Community Motive, Global Urbanization Conference and the Future
Tom Christoffel
1. This is my latest effort to articulate the "community motive" idea that Aldo Leopold expressed in 1944. It apparently gained no traction then, but does fit the need in our time to balance the “profit motive.” Comment and share as you are inclined. These three thoughts, theses if you will, are the basis of the "community motive."
2. As the U.S. Country Ambassador for the Regional Studies Association, I invite you to look at this international conference, consider attending and pass the information on to others who would have an interest: Global Urbanization Conference Plenary Speakers: Agnew, Dorling, Florida, Le Gales, Roy, Storper - RSA at UCLA - December 16-18, 2013
3. The Regional Cooperation Challenge: Codified Substate political sovereignties require enabling legislation for effective multi-jurisdictional program implementation
This is the topic and following is the text of the abstract submitted as a paper for the above Global Conference. I am interested in any recommendations for State or Federal legislation that would improve the level of cooperative planning and program implementation for regional councils in the U.S.
Abstract
Regional visionaries’ project increased metropolitan area and rural region economic success through cross-boundary coordination, cooperation and collaboration by regional leaders. State and local governments are designed and organized to operate within their boundaries, so working across boundaries goes against that design and requires specific legislation for it to be permitted. The private sector is not constrained by stringent limits, as the internal boundaries of the United States were intended not to be impediments to cross-boundary commerce.
During research in 1972 about the Service District Commission in the 1968 Virginia Area Development Act, I was told: “Planners need to look at what the Code allows.” Once on the job, I learned the importance of the Code of Virginia. It wasn’t that it could not be changed to enable something new, but that it was a requirement. Even existing options in the Code had to be sold to localities for them to be implemented.
Boundaries define areas of responsibility and, ultimately, who pays the bills, be they for capital or operational expenses. The single purpose authority remains the primary tool for implementation, but there are other legislative options to deal with the problem of political legitimacy, such as having one or more directly elected local officials whose duties include direct representation on regional political bodies. Alignment of state election districts to defined regions is another. Other options are presented.
Please send thoughts, papers and reports to me that relate to the U.S. or related Federal systems at by the end of September. All ideas used will be properly credited.
4. Thanks for your continued membership in this group. It has evolved over the years which began with a five year commitment to the newsletter in 2003. The second five year commitment was met in 2013.
The newsletter compilation process served, as titled, as a global scan of Regional Community Development News. The news scan has not stopped, but its output is simplified regions. What I see is summed up in the terms: Community Motive –Greater/Regional Communities. Now that must be made into something useful for the needed age of human unity and cooperation. Community and profit motives may meet in a “cooperation industry.”
Writing projects will be posted or linked to the blog with occasional emails for this group.
5. As a consequence of the need to focus on writing, the news flow relating to regional cooperation, collaboration, economic development at many scales is posted daily: Community Motive Tweets.
6. A Flipboard magazine Community Motive –Greater/Regional Communities features news items with a “community motive” comment added.
7. If you are a member of LinkedIn, please consider joining the Community motive group
Thank You!
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The Regions Work Initiative was launched July 20, 1998 at the World Future Society conference - "FutureQuest Strategies for the New Millennium" by Tom Christoffel, AICP, Regional Community Futurist <www.regions.ws>
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