Regional Community Development News - March 12, 2008 [regions_work]
Tom Christoffel
Regional Community Development News – March 12, 2008 [regions_work]
A weekly compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.
Published on line since November 11, 2003.
1. Broken links - The Independent Weekly - Durham, NC, USA
...
The Triangle is not what it used to be—and maybe it never was. Despite local business leaders' efforts at linking the region—and cooperation that produced the airport and Research Triangle Park—geography, politics, culture, economics, land use, transit and even cities' individual identities are pulling the area into two distinct, increasingly estranged regions: Durham and Orange counties to the west; Wake, Franklin and Johnston counties to the east.
...
Urban "metros" are the engines of economic prosperity in this century, says Katz, vice president of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He spoke at Raleigh City Hall last month, armed with statistics: The Raleigh-Cary metro is the nation's 52nd largest, according to the U.S. Census, with a population of 950, 000; the Durham metro ranks 85th with 450, 000 people. The two are well-positioned to be a powerful, "two-place" region, Katz said, like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., or Seattle-Redmond, Wash.
This synergy can happen, Katz added, only if the Triangle reins in sprawl— ...
Melanie Eberhart, a Durham neighborhood leader, agrees. One of the few out-of-towners at Katz's talk, Eberhart moved here from the Midwest in 1998. A single parent, she landed in Durham because she found a house she liked that she could afford. Durham? Raleigh? She didn't know the difference. "I saw the Triangle as one area when I was considering the move, " she wrote in an e-mail.
A decade later, she has changed her mind.
"I see so much that should be coordinated on a regional level, but that isn't, that it frustrates me no end, " Eberhart wrote.
Her list includes water, air quality, transportation, open space, inter-city competition for jobs. "I don't know if we are a metropolitan area except in name or geographic conglomeration of people only."
The regional disconnect also frustrates ...
2. FOCUS ON THE FUTURE Another look at regional development - Toledo Free Press - OH, USA
Ask any authority on economic development, “What strategy should cities use to grow their economies?” and nearly all will respond that cities have to band together with their surrounding communities and develop a strong, long-term, collaborative, regional approach. Their message — based on years of study and analysis, decades of experience, and in-depth knowledge of economic development — is clear: No middle size or even large city, acting alone, has all that is needed to be competitive in today's global economy. No mayor, city manager, city council or county administrator can hope to be successful in growing their city or county by taking a “Lone Ranger” approach. Successful economic development in today's world requires a regional approach.
For the past several years I've been reviewing “best practices” in economic development. I've been particularly interested in what makes some cities successful in the development of their economies and what keeps other cities from achieving the same level of success. I want to know why some areas are making sustained economic progress, adding good jobs, attracting companies and drawing outside investment. Likewise, I also want to understand the obstacles that some cities face that keep them from enjoying similar success. The picture is increasingly clear.
In an effort to answer these questions I've turned to some of the leading authorities on economic development. I've had opportunities to talk directly with several of them and to ask questions about what distinguishes successful metropolitan areas from the unsuccessful. I've read their books and papers and studied their research. They all have a lot to say. Many of them have different views and approaches. Some focus on “talent, ” while others focus on “infrastructure, ” “incentives, ” or “community amenities.” However, one thing on which all agree and the theme stands out among all others in this complex field …
3. Milwaukee Institute seeks to build computational power - WTN News - Madison, WI, USA
Private sector leaders in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin are trying to bridge the gap between universities and businesses through more effective use of computing and scientific resources, and their vehicle is the new Milwaukee Institute, a non-profit organization that is building a cyber infrastructure of shared, grid-based computing.
The initial stages of the computational-power initiative has been funded by four metropolitan-Milwaukee companies, and its collaborative model is designed to lure federal grant money to sustain the effort in the long run. One of those companies is Mason Wells, a Milwaukee-based private equity firm whose executive managing director, John Byrnes, believes something significant must be done to spur innovation in the region.
“We're trying to jump start the high-tech segment of the economy here by providing an IT-based collaborative network that will allow people to work together more efficiently, ” Byrnes said. “We're trying to give them access. In some cases, people don't have access to computational resources they need.”
Institutionalized collaboration
The genesis of the institute dates back to the interest of the Wisconsin Technology Council and individuals like Paul Peercy, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to combine educational and research activities in southeastern Wisconsin with the business community. John Byrnes said this has not been effectively done through existing channels, and the institute's backers have devoted time to closing that gap during the past two years.
They have organized the institute around an agenda that's intended to support collaborative research using a shared information technology infrastructure. The local educational community has expressed an interest in sharing IT infrastructure, particularly for heavy computational science activities, but although Madison enjoys such a resource in the Condor project, southeastern Wisconsin has lacked this capability. …
4. A regional funding source for our cultural assets - Kansas City Star - MO, USA
Cultural institutions that benefit the entire region deserve a regional funding source to help them — and the Kansas City area — thrive.
