Regional Community Development News – May 24 and June 14, 2010 [regions_work]

A compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.

Published on line since November 11, 2003.

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Contents

Top Regional Community stories … 1. – 9.

U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State – news articles10.01 - .15

Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet11.01 - .14

Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .10

Announcements and Regional Links13.01 - .06

Financial Crisis …14.01 - .02

Custom search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.

Bold Italic highlights research terms and/or phrases of interest.

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Top Regional Community stories

1. HUD official: Regionalism will be housing funding key

Poughkeepsie Journal - Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

The future of funding from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, is not necessarily one of growing dollars, but it will be one with new focuses, including a regional one.

So said Ron Sims, deputy secretary of the department, speaking at the “Housing the Hudson Valley” conference today sponsored by Pattern for Progress at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel.

Sims, who is the second-highest ranking official in HUD, said local communities in the Hudson Valley should be thinking regionally to improve chances of getting funding.

“You already have everything people would give their eyetooth for,” Sims said of the region, adding, “It’s extraordinarily beautiful.”

“The question is, when the money comes down, are you working as a region?” Sims said.

The administration is following President Obama’s guideline of “seed the willing and fund the willing.”

Sims said new programs will be announced by the administration. In them, “regionalization will be very clear” and so will an approach he called “supernova” that means one large grant “gets you these pots of money” from different federal funding streams. He declined to elaborate because official announcement has yet to be made.

Sims said areas that have cohesion and show efficiency have the best chance of attracting private business and the jobs they bring.

HUD is also working on a “transformation of rental assistance” that would streamline various federal programs.

...

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100614/BUSINESS/100614018/HUD-official--Regionalism-will-be-housing-funding-key

2. Professional Societies, The New Face of Regionalism

SmartRegion.org – Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA

Hampton Roads Quality Management Community (HRQMC), with twenty associations represented from across Hampton Roads, met recently for an agenda of regional strategy. Spokespersons of the chapters introduced themselves to the group with briefs on objectives and goals for the near term. Discussion then framed a road ahead to improve membership and develop regional engagement.

Those in attendance agreed on the need for planning to develop a means for practical collaboration among the associations and recommendations for regional initiatives should be developed.

It was agreed that a common calendar would be established to improve communications and facilitate deconfliction of activities. A joint meeting for all of the associations is scheduled for 10 September, to focus on issues of regional performance.

Keynote speaker at this forum will be Captain Kiestler, Commander, Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Workshops will provide tracks for Leadership and Practitioners on the issues of regional engagement and organizational performance.

Some recommended themes for future joint meetings include: economic growth and prosperity in Hampton Roads, quality measurement tools, regional government and industry leadership, the region’s economic strategy (Vision Hampton Roads), transportation, industries attracted to Hampton Roads, higher education and building tomorrow’s workforce, manufacturing, social responsibility and community service.

The summit demonstrated significant interest in collaborative activities for benefit of the associations as well as the region overall. There is clearly a large potential for engagement: plans need professional and committed practitioners to deploy supporting initiatives.

http://smartregion.org/2010/06/professional-societies-the-new-face-of-regionalism/

3. St. Louis region has two China hub strategies, not just one

stlouistoday.com - St. Louis, MO, USA

An air-cargo link with China is one of the grandest economic-development ideas that St. Louis has had in a long time. For such a big opportunity, you might expect all of our leaders to be using the same playbook.

The St. Louis region doesn't have just one China strategy, however; it has two.

Jeff Rainford, chief of staff to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, mentioned the dueling China strategies … as an example of the need for better regional governance.

---

"It's not an issue," Jones said. "There's no time in the two years we've been doing this that the Chinese have mentioned it. They see this effort in terms of Missouri and the Midwest, and MidAmerica doesn't come up."

Jones sees MidAmerica's efforts as a "tactical" attempt to build traffic at what is currently a cargo-only airport. The Hub Commission's approach, he said, is "about a more holistic relationship" that might eventually include passenger traffic and Chinese investments in St. Louis-area companies.

Jones doesn't fault St. Clair County officials for marketing their airport, but he sees the competition as symptomatic of deeper economic problems here.

"The real tension … is that we are a region that has suffered from negative growth and we have too much capacity," he said. "If we were a bigger, more robust place, we probably wouldn't be having this argument. If you are hungry, you have a tendency to fight over the scraps."

