Assembly Hall

The single biggest issue with eve for me at this point is travel.

The vast distances over empires is what makes a thriving economy. It is also the thing preventing one area from being overrun by players from area b.
It is also hindering any sort of casual game-play that is not planned in advance.

Core
I suggest that ccp change the clone jumping mechanic to be restricted by isk not by time.
Make it so that you can clone jump twice for around 10m per day.
(first jump 1m -> second 10m -> third 100m -> fourth 1000m etc. )

What is it that the vast universe really hinders ?
Asset projection.
Why changing of jump cloning would not change that very much at all.
Well you can not bring your own ship on the journey, so either someone else already brought your ship to the deploy area or you go and buy another ship. This supports the different trade hubs as well as restricts asset projection as the original universe structure intended.

Extensions
Make it easier to deploy a jumpclone. Either by giving corps with required standings the ability to act as brokers for jumpclones within game mechanics other than leaving your own corp and joining another.
Or simply lower requirements to "not hostile 0<=" to deploy a clone.


This could also be the carrot for separating the empire factions with low sec in between.
You can safely and quickly travel between these places by just clonejumping.
To actually make a profit you would need to suffer risk of low sec.



Make empire clonejumping stations. A station that allows for anyone (restrictions could apply, based on standings, criminality and such according to best balance) to clonejump to another station in a different empire.
This will bring your current clone with you, but leave your ship at the station.

Purpose and single goal
To make it easier to coordinate with friends to do joint ventures without incredibly long set up times.
To give players the opportunity to go out play with a friend and come back to his home station at the end of the day.