One good option: a small sales tax approved by voters on both sides of the state line.
It’s time for elected and civic leaders to again vigorously pursue regional funding for area attractions. These include the Kansas City Zoo and Liberty Memorial in Missouri as well as the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Johnson County.
This metropolitan area pulled together once before to pay for the marvelous restoration of Union Station with the first bistate tax in 1996.
But regional cooperation suffered a setback in 2004, when voters defeated a bistate tax for the arts and the Truman Sports Complex. That plan was hurt by an arts funding plan that wasn’t well understood and controversy over the stadium renovations.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser is correct when he says the city — which has less than a quarter of the area’s population — should not have to provide the bulk of public funding for facilities such as the zoo, Starlight Theatre and Liberty Memorial. All these attractions benefit suburban residents as well.
… the station “is a regional facility that the region ought to be taking care of.”
So how could the area rally around key attractions fairly and efficiently?
The next try for a regional tax will be different in several ways from 2004.
• The controversy regarding sports complex financing is essentially over; Jackson County voters in 2005 endorsed a sales tax to help take care of that project.
• Supporters of the arts have learned lessons from 2004. Taxpayers want most of their money used for large, well-known institutions that serve the most people. That’s how it is done in Denver and St. Louis, for instance.
…
5. Woodbine reeling after loss of almost 70% in state aid - Press of Atlantic City - Atlantic City, NJ, USA
The state tried with little success to use a carrot to get small towns to merge.
Now one mayor said the state is reaching for a stick - withholding state budget funding.
Woodbine Mayor William Pikolycky said the state is pressing the Pinelands borough to merge with neighboring Dennis Township.
Woodbine stands to lose nearly 70 percent of its state aid under Gov. Jon S. Corzine's budget, a staggering blow for a town that relies on state and federal money to pay for more than 84 percent of its annual expenses.
"In 18 years, we haven't raised the local purpose tax (rate) one penny, " the mayor said.
Geographically, the borough (pop. 2, 508) looks like a jigsaw puzzle piece removed from the larger Dennis Township. Woodbine was part of Dennis as recently as 1903, when the borough incorporated.
Pikolycky said there are good reasons for the tiny borough to keep its independence.
"I feel consolidation is important. I'm just saying let's look at this, " he said. "I'm not open to just slamming the door on us and having them say, 'We're cutting your funding.'"
... small towns that can least afford the cutbacks are being hit hardest.
Ironically, higher taxation is the biggest obstacle to regionalization, he said. Small resort towns such as Cape May Point stand to pay far higher school taxes if they merged with larger neighbors.
"Woodbine is run quite efficiently. Dennis is also very careful, " said Van Drew, the former mayor of Dennis. "Smaller isn't always less efficient, by definition."
Van Drew said the state should phase in cuts to local aid if it plans to induce the merging of services or municipalities.
"For Woodbine, this is a knife in the heart, " he said. "The people who live there can't afford to pay what they do now."
6. Support growing for regional transit - KC Community News - Overland Park, KS, USA
It is a concept that many would have thought unfeasible for Kansas City just a few years ago. The vision of a multifaceted transit system spanning across Greater Kansas City — composed of light rail lines, park-and-ride stations and vastly expanded bus services — was a novel, yet, seemingly farfetched concept.
But for Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser and several other local officials, taking the correct action now could one day lead to this vision becoming a reality.
While it will likely be several years before an extensive light rail system is constructed, building regional consensus among residents and community leaders is the apparent priority for now. Funkhouser has held several meetings with area elected officials and transportation planners both locally and from across the U.S. to discuss the nuances of carrying out such an initiative, including how to meet the needs of the different communities in the region and how to ultimately fund light rail.
It helps that similar initiatives have been effectively implemented in other cities.
Clarence Marsella, director of the Denver Regional Transportation District, said it was not long ago that Denver was working against the grain to gather support for a five-mile starter rail line through the city’s downtown district. The rail was constructed in 1994 and an expansion project in 2000, funded by a voter-approved fourth-tenths-cent sales tax, expanded the line from the city’s urban core to outlying suburbs. Marsella said once opened to the public, the expanded system was immediately serving more than 12, 000 commuters daily, a number that far surpassed expectations.
“It was such an overwhelming success, ” Marsella said. “The debate in Denver became not ‘Will it work?’ but ‘When do I get mine?’”
...
7. Change raises DART levies in suburbs - DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines, IA, USA
Bus service in the Des Moines area will get cheaper for property owners in Des Moines - and more expensive for those in the suburbs.