Competition does have its virtues: it sharpens the senses and forces each contestant to work harder. … St. Louis has plenty of competition from places like Dallas, which already has cargo flights from China.

In a high-stakes opportunity like this one, a region that can get its act together stands a better chance than a region that's forced to compete with itself.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/columnists.nsf/davidnicklaus/story/1975F8FC95CA890086257740001ACFA6?OpenDocument

4.0 Planning group has concerns about transportation tax

Gainesville Times - Gainesville, GA, USA

An area planning group raised concerns Tuesday about the state’s new plan for a penny sales tax for transportation.

With other 1-cent programs, “the cities and the county do not think they’re getting their fair share back,” said Srikanth Yamala, transportation planning manager for the Gainesville-Hall County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

And they don’t want a repeat of that “if this (transportation tax) should pass,” he said at Tuesday’s meeting of the MPO’s policy committee.

Mike Miller, interim Flowery Branch mayor, said, “If (the state revenue department) can’t keep up with our tax dollars, why we are going to start giving them another penny ... if we don’t know where it’s going to go?”

Yamala gave a presentation to the committee about the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 passed this session by the Georgia legislature.

The law would allow voters statewide to decide ultimately whether to add a penny sales tax to pay for transportation and transit improvements, from new roads to maintenance and operation.

But there are steps leading to that vote set to occur during the 2012 presidential primary.

The law has created 12 districts throughout the state based on a map of the regional commissions, with Hall belonging to the 13-county Georgia Mountains Regional Commission.

Two representatives from each of the 13 counties in the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission now must form a regional transportation roundtable.

That group must hold its first meeting after Nov. 15, Yamala said.

The measure would pass with a majority vote districtwide, meaning that larger counties such as Hall and Forsyth could hold sway on the vote.

However, the 26 members of the Northeast Georgia roundtable need to reach consensus on the final project list.

And “if by October 2011, the final list is not approved by the roundtable, a ‘district gridlock’ will be declared ... and we can’t call for another vote for two years,” Yamala said.

...

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/34104/

4.1 Transportation referendum: To make progress, make a connection

Atlanta Journal Constitution - Atlanta, GA, USA

Atlanta Forward / The Editorial Board's Opinion: For voters to say yes in 2012 to a transportation tax, we must shelve our county rivalries and see regionalism as the path to mobility.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and the Atlanta region took a large step forward last week with the signing into law of hard-won legislation that grants regions the right to tax themselves to pay for transportation improvements.

Gov. Sonny Perdue’s signature on HB 277 gives the mobility-challenged Atlanta area a path toward making significant, but not all-encompassing, headway toward improving some of our transportation headaches.

Making that really happen will require hard thinking and political courage. Planners and far-flung local governments must now think and act as a cohesive region if we are to bring our dreams of congestion relief to fruition. We must shelve the rivalries and hyper-local vision that’s to be expected in a mega-area that spans 28 counties by the broadest measure.

Instead, we must see regionalism as the only real way to both improve transportation here and as the best avenue toward obtaining the most benefit from the precious tax dollars that will begin to flow our way if voters say yes in 2012, as we believe they must.

What will a truly regional transportation approach look like here? That’s the question that agencies ranging from MARTA and its peers to the Atlanta Regional Commission and county governments are required to address in coming months. In reality, that means figuring out how to blend or, at minimum, better coordinate the current mishmash of MARTA, GRTA and county transit systems.

...

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/transportation-referendum-to-make-542255.html

5. Business Group Changes Name, Announces New Leadership

InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report - IN

The Board of Directors of Northeast Indiana Corporate Council (NICC) voted today to change its name to the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana (Regional Chamber) … expanded mission, the Regional Chamber will focus its efforts on advocating matters effecting business in the ten-county region of Northeast Indiana.

Mike Kubacki, past Chair of the NICC, pointed to the reorganization as the next logical step in the development of a business organization with its roots dating back to 1980. “Since its inception, the Corporate Council has focused its efforts on various initiatives designed to enhance the economic vitality of Northeast Indiana,” said Kubacki. “The need for sustained regional advocacy has now emerged as a critical issue in Northeast Indiana and the Regional Chamber is the right organization to lead this charge. Our focus on regionalism harnesses the power of collaboration to raise the level of the economic sea that supports all of the region’s citizens.”

To advance the region's economy, business interests need to speak with a unified voice. The Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana will be that voice with the ability to help shape public policy promoting an environment conducive to economic growth throughout Northeast Indiana.

