

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 13h
And here's a peer-reviewed study on a similar topic, not specifically focused on Waymo www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A matched case-control analysis of autonomous vs human-driven vehicle accidents - Nature Communications
Through a matched case-control analysis this study reveals accident risk disparities between autonomous and human-driven vehicles. It suggests that accidents of vehicles equipped with Advanced Driving...
www.nature.com

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 13h
Just to clarify, I fully support traffic calming, bike/ped infra, transit, etc. I don't particularly care about self-driving vehicles. I just found the results interesting, and cars aren't going away anytime soon, at least in the US

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 13h
Here's a study in Nature Communications (not about Waymo specifically) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A matched case-control analysis of autonomous vs human-driven vehicle accidents - Nature Communications
Through a matched case-control analysis this study reveals accident risk disparities between autonomous and human-driven vehicles. It suggests that accidents of vehicles equipped with Advanced Driving...
www.nature.com

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 14h
They have done all of that, but what I should have written is that they probably respect traffic rules, especially speed limits, much more often than human drivers. Speed is key

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 14h
Fair point. The article lists several limitations. The link above is a gift link if you want to read it

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 14h
It's a good question. I don't know. I think if robotaxis are starting to drive aggressively, public acceptance of those things will decline, and they might lose licenses

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 14h
Of course, it's data by Waymo about Waymo, so we need independent studies about this. And as the article says, the technology Waymo uses is still very expensive ($100k per car). Maybe the takeaway is that we should put systems in place for drivers to respect traffic laws, like speed limiters

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 14h
Interesting data (from Waymo) showing that robotaxis are significantly safer than the average human driver. This is likely because they respect traffic rules. An NYT op-ed by a neurosurgeon calls for a broader adoption as a public health measure. Thoughts? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Diagram showing the likelihood of crashes in Waymo vs human driver

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 16h
How likely is it that Jason Beck joins Whitt at Michigan? Would be a huge loss

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 16h
There's no private equity firm that will soften the blow of losing Coach Whitt to Michigan

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 16h
Thanks to my coauthors Katie Brown, Piper Zdrodowski, and Amber Pearson at Michigan State

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 17h
When new green spaces are built in underserved communities, most mental health impacts for longtime renters are negative. But some studies also found positive effects, especially among residents with secure housing. Which means that the answer must be to pair park investments with housing policy

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 17h
Excited to share our new paper titled "A systematic review of green gentrification and mental health" in Health and Place. We identified several pathways through which green gentrification affects negative and positive mental health outcomes. Full text: authors.elsevier.com/c/1mK-D4pqpk...
Pathway diagram linking green gentrification to mental health

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 18h
Utah welcoming me back with a classic inversion. Buddy, thank you, but you really didn’t have to
Salt Lake Valley with smog layer

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 20h
Frozen Dead Guy land, lol

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 20h
My wife is from Boulder and I went to school there. We visit often

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 20h
We had a beautiful Christmas vacation in Boulder
Mountains covered in snow Mountains reflecting in lake Dawn Flatiron mountains

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 1d
And I forgot we can’t have traffic cameras (for speeding, red lights) because it’s a privacy infringement.
But scanning one’s ID anytime they buy alcohol is definitely not. Got it

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 1d
I still remember when Utah’s GOP was saying that “we’re not a nanny state” to justify limited COVID safety laws and enforcement. But when it’s booze, nanny knows best

Reposted by Alessandro Rigolon

abc4utah.bsky.social
ABC4 Utah @abc4utah.bsky.social · 1d
New alcohol laws in Utah will require all customers to present ID for verification. 100% ID will be enforced starting January 1, 2026.
New Utah law requires ID verification for all alcohol purchases
New alcohol laws in Utah will require all customers to present ID for verification. 100% ID will be enforced starting January 1, 2026.
www.abc4.com

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 1d
One more lane, bro, trust me, just one more lane
“If we didn’t add this lane, congestion would progressively get worse and worse by the year 2050,” UDOT spokesperson Mitch Shaw said. “And, by that time, based on our population models, it would basically be gridlock.”

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 3d
Mile High will be electric in January! Can’t wait.
masedenver.bsky.social Andrew Mason @masedenver.bsky.social · 3d
The Broncos are AFC West champions.

Their first division title since 2015. They clinch their first playoff home game since January 2016. And they will be seeded no lower than No. 3 in the AFC postseason.

Reposted by Alessandro Rigolon

masedenver.bsky.social
Andrew Mason @masedenver.bsky.social · 3d
The Broncos are AFC West champions.

Their first division title since 2015. They clinch their first playoff home game since January 2016. And they will be seeded no lower than No. 3 in the AFC postseason.

alerigolon.bsky.social
Alessandro Rigolon @alerigolon.bsky.social · 3d
Heard at my family’s holiday party: “Hacen la salsa que no pica. Eso es gentrificación.”