The shifting of the tax burden is the result of a new taxing formula approved Tuesday night in a 6-3 vote by the Board of Commissioners of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority.
"For us to grow, this is what we need to do, " said Commissioner Angela Connolly before the vote. "Otherwise we are going to stagnate."
Critics called the new tax formula inequitable, arguing the change ought to come with an increase in bus service. Commissioners Steve Van Oort, Bob Parks and Tom Gayman, all of whom represent suburbs, voted against it.
"Regionalism for them must be more than just sharing the cost, " Johnston Mayor Paula Dierenfeld said of Johnston residents, whose DART taxes would increase more than 600 percent.
DART's new formula will tax all member cities with some level of regular bus service at the same rate, estimated to be 45 cents per $1, 000 of taxable property value. The change will be phased in over two years, starting in fiscal year 2010.
The current formula, which will remain in effect until then, is based largely on the number of miles that DART buses spend on the roads of member cities annually. The buses spend about 71 percent of their time in Des Moines.
The new tax formula won't bring in any additional money; it will only change who pays how much. It is effectively a tax decrease of about 25 percent for Des Moines property owners but a tax increase of 36 percent to as much as 650 percent for those in other cities, mainly suburbs such as Ankeny, Clive, Johnston and Urbandale.
...
8. Think globally, act locally - Prague Post - Czech Republic
As a citizen of Central Europe for the past 18 years, I have hoped for regional cooperation to address our common challenges. However, until now, very little progress has been made.
Countries in our region, most of them fresh European Union members, tend to look first to Brussels or the United States for solutions to local economic problems, while it is very well possible that applicable answers are already available from our neighbors.
Working for General Electric as a regional executive, I see that global companies can be proactive in solving global challenges — like the need for clean energy. We have the means and the knowledge to develop necessary technology to make our energy systems sustainable.
It is clear today that global energy needs are great.
Between now and 2030, electricity demand is projected to double. Both the energy “haves” and “have-nots” face huge challenges in meeting this increasing demand for energy on both a global and regional basis. Energy interdependence has an impact on all continents and regions, including Central and Eastern Europe. Moreover, our region — with a population of almost 140 million — is striving to find its place in the global economy, and we need to tackle these pressing issues to bring about real changes.
What should our goals be today to ensure energy sustainability and introduction of new technologies by 2030 in our region?
I would say there are two goals in solving this great challenge: One is for this region to have an energy industry that is economic, secure and diverse. The second is that the region, particularly EU member countries and those who seek new membership, must commit themselves to reduce pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, when the new emissions legislation is to be implemented within the European Union.
As an example, ...
9. Crashes vs. Congestion - What's the Cost to Society? - American Automobile Association, Washington, D.C.
The societal cost of crashes is a staggering $164.2 billion annually, nearly two and a half times greater than the $67.6 billion price tag for congestion, according to a new report released by the American Automobile Association (AAA).
The report, “Crashes vs. Congestion: What’s the Cost to Society?, ” demonstrates that traffic safety issues warrant increased attention from the public and policymakers, particularly as Congress prepares to reauthorize federal transportation programs in 2009.
“Most Americans will be surprised to learn that motor vehicle crashes cost more than the congestion they face on their daily commute to work, ” said AAA resident and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “Great work has been done by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to quantify the costs of congestion, raise awareness for the problem and offer solutions. We feel safety deserves a similar focus.”
According to the study conducted by Cambridge Systematics, the $164.2 billion cost for crashes equates to an annual per person cost of $1, 051, compared to $430 per person annually for congestion. These safety costs include medical, emergency and police services, property damage, lost productivity, and quality of life, among other things.
The report calculates the costs of crashes for the same metropolitan areas covered by the annual Urban Mobility Report conducted by TTI. In every metropolitan area studied, from very large to small, the results showed crash costs exceeded congestion. For very large urban areas (more than 3 million), crash costs are nearly double those of congestion. Those costs rise to more than seven times congestion costs in small urban areas (less than 500, 000) where congestion is less of a challenge.
“Nearly 43, 000 people die on the nation’s roadways each year, ” said Darbelnet. “Yet, the annual tally of motor vehicle-related fatalities barely registers as a blip in most people’s minds. It’s time for motor vehicle crashes to be viewed as the public health threat they are. If there were two jumbo jets crashing every week, the government would ground all planes until we fixed the problem. Yet, we’ve come to accept this sort of death toll with car crashes.”
The report includes several recommendations to improve safety, including support for a national safety goal of cutting surface transportation fatalities in half by 2025, as recommended by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.
10. U.S. regional communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles. Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth noting. In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other regional organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google search will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always get the organization name correct.