Busse noted that through collaboration with local Chambers and alignment with Vision 2020, the Regional Chamber will not duplicate efforts of existing organizations, but will centralize the advocacy role throughout the region enhancing the effectiveness of all Chambers. “For this collaborative effort to be effective, we must organize, elevate, and focus the resources available to advocate our position, Busse said. “The Regional Chamber will not undertake the functions of local Chambers within the region. It is intended to complement their local efforts and serve as their collective advocate for all business issues that have a regional impact. It gives them a stronger voice.”

The Regional Chamber will augment and enhance the activities of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and its regional economic development mission. As the planning from Vision 2020 emerges and begins to take shape, the Regional Chamber will play a key role in advocating and promoting its strategies, and working to create a highly conducive environment for sustained regional economic growth.

...

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=41976

Vision for Northeast Indiana http://www.northeastindianavision.com/

RCs:

Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (3B) - Adams, Allen, De Kalb, Wells - http://www.nircc.com/

Region III-A Economic Development District & Regional Planning Commission (3A) - Huntington, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, Whitley - http://www.region3a.org/

Region 5 – Wabash -

6. Challenges for Change - Thank You!

Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission Blog

Thank you to all of the Commissioners, Selectboard members, Planning Commission members, Municipal Managers and Administrators, and Municipal Planners who contacted our legislators to support regional and municipal planning recently. Your efforts were highly effective in achieving a positive outcome in the legislative process.

As one of the last acts before adjourning, the Legislature passed Challenges for Change. This law sets expectations for a new way of providing government services that strive to achieve savings by focusing on performance and outcomes.

Funding for RPCs, though reduced, will continue to be allocated based upon a fair and transparent funding rule intended to increase accountability and foster efficiency. In addition, each RPC will be required to respond to regional needs and increase coordination with other regional groups.

The beginning of this process was frustrating as directives to merge and consolidate with regional development corporations were put forth as the only answer. This was done without input from the affected agencies and their constituents, or a recognition that our statutory responsibilities are very different. RPCs were consistent in our testimony that innovation in regional planning and community/ economic development can and should happen in a more deliberate and thoughtful manner. Your voices provided the perfect harmony to this chorus.

CVRPC also appreciates the leadership and involvement of many members of our region’s House and Senate during the process. It is through their thoughtful engagement that the legislative process evolved to consider a broader approach to this Challenge.

...

http://cvrpc.blogspot.com/2010/05/challenges-for-change-thank-you.html

7. More collaboration on regionalism is needed: Chagrin Solon Sun editorial

Chagrin Solon Sun - Cleveland, OH, USA

Hudson Mayor William A. Currin made a bold statement to Shaker Heights City Council two weeks ago, a statement that needs to reverberate in every City Hall throughout the region. “Regions are the economic development engine of the 21st century — cities are irrelevant,” said Currin, who is a member of the Northeast Ohio Regional Prosperity Initiative.

Taken at face value, Currin’s statement would indicate all geographic boundaries between Cleveland’s suburbs should be erased and all of Cuyahoga County should become one city — Cleveland. In time, that could happen, especially if more prominent people begin to think along the same lines. However, that is hardly the only aspect to regionalism.

Many things can be done now to push regionalism. We are seeing much of that either in place already or taking form. Several communities have joined purchasing consortiums that allow them to get better deals on road salt and municipal vehicles, among other things. Police departments in University Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid and Euclid are going to start a joint SWAT team and possibly create a combined narcotics unit down the road. Solon last week reached a joint economic accord with Twinsburg that will keep the cities from poaching each others’ businesses. Pepper Pike, Orange, Moreland Hills and Hunting Valley started discussions about merging some city services, until Pepper Pike had to pull out of a potential grant because of its financial woes.

What Currin is pushing goes even deeper, however. He is seeking large-scale collaboration among communities, such as through a “new-growth” tax base sharing initiative that would reward the entire region if an existing company expands its operations within the region or a new company decides to open up shop in the region. It makes sense in the fact that …

http://www.cleveland.com/chagrinsolonsun/index.ssf/2010/05/more_collaboration_on_regional.html

8. D/FW to test fly new marketing campaign

Fort Worth Business Press - Forth Worth, TX, USA

Citing ‘changing times’ Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport planners are preparing to launch an international marketing program to boost the visibility and reputation of North Texas throughout the world.

A group made up of D/FW Airport staff, the mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth and members of local chambers of commerce and convention and visitors bureaus is meeting regularly to come up with a game plan to launch the international marketing campaign for the airport. … a new focus on international marketing is “very important from the airport’s point of view.”

“One of our primary missions is to add and to retain international air service and to the degree we are successful in our tourism efforts,” he said. “That creates demand, which helps to support our services.”

Though in the early planning stages, Ritter said the group ultimately plans to work together with area convention and visitors bureaus in cities like Grapevine, Irving and Arlington to create a program value that is more inclusive of the region, but “we thought we had better start with our owner cities and stakeholder cities and work outward.”

Ritter said the marketing campaign involves building a regional strategy – a unified presentation of North Texas versus the segregated Dallas and Fort Worth areas and it will likely include marketing attributes like a logo or a slogan. …

“We’re looking at things like ‘what should our regional brand look like? Are we D/FW? Are we the Metroplex?’” Ritter said. “We present a confused identity to the world of who we are and that’s what we’re trying to work on. For this region to be truly successful, everyone knows we have to pool our resources to successfully market ourselves and I feel like everyone is in agreement on that.”

...

http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=12673

9.0 UMass study suggests regionalization of some services, in the interest of efficiency - The Martha's Vineyard Times - Vineyard Haven, MA, USA

… report prepared for the Martha's Vineyard Commission and the Dukes County government and entitled "Analysis of the Delivery of Public Services on Martha's Vineyard," … University of Massachusetts, Boston.

"The Island's six towns each reflect a distinct character, not only physically in their buildings and environment, but also in the ways they are administered," the researchers find, using fiscal 2008 and 2009 expense figures as the base data for their study.

But, despite its six separate, sovereign governments — seven if you include the county — the researchers document ways in which the towns work together. "At the same time, the Island has many Islandwide or other shared arrangements for providing services or dealing with issues. In many cases, these reflect particular Vineyard solutions to such Islandwide issues as land development (Martha's Vineyard Commission), protection of open space (MV Land Bank), gaps in health care services (Dukes County Health Council), solid waste disposal (MV Refuse District), public transportation (Vineyard Transit Authority), and affordable housing (Dukes County Regional Housing Authority)."

… researchers found that delivery of these services has been under budget and staffing pressure during the economic downturn of the last three years, and that the health of the Vineyard economy will affect judgments about regional cooperation. "Based on interviews with municipal staff," the researchers write, "both appropriations and staff have realized continued reductions since these fiscal periods [FY08 and 09] and have been exacerbated by the recent economic recession. Any further analysis of service level optimization should consider the current and projected future economic conditions on Martha's Vineyard, particularly in view of its geography, seasonal population, and demand for a high level of service to its seasonal visitors."

… researchers suggest attention should be paid to the possible "inter-municipal or regional" organization of financial, inspection, public safety, and elementary education services.

...

http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/article.php?id=993

9.1 At Large: Regionalization is a people to people business

Martha's Vineyard Times - Vineyard Haven, MA, USA

Helping one another, at the family, social, and municipal levels, is understood and practiced, almost flawlessly, on Martha's Vineyard. … Town boundaries do not hinder neighborly impulses. One cannot argue that all of this occurs with seamless, economic efficiency, but acting as one Island community in all these ways is something of which we are proud. We understand how cooperation works, we count on it, and we do it.

Watching since the early 1970s the repeated public debates over expanding the limited, informal, and ad hoc regional structure, this editor's best judgment is that the attitude that has predominated among Islanders has been skepticism. …

Why is that? At its core, the antipathy for structural regional solutions to problems that cross town boundaries arises from pure, democratic common sense. Voters and taxpayers believe they have the best chance to control public agencies that are closest to them. ...

Town governments are also important economic forces. Their payrolls and benefits support families. …

As we reported last week, the six towns spend nearly $70 million to support municipal and regional services today, including education. The University of Massachusetts report on the delivery of municipal and regional services highlighted possible regionalization opportunities. But the report was wisely modest in its suggestions, … And that makes eminent good sense, because keeping the people who administer regional spending on a short tether is smart. The annual discussion of town budgets, tax rates, and property values confirms voters' understanding of how government works best. They like having the last and most important say.

Plus, we know that roughly half of all the money spent at each spring town meeting will be paid by property owners who don't live here year-round and contribute little demand for government services.

...

http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/article.php?id=1063

10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.