The Virginian-Pilot - Norfolk, VA, USA
LAST JULY, IN A LETTER to the editor, I proposed that the 17 communities of Hampton Roads unite to form the greater City of Hampton Roads. I wrote that I had witnessed this region 'grapple with big-city problems without having the advantage of a big-city unity.' The recent collapse of the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority is a prime example of the disadvantages of not having such unity.
How much do we have to lose before we follow the example of New York City and bring our communities together to form a major city? How long will it be before we all see how much there is to gain? …
.11 Worrying about waste
Wilmington Advocate -
Concord, MA, USA
... report also stated the NESWC communities bore the brunt of the Commonwealth’s “flawed economic analysis and failure to protect the public interest.” “This is the poorest example of regionalization and privatization ever, ” said Cressman. “... Why should the 23 towns be held responsible for a place they had to pay for but they don’t own today?”
.12 Cooperation
drives Cabela's deal in western Michigan
MLive.com - MI, USA
While a panel discussion this week on Cabela's planned 2009 opening in Walker
was dubbed "Anatomy of a Deal, " without regional cooperation it easily could have been the
"Autopsy of a Deal."...
.13 A first step in Missouri pushing ahead
without Kansas on light rail?
Kansas City Star - MO, USA
He convened a meeting of the Kansas City Area Transportaton Authority (light
rail planners), the Mid-America Regional
Council (the region's transportation ...
.14 Public invited to discussions about
bike, pedestrian path
Daily Mail - Charleston -
Charleston, WV, USA
It's being developed by the Regional
Intergovernmental Council.
The consultant is Michael Baker Jr. Inc. Residents are invited to attend and
provide ...
.15 Annexation
legislation clears hurdle
Journal Newspapers - Wayne,
MI, USA
Marc Corriveau said his bill, House Bill (HB) 5779, was approved by the House
Committee on Intergovernmental,
Urban and Regional Affairs on
Wednesday. ... Corriveau’s
plan will protect Northville Township from losing 414 acres of land in the
eastern part of the township to Livonia by exempting charter townships or cities
with populations of 20, 000 or more from annexation. …
.16 Superstar cities
defy downturn
San Francisco Chronicle - CA,
USA
These mega-regions, Florida
contends, are not only siphoning off the productivity and talent from other
nearby regions but from around the
world. ...
.17 EDCCC members
advised to 'find what works' for county
Siftings Herald -
Arkadelphia, AR, USA
By Donna Hilton Board and advisory committee members of the Economic
Development Corp. of Clark County learned about regional development Tuesday night in a ...
.18 Counties urged to
work together on economic development
Press & Sun-Bulletin -
Binghamton, NY, USA
To realize economic growth, municipalities and counties must work together to
create a regional approach to
attracting businesses, economic development leaders said Friday. "It's
focused on a 10- to 12-county region, " said Mike Fuller, director of
Pipeline 4 Progress, an organization seeking to create economic development
opportunities for the Southern Tier. …
.19 Texas poised to become regional hub for
ethanol
Houston Chronicle - United
States
With the new plants, Texas is poised to emerge as a key regional hub for ethanol production —
now centered in the corn-rich Midwest — as US demand rises for ...
.20 Fugitive task force honored
Akron Beacon Journal - Akron,
OH, USA
It used to be relatively easy being a fugitive in northern Ohio — fewer
than 200 of the wanted were nabbed in a typical year. Five years ago, however,
things changed with the creation of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task
Force. Nowadays, the agency that covers 40 Ohio counties makes about 3, 000
arrests a year.... ''We put everyone together as one regionalized unit. That's the bottom line, '' ...
.21 Chamber hopes to
avert Cape crisis
Cape Cod Times - Hyannis, MA,
USA
Several meeting attendees raised the topic of regionalization
of services currently provided by individual towns. Attendees emphasized the
importance of ...
.22 Our View: City,
county need better communication
Auburn Citizen - Auburn, NY,
USA
The potential regionalization of
area firefighting services also needs to be considered from several
perspectives. Auburn cannot prosper on its own and neither can the many towns
around it....
.23 The mythical
regionalization
Leominster Champion - MA, USA
… and Leominster came close on the busing contract, and the sour ending shouldn't put regionalization on the back shelf. Instead, it should be a starting point for making combined services a reality, and creating a viable solution to a growing fiscal problem.
.24 Bishop honored
for leadership in US House
Eufaula Tribune - Eufaula,
AL, USA
Bishop was nominated by the Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center for his continued support of
community and economic development programs in the ...
.25 Makings of a
Mediterranean region
Los Angeles Times - CA, USA
What constitutes a Mediterranean climate? According to the Mediterranean Garden Society, parts of California, Australia, Chile, South Africa and the Mediterranean region share these traits: ...
.26 Hodge will leave a job well done
Roanoke Times - Roanoke, VA,
USA
The Roanoke Valley is one metropolitan area fragmented into several political
pieces. The valley's two major players -- city and county -- have to work
cooperatively on regional needs.