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. Contents

.01 IJIS Institute Partners with National Association of Regional Councils

PRLog Press Release - USA

he IJIS Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission-critical information sharing for justice, public safety, and homeland security, welcomes the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC.org) as its newest Alliance Partner. NARC serves as the national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve American communities - large and small, urban and rural. NARC membership includes: regional councils; region-wide associations of local governments -- councils of government; regional planning and development agencies; and metropolitan planning organizations. ... The IJIS Institute relies heavily on partnerships with key practitioner organizations, national associations, other nonprofit organizations, and universities in its effort to harness the expertise of industry in working toward improved information sharing between organizations involved in justice, public safety, and homeland security. The members of the IJIS Institute’s Alliance Partner program are organizations that share the belief that information sharing is a national priority and the conviction to work together in partnerships to address this national need.

...

http://www.prlog.org/10726994-ijis-institute-partners-with-national-association-of-regional-councils.html

.02 City gives initial OK to nixing impact fees

The Coloradoan - Fort Collins, CO, USA

New housing in Fort Collins no longer will help pay for new libraries. The Fort Collins City Council last week gave initial approval to a pair of ordinances that would do away with impact fees charged on new residential development to support the expansion of the local library system. Mayor pro tem Kelly Ohlson said he believes in charging impact fees, but said it would be "goofy" for Fort Collins to charge fees to support the library district and other regional efforts if other entities aren't willing to do the same. Some local governments appear reluctant to "walk the talk" of regionalism, he said. "It's unfortunate," he said. "Impact fees, when used appropriately, are a very good tool to fund growing areas and infrastructure, but we shouldn't be the only player." The city has charged a library expansion fee since 1996 at an average cost of $400 per house. Expansion fees paid for the construction of the $6 million Council Tree Library that opened in 2009. … In March, the county commissioners said they were not interested in imposing an impact fee on residential development.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100607/NEWS01/6070313/City-gives-initial-OK-to-nixing-impact-fees

.03 Conference seeks solutions

The Observer - Dunkirk, NY, USA

To build healthy neighborhoods, a city needs more than federal or state funding, more than feasibility studies or urban design plans. A city needs proud residents who are confident their neighborhood's future is bright. It needs fresh-thinking and creative leaders who are willing to make tough decisions. That was the message from Charles Buki, a prominent leader in neighborhood revitalization and the author of the city of Jamestown's neighborhood design plan, as he set the tone at a conference hosted by SUNY Fredonia's Center for Regional Advancement. ... Buki challenged the leaders and activists in the room to find the courage to make the difficult decisions that revitalization requires - to find region's strengths and to distribute investment wisely. ... While idea-sharing and conversations are essential, action is just as necessary. Chuck Cornell, director of the Center for Regional Advancement, hopes the talks will result in a new push to build confidence and strengthen housing markets. "This is a regional issue. It's not just Dunkirk or Jamestown or the village of Brocton or somewhere else. It's about all of the Northeast, where we have some weak markets," Cornell said. "My hope is to come out of here with some ideas and solutions to inspire people to organize and to make their markets stronger and healthier." At the end of the conference, Congressman Brian Higgins, D-South Buffalo, spoke about reinventing the regional economy. Western New York needs to embrace change and welcome innovation in order to make its neighborhoods healthy again, he said. …

http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/540902.html?nav=5047

.04 Despite Recession, U.S. Entrepreneurial Activity Rises in 2009 to Highest Rate in 14 Years, Kauffman Study Shows

Kauffman.org - News Release

... "Entrepreneurial activity rates follow strong geographical patterns,"said Robert W. Fairlie, the study's author and director of the master's program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz. "Entrepreneurial activity generally is highest in western and southern states, and lowest in the Midwestern and northeastern states." Other key findings for 2009 include: ... * Although the western states continued to have the highest rates of entrepreneurial activity, this region saw a sharp decline from 0.42 percent in 2008 to 0.38 percent in 2009. Business-creation rates increased in the Midwest and South. * Among the United States' fifteen largest metropolitan statistical areas, Houston had the highest entrepreneurial rate (0.63 percent) in 2009. Seattle had the lowest rate (0.16 percent). ...

http://www.kauffman.org/newsroom/despite-recession-us-entrepreneurial-activity-rate-rises-in-2009.aspx

.05 Regional Well-Being Report ranks Ulster tops, Dutchess No. 2

Daily Freeman - Kingston, NY, USA

Ulster and Dutchess counties ranked highest in a Regional Well-Being Report issued on Wednesday by a brain trust of 43 academics, business leaders, environmentalists, government representatives and community activists, K.T. Tobin Flusser, assistant director of the group — known collectively as the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach —said the 70-page report was released to help communities in Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan and Orange counties measure how local residents are being affected by the economy, education, the environment, community programs, local government, health concerns, the arts, culture and safety. “The first goal was that we would be able to identify shared values for the region and then find a way to measure regional well-being,” Flusser said after the report was presented at SUNY New Paltz. Using a scale of 1 to 100, the report gave Ulster County an overall well-being score of 57, followed by Dutchess with a score of 51, Orange with 46 and Sullivan with 41. The four-county region as a whole scored a 50. … “We’re thinking that later this year, we’re going to do one on environment, and early next year, one on governance.” The study was funded with a $286,000 U.S. Department of Education grant.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/06/03/news/doc4c0738cd1b5c0130478571.txt

.06 COPS To Revitalize Regional Community Policing Institutes

TheCrimeReport.org - USA

Bernard Melekian, director of the federal Community Oriented Policing Services office (COPS), is doing a lot of traveling in his first year on the job. “I will go to any place that wants me, and maybe some places that didn’t realize they wanted me,” he tells MainJustice.com. COPS is holding “emerging issues” forum. The first was on procedural justice, and others will include “values based policing, or about the development of our regional community policing institutes, which were very successful back in the 90s and then sort of dwindled over the years. One of my goals is to revitalize them and bring them back,” Melekian says. The COPS director will fund a series of workshops with the Police Executive Research Forum on the deployment of tasers by local law enforcement agencies. He also vows to ”build a stronger connection between law enforcement and academics to study best practices.”

http://thecrimereport.org/2010/06/05/cops-to-revitalize-regional-community-policing-institutes/

.07 Monongahela rejects regional initiative after much debate

Monessen Valley Independent - Monessen, PA, USA

Monongahela Council rejected a resolution in support of the Smart Government Initiative out of fears of potential financial burdens to the city. But the decision did not come without some debate. At a Wednesday meeting, council was asked to support the initiative, which is a cooperative study of local municipalities into possible regionalization of services. Those services include police protection, garbage collection, sewerage, code enforcement and zoning. The initiative, supported by Mon Valley Progress Council in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the consultant firm PA Fortunes, is in its early stages. The resolution the city was asked to support merely called for the city to appoint a representative to the Smart Government Initiative Municipal Services Cooperative Committee and to participate in meetings.

...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_685389.html

.08 Officials heading to capital for STAR bill

Mt. Vernon Register-News - Mt. Veron, IL, USA

... Mayor Mary Jane Chesley said from the city’s point of view, no one wants to deny Marion the destination development, but instead, wants to promote “true regionalism” when it comes to hotels/motels, restaurants and retail development. “It’s about competitive business and it’s regionalism,” Chesley explained. “That will be good for both communities and the counties they reside in for the creation of jobs. This is about retail, hotels, motels and restaurants, because we have 600 acres out there for potential growth and development. I don’t have a problem with Marion and STAR bonding. Good for them. They brought the idea in. The problem I have is, level the playing field and allow Mt. Vernon to have that incentive also. That would create that corridor between Marion and Mt. Vernon for economic development. That’s the message I’m taking (to Springfield).” And, that’s the message Neibert said senators need to hear. “By having citizens talk to them, it shows community-based support for our effort and shows it’s not just about political entities,” Neibert said. “It shows support.” Chesley said she has been looking at unemployment rates for the last several months, and although this month Mt. Vernon and Marion have the same rate, that hasn’t been true in the most recent past. “Ours, in the past few months, have been higher,” Chesley said. “When you look at that, you can see a need for this incentive, not just for one site specific district, but for the region, Mt. Vernon included. That would help the northern counties like Jefferson, Marion, Clinton and Wayne.” ...

http://register-news.com/local/x2023219148/Officials-heading-to-capital-for-STAR-bill

.09 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce set to target a thriving downtown Miami during 2010 goals conference - Miami Today - Miami, FL, USA