That's a given today, but it wasn't when Hodge arrived. Local governments
guarded their prerogatives possessively and treated each other as competitors,
not partners. ...
.27 Saginaw business
leaders discuss region's future
MLive.com - MI, USA
Tri-Counties -- like the rest of the state -- is in transition, but in many
ways the region is ahead of the
game. ... partnerships between neighboring municipalities, schools and businesses
will help Saginaw Valley compete more effectively. ...
.28 Los Angeles Makes
List of Fastest Growing Regions For Venture Capital
socalTech.com - Thousand
Oaks, CA, USA
Los Angeles has made a list of the fastest growing regions for venture capital, released today by the National
Venture Capital Association. ...
.29 Even Outside of Silicon
Valley, Venture Capital Is Growing
New York Times, United
States
Venture capital is on the move — to New Mexico, Pittsburgh and points beyond. … survey from the National Venture Capital Association, based on data provided by Thomson Financial, found that while Silicon Valley remains the hotbed of seed capital, other regions are seeing it grow …
11. Other regional community news for our Local Planet.
.10 Council to ask
province to reshape region
Niagarathisweek.com -
Thorold, Ontario, Canada
Greg Washuta said regional council
was an outdated mode of government. "Regional
government is a flawed government structure introduced in the '60s to serve the
interests of smaller rural areas, " he said, explaining Canada is much
more urbanized now and is becoming more so everyday. ...
.11 Scotland named
Europe's 'region of the future'
Scotsman - United Kingdom
The SNP Government's efforts to attract more foreign investment were reinforced
yesterday when Scotland was named European "region of the future. Beating off competition from 38 other
nations and regions in Europe, Scotland was found to be the best location for
foreign direct investment (FDI). ...
.12 Why Leeds needs
an elected mayor
Financial Times - London,
England, UK
However, city regions such as Leeds and West Yorkshire need to study the reasons behind London’s success in winning funds for transport projects. The capital has secured finance not just because it is so important to the UK economy but also because it has a single voice in the elected mayor. …
.11 BJP condemns attempts to promote
regionalism
Hindu - Chennai, India
Amid renewed efforts by Shiv Sena to revive its Mumbai for Marathi plank, the
BJP on Friday said that it was against "regionalism"
in any in any form. BJP president Rajnath Singh said the party condemns
attempts by some quarters to promote regionalism and asserted that it will
"neither recognise regionalism nor will it allow it to flourish." ...
.14 Gulf unites with
new passport
eTN- Global Travel Industry News
In the latest move towards regional
cooperation among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries
– Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain – a
Kuwaiti official this week announced plans to accept the new Gulf passport,
starting next May....
.15 RI seeks ties to
fight illegal fishing
Jakarta Post - Jakarta,
Indonesia
"Illegal fishing demands regional
cooperation because this is a cross-border problem, " Aji
Sularso, director general of monitoring and control of maritime and fishery
resources …
.16 SAARC nations call for transparency in
social sector
By India eNews
Social development ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) nations have
called for transparency and access to information in order to address social
sector issues, including health and education.
.17 Japan's regions
The puzzle of power
Economist - UK
For one answer to the puzzle, look at the relationship between the centre and
the regions. Japan has a rich
array of local governments: there are 1800-odd municipal governments and 47
prefectural ones. Yet more than any big rich democracy, Japan concentrates
political power and financial resources at the centre....
.18 Breakaway Regions
Push For Independence, Citing Kosovo
St.Petersburg Times - St.
Petersburg, Russia
Abkhazia, a region that broke away
from Georgian government control in the 1990s, intends to seek international
recognition ...
.19 Breakaway Regions
Push for Independence
The Associated Press -
Russia said Thursday that it was lifting trade and financial sanctions on
Abkhazia, a breakaway Georgian region
that wants to be recognized as an independent country — like Kosovo.
… EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana reiterated the position, shared
by the U.S., that Kosovo's situation was unique and that its declaration set no
precedent for South Ossetia or Abkhazia.
.20 Regional
cooperation: an overview of main initiatives
Edubourse-com (Communiqués de
presse) - Brie Comte Robert, France
Regional cooperation constitutes
an integral part of the region's European agenda. The transition from the
Stability Pact[2] towards a framework with a ...
.21 Cooperation on
disaster prevention, preparedness and response
Edubourse-com (Communiqués de
presse) - Brie Comte Robert, France
The countries of the Western Balkans need to build up their capacity and to
enhance regional cooperation in
the field of civil protection and disaster ...
.22 Rural groups
called upon to improve their communities
Northwest Regional
Development Agency (press release) - Warrington, England, UK
The Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA) has launched a third call for local groups to design and
implement action plans which will grow the rural economy in the Northwest....
.23 Priced out of the
market
Bury Free Press - Bury St.
Edmunds, England, UK
The report also concludes that regionally
not enough is being done. Some 11000 new affordable homes need to be built in
the eastern region each year, ...
.24 Tourism 'worth
$15 trillion in 10 years'
FHR Travel Services - Copthorne,
England, UK
Regionally, Africa, the Asia
Pacific and the Middle East have been propping up global expansion figures,
with growth rates of 5.9 per cent, 5.7 per cent and ...
.25 Minister Laing says Caribbean Still Preferred Destination, Despite Economic Challenges
By Jerry Wilson
“Modern information and communication technology continues to offer
unrealised possibilities for personal wealth creation, national economic growth
and regional development, ”
he said. The COTED consists of Ministers designated to ...
.26 Africa: Football Promotes Peace And
Development, Says Dr. Diouf
AllAfrica.com - Washington,
USA
... such as national or regional Food Security Programmes, TeleFood
projects and cultural and sporting events held to promote development of agriculture, ...
.27 Macau to be a key
regional development component: Secretary Tam
Macau Daily Times - Macau
"Macau will become a key component of the regional development and we don't need to worry that the city
will be marginalised, " Mr Tam said. ...
.28 Regional
‘hub’ urged to be national portal
ic Wales - United Kingdom
CARDIFF International Airport must throw off its shackles as a regional hub and define itself as
Wales’ national airport, according to the new man in charge ...
.29 Time invest in
women and girls
Turkish Daily News
(subscription) - Ankara, Turkey
In partnership with the Southeastern Anatolia Regional
Development Administration (GAP RDA), UNDP Turkey has been
supporting women's entrepreneurship ...
.30 Regional cooperation: an overview of
main initiatives
eGov monitor - London, UK
The countries of South East Europe have made significant progress on regional cooperation in recent years,
gradually assuming more ownership and ...
.31 Wellington
Regional Council needs Real Time Passenger Information
m-net - Wellington, New
Zealand
The Greater Wellington Regional Council
is looking for an expert to help it design and develop a proposed Real Time
Passenger Information system .. identified by the Council, which responsible
for public transport in the region, and by passengers and operators as part of
wider plans to increase public transport patronage. …
12. Blogs
.10 Cleveburgh
Globalization Project
Burgh Diaspora By Jim Russell
Keeping the spotlight on Richard Longworth's book "Caught in the Middle, " which I intend to continue at least until the Rust Belt Bloggers Summit in July, I want to further explore the subject of regional collaboration. ...
.11 ASEAN/SAARC
Integration Gospel, according to The Economist
RegionsWatch by Emmanuel.K.Bensah II
"Apart from having a common economic interest, our regional cooperation is the most advanced
and successful in the world, " 3. "Until last year AIPA was still
called the Parliamentary Organisation. It stresses parliamentary influence in ...
.12 How does regional
economic development work?
UnderstandingSociety By Daniel Little
So regional economic development
aims at creating more employment and a rising standard of living in the region,
and it seeks to do this through causing expansion of profitable business
activity in the region. ...
.13 Creative Region
Initiative: How Inclusive?
Daytonoloyg By Jeffrey
They may even move to more traditionalist regions
or firms where their views prevail. That's fine, but it's not a winning formula
for society as a whole. A more inclusive society captures talent and ideas that
reside at the margins. ...
.14 South of the
Border...
By Michael Fuller
Pipeline 4
Progress is gearing up for the first of four Regional Input Meetings
scattered throughout the Upstate P4P Region. ... I was NOT in Upstate NY
talking about regionalism and
collaboration. I was in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I was there to talk about
P4P and other opportunities involving the Fuller Group. I met with a local
group of young professionals ...
.15 Eastern Connector
- Transportation Need or Political Issue
By Peter Kleeman(Peter
Kleeman)
Rosen suggests that regional cooperation
on exploring an Eastern Connector may be near an end. For many years,
construction of an Eastern Connector for vehicular traffic between Albemarle
County north of Charlottesville and the Pantops ...
.16 development
Regional Development By frank
Regional leadership must plan for
the future while studying the past and present data. Issues of human need,
geographical opportunities and constraints as well as regional cooperation and interactions
provide the input but it is the ...
.17 Writing local
option into the constitution
By Julie Fanselow(Julie
Fanselow)
The latest regional vote in the
Treasure Valley was last May, when voters in Ada and Canyon counties agreed to
tax themselves to support a planned community college. Seventy-one percent of
Ada County voters approved the tax, ...