With another tumultuous year in Miami's rearview mirror, business leaders will once again look to craft a plan for the coming year tomorrow (6/4) at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's annual goals conference. … "What is continuing is our focus on our current body of work," Ms. Alonso said. "The majority of our issues are those that have long-term importance for our community and also take several years." But she'll also have her own areas to focus on. "Education, New World Center, having a thriving downtown, will continue to be important," she said. And "I think collaboration with our partners will continue to be a theme, whether that be the Florida chamber, the Beacon Council, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors, the United Way and others." … … Advocacy and efforts toward promoting regionalism for the good of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, she added, have been and will continue to be on the bill.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/100603/story2.shtml

.10 Making The Case For Regionalism

WCPN - Cleveland, OH, USA

What if one day Cleveland and Cuyahoga County combined into a single government? That style of regionalism has occurred in a few places, including Nashville, Tennessee. Bill Purcell was mayor of merged Nashville and Davidson County for two terms. He's now Director of Harvard's Institute of Politics and he is speaking in Northeast Ohio about regionalism and the Nashville experience. He spoke with ideastream®'s Eric Wellman.

http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/31047

.11 Research investment may boost high-wage jobs

Sioux Falls Argus Leader - Sioux Falls, SD, USA

South Dakota lags behind other states in creating research opportunities that can propel economic development. The state is 49th in receiving federal research dollars and has one of the nation's lowest percentages of people with advanced degrees. That dire assessment has spurred a group of government agencies in the region and development groups in Sioux Falls, Watertown and Yankton to find ways to close the gap. The I-29 Regional Development Coalition commissioned a consultant to recommend ways to develop a research corridor from Brookings to Vermillion and Yankton. Every state with an eye toward attracting top-notch researchers - who bring federal grant funding with them - are developing such corridors. The hope is that such research will create high-wage jobs. ... "We are 20 years behind," said Mel Ustad, director of commercialization in the Governor's office of economic development. ...

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100613/NEWS/6130301/1001/news

.12 RDA and airport zero in on project manager

nwi.com, Munster, IN, USA

The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority may consider hiring a project manager as early as Thursday to oversee its $90 million expansion project, after construction consultants were quietly solicited two weeks ago. Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority Executive Director Bill Hanna confirmed Monday a joint RDA/airport task force will interview two firms the day before Thursday's monthly airport authority meeting. …

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/article_69908ee5-d3c2-5395-8ec1-7d0d70af814e.html

.13 La Salle County helicopter would be cost-free

The Times - Ottawa, IL, USA

If the helicopter Sheriff Tom Templeton wants to bring to La Salle County costs what it cost Stephenson County for a helicopter, the expense to La Salle County will be... nothing. Since 2007, Stephenson County has been the sponsor of a surplus military Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter for the Law Enforcement Aviation Coalition. On Monday, June 14, the La Salle County Board will vote on whether it will sponsor a duplicate helicopter through the same agency. The county's role will be to sponsor the helicopter, not pay for it, said Sheriff Dave Snyders of Stephenson County in far northwest Illinois. ... Templeton said sheriffs in other nearby counties he has polled "are very happy with the prospect there would be something like this so close." It is an example of the "regionalization of services" that will become increasingly important for controlling expenses, Templeton said ...

http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=405840

.14 Ga. Tech to study Aerotropolis health impact

Atlanta Business Chronicle - Atlanta, GA, USA

Georgia Tech’s Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) won a $143,747 grant to investigate the health impact of the planned Aerotropolis Atlanta in Hapeville. The grant comes from the Health Impact Project, which is a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. CQGRD researchers will evaluate the potential health consequences of the plans to convert the 122-acre site of the former Ford Assembly Plant into a 6.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development that will include office, hotel, shopping, and an airport parking business center. … The final report is expected to be ready in June 2011.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/06/07/daily13.html

.15 New Elevation Inventory for the Great Lakes

Geo Community Spatial News - Niceville, FL, USA

A comprehensive inventory of elevation data sets for the Great Lakes is now available from the NOAA Coastal Services Center. This /Topographic and Bathymetric Data Inventory/ is focused on best-available datasets and is accessed through an online, interactive viewer that displays the extent of data, helpful information about data set quality, and a link to download the data or a Point of Contact to access the data. The inventory can be used to identify existing data sets or strategically target areas for collection to fill data gaps. The inventory includes publicly available data from states, counties, cities, regional governance, NOAA, USGS, USACE, and FEMA and was funded by the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Explore the site at www.csc.noaa.gov/topobathy/

http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/dailynews/2010/jun/09/news6.html