.18 LI Groups and
Officials, NYSDOT Consider How To Work Together
Mobilizing the Region By Steven Higashide
When NYSDOT officials came to Long Island yesterday to host a forum on the land
use-transportation connection, civic leaders and advocates took the opportunity
to spotlight NYSDOT Region
10’s failure to see that connection — and to ...
.19 What’s Right with the Region
By Brian Marston
We found out today that North St. Louis YouthBuild won a FOCUS St. Louis “What’s Right with the Region” award in the Creating Quality Educational Opportunities category. …
.20 An Epiphany: “Adults” v.
“Millenials”
By Kalen Pruss
The conference focused on regional
[re]development in Michigan,
focusing on the Metro Detroit area, and apart from a highly technical session
on brownfield redevelopment meant as a how-to for members of city government to
capitalize on ...
.21 Another test of regional cooperation
think Detroit By Cooper
The Detroit Zoo is trying to create a regional authority with the power to levy
a millage in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties to finance the zoo's
operations. It won't be easy:. Patterson acknowledged proponents face a tough
sales ...
.22 Immigrant
laborers on bicycles
By Fritz(Fritz)
When I participated on the Bike To Work organizing committee for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, I
suggested outreach to the Latino immigrant community. I was pleased that they
agreed to provide material in Spanish and paid ...
.23 Blog Release:
Collaborative Rust Belt
By Jim Russell(Jim Russell)
In a recent editorial, Free Press editors made a passionate plea for mega-regionalism, reminding readers of the
American South´s successful effort to do the same, changing the dynamics of
electoral politics in the process. ...
.24 US Manufacturing
Should Embrace Green
Integrated Strategies By DMusic
… As the market for green products grows, there will necessarily be a
corresponding growth in regionally operated factories. There is a premium
inside of sustainability for products produced and warehoused within 500 miles
of the purchasing location. …
.25 Metro's Urban/Rural Reserves Program:
Our Region's Future
By BlueOregon.com
Have you heard of the Metro Regional
Government's work with urban and rural
reserves? Over the next 40 to 50 years, Portland and its surrounding region
will see an influx of population growth. ...
.26 Bridge2Geo -
R&D to Create a GEO-Society
By JStrobl(JStrobl)
The overall objective is to strengthen the research potential of European
regions, in particular by encouraging and supporting the development of regional “research-driven clusters”. New
strategies, communication & business models will ...
.27 Agenda 21 -
Sustainable development for the 21st century
By infomancie
Although implementation of Agenda 21 is essentially voluntary at country level,
some national and regional
governments have passed laws or given advice that local authorities implement
the plan locally, in programmes which have come to ...
.28 ESA to continue
EPA negotiations
By geopolitis(geopolitis)
Mandelson said that the EU could help Africa build effective regional cooperation by signing into the
agreements in order to realise the vision of regional integration. He said that
the other way the EU could help was through financial ...
.29 People Vs.
Establishment in Pakistan
By Hassan Abbas(Hassan Abbas)
In the past, under representation and varied development
trajectories have been the source of conflict and misunderstanding amongst the
communities. There is nothing sacrosanct about the existing regional boundaries. ...
.30 Georgia Breaking
Apart, Separatists Cite The "Kosovo Precedent"
By George Turner
Since the break up of the Soviet Union, two regions
of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia have strived to become independent of Georgia,
and Georgia fears that support for Kosovar independence will bring legitimacy
to these claims. ...
.31 And God said,
"Let there be Assignment"
By Meta(Life at Luther)
As you can see, February 20th's news about regions
was a welcome snack for the students involved, but it left plenty of questions
unanswered! Since then, each bishop has represented his/her
'synod'/sub-regional district at regional ...
.32 Inclusive Cities
By Zoe
A lot of this is linked to the state of urban governance in Mumbai - the agency
in control of the roads and flyovers is the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority controlled
almost wholly by the State. ...
.33 Prince William
Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) Charter Renewal
By Regulations-gov
Prince William Sound Regional
Citizens Advisory Council Charter
Renewal.
.34 The power of
co-operation
By l...@leehopkins.net
Thanks to all the various friends who have facebooked this video in the last
few days. Technorati Tags: improveverywhere , improv , video , new york , grand
central , 200 , people , cooperation
, co-operation , communication ,
lee ...
.35 Clareity MLS Workshop Day 1
By Michael Wurzer
I think Gregg Larson had the best advice of all regarding regionalization, data sharing, etc., when
he said that every market area is different. Sometimes data sharing makes
sense, sometimes a repository makes sense, and the key is to ...
.36 Call for Reviewers: East Asian Economic
Integration Web Site
By admin
Regional Cooperation and its
Enemies in Northeast Asia. London: Routledge. Peter CY Chow. 2007. Economic
Integration, Democratization and National Security in East Asia. Cheltenham:
Edward Elgar. Charles Harvie, Fukunari Kimura and ...
.37 Why This Matters
By renee
... we are helping to create
emergent co-intelligent system in our bioregions–and ultimately,
globally. A natural system evolves and merges with larger supersystem when
information or intelligence on
that level is integrated. It [...]
.38 Adding A Regional Component To Your Web Site
Rusty Ford
A regional web page is one that focuses in on a specific area such as a city, county, state, country or area of the world. You do not have to have a regional web site to add a regional component to your site. …
13. Announcements and Regional Links
.10 “Sharing Knowledge – Developing Joint Action to Address Climate Change” First U.S. - European Conference Of Metropolitan Regional Councils
April 9 – 12, 2008 - Alexandria, Virginia USA
The Conference will offer:
• Opportunities for regional councils in Europe and the U.S. to exchange and review innovative climate, energy and sustainable development policies and practices;
• A forum to promote climate and sustainable development research, policy and exchange mechanisms and long-term cooperation between European and U.S. metropolitan regions;
• The development of the first Transatlantic Network of Metropolitan Regional Councils.
For more information contact Dale Medearis dmed...@novaregion.org
or by phone: 703-642-4630
Also check: METREX Wiki – Note: Deki Wiki is a free service.
.11 Åland International Institute of Comparative Island Studies - 2nd Annual Conference - Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finland, 10-11 June, 2008
AICIS is a recently created research institute founded to stimulate international research on issues of relevance to island economies. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 March 2008 and for the submission of full papers 26 May 2008. Further information: Agneta Karlsson agneta....@aicis.ax or Harvey Armstrong h.arm...@sheffield.ac.uk
.12 Europa – Gateway to the European Union
EUROPA is the portal site of the European Union. It provides up-to-date coverage of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration. Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties. ...
14. regions_work · Regional Community Networkers & RCDNews
3/10/08 - "Regional Community
Networkers" is proposed as a group name to add a bit more organization for
those who subscribe to "Regional Community Development News
"(RCDNews). The newsletter was begun November 11, 2003 to make visible the
existence of, and good work being accomplished by, "regional
councils" in the U.S. "Regional Council" is a generic term for
organizations created to facilitate intergovernmental communication,
cooperation, policy & action on a long term basis.
It is from these geographic areas that "regional communities of communities"
were emerging. The learning that has surfaced in this process had led to the
perspective that this is happening all over our local planet. The nature &
extent of emerging regional communities is wide & asymmetric based on
issues & geography & "regional intelligence." It is
geo-politics at many scales. So much so that alignment and integration of
regional communities is now a great challenge. People who appreciate this
perspective and find it useful use come from many walks of life and disciplines
beyond planning, regional studies and geography. They are citizens, business
people, academics and professionals - Regional Community Networkers using
diplomatic skills to work across boundaries.
To expand distribution options for the RCDNews a blog was created: Regional
Communities - "Think Local Planet, Act Regionally." A perspective
offered is: "Acknowledge boundaries. Choose to work across them."
Those subscribed to the RCDNews through Yahoo Groups are now invited to
consider themselves members of the Regional Community Networkers Group. This
benefit is at no cost. Using the Yahoo Groups software avoids the dollar and
time cost of having association management software. Should the group become
active in the future, some dues structure would be needed. The newsletter is
also published through Google groups and on the Blog for those who do not want
to be part of the Regional Community Networkers Group.
Comments welcome: Tom.Chr...@gmail.com
My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work." Regional Community Development News is published weekly based on news reports as of Wednesday.
Making visible analysis and actions at multi-jurisdictional regional scales is its purpose. "Think globally, act locally" was innovative in its time. Today the local scale is often too small to address today's needs and opportunities. "Think local planet, act regionally, " is my candidate paradigm. (No one said we're only allowed one paradigm.)
We can see that “regional communities” are organized locally and now act both to avoid tragedy in the commons and gain benefits. An effective multi-jurisdictional regional community has DNA: it is geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will be able to see the regional communities that already exist.
News references are found using the Google News search service. Media article links are “fair use” to transform globally scattered reports to make regional approaches visible. Links go to the publisher and do not compete with it. Such publishers are likely to have related stories and thus be seen by new customers. “Regional” is an emerging news category. There is no charge for this service and no profit is made from its use, though any user can become more aware of the topic itself.
To read and search previous issues go to: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/regions_work/
The term “Development” was added to the name in January, 2006.
For a free subscription use this email link – no additional information required:
regions_wor...@yahoogroups.com
For the Google Groups version go to:
http://groups.google.com/group/regional-community-development-news
Editions since April 11, 2007 can also be found at: http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/
Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development News?
Please e-mail the editor: Tom.Chr...@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP Making regions visible for Leaders and Problem-solvers. www.regionalintelligence.com