11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents

.01 Coalition announces plans to abolish Regional Development Agencies

Telegraph.co.uk

The scrapping of the controversial quangos set up by Labour is expected to save up to £2.3 billion a year. Eric Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, will say that all nine RDAs will go as part of Coalition plans to streamline government and find big efficiency savings. The measure comes ahead of an emergency Budget statement by the Chancellor later this month in which more spending cuts are to be unveiled. RDAs were set up in 1999 to improve the economic competitiveness of nine English regions and were intended to replace the much derided Regional Assemblies set up by John Prescott. ... Dozens of other quangos with remits from housing to the arts are also earmarked for the scrap-heap with announcements planned over the coming weeks. ... Instead of RDAs, ministers will say they are creating Local Enterprise Partnerships using facilities at existing councils instead to promote local economic development. In its manifesto, the Conservative Party said that it would give councils and firms the power to form business-led enterprise partnerships. In March, the then shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said of the agencies: "As they stand (now), they will go. If, in the unlikely event that some localities want something on that regional scale, they can have it, because we are going to allow local leadership to say what structure they'd like." Vince Cable, who is responsible for the RDAs in his role as Business Secretary, voiced a tough line on the agencies. In a document published last September setting out his proposals for cutting the budget deficit, he said that abolishing the agencies would save £2.3 billion a year. "Some (of the RDAs') funds could be reallocated to local authorities, but there should still be scope for large savings," the document said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7823449/Coalition-announces-plans-to-abolish-Regional-Development-Agencies.html

.02 Scrapping regional development targets is bad for South West

ThisIsSomerset.co.uk

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has written to all local planning authorities stating that the coalition will abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), which set out regional targets for all types of development including housing across the UK. The decision should come as no surprise as it is well known that both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats want to return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils so they can decide how many homes should be built in their areas. Here in the South West, the decision is particularly damaging. Before the election, all regions other than the South West had a Regional Spatial Strategy so we have been operating for too long without a firm strategic policy in place to guide development. To make matters worse, in his letter, Eric Pickles has not said what, if anything, will replace the RSS and he's given no timescales about when new proposals will be announced. This will only serve to prolong the uncertainty in the development industry. There is a real and urgent concern in the industry that, without higher level guidance, nimby-ism will run riot and that, if it is left up to local councils to decide where new housing should be built, there will be a severe reduction in the availability of development land which will ultimately push house prices up, affecting affordability. The reality of the situation is that official forecasts have shown that the UK needs an extra three million new homes by 2016. The new coalition does not dispute the scale of housing need. ...

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Scrapping-regional-development-targets-bad-South-West/article-2298806-detail/article.html

.03 City and rural Tories divided over future of regional government

The Birmingham Post - Birmingham, UK

Conservatives are split over the future of West Midlands regional government, with a damaging rift developing between cities and shires. Tories in Birmingham and the Black Country want to abolish or scale back dramatically the West Midlands Leaders’ Board – a quango which gives a voice to the region’s 33 councils. They argue that the board, which employs 35 people and costs £2.3 million a year to run, has achieved little and is a waste of money. But Conservatives representing shire and district councils say the board is their only collective voice to Whitehall and should remain in place at least until the future of local government, city regions and regional development agencies becomes clear. The dispute is the latest instalment in a 36-year row that has bubbled away since local government reorganisation in 1974. At stake is the matter of how a region as disconnected as the West Midlands – taking in the Birmingham conurbation, Coventry to the east and the outlying counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire – can best work together as a single entity.

http://www.birminghampost.net/news/politics-news/2010/06/11/city-and-rural-tories-divided-over-future-of-regional-government-65233-26636461/

.04 Hull Forward development company to close after cuts

BBC News - UK

Ian McIntosh, chairman of Hull Forward, said it had been hit by public sector spending cuts and was planning to close operations on 30 September. The regional development company was set up in April 2008. Mr McIntosh said he was disappointed but "proud of the significant achievements made by our dedicated, professional and passionate team". In a statement, the company said: "Yorkshire Forward and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have reluctantly confirmed that there will be no funding towards the running of Hull Forward beyond 30 September following significant public sector funding cuts across the country. "Hull City Council has indicated that a similar position is likely. This means that without funding, the company will be obliged to cease operations at this time with a full closure expected by the end of the calendar year." ... Mr McIntosh said he hoped some of Hull Forward's planned projects could continue with funding from Hull City Council, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward or the HCA. …

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/humberside/10271632.stm

.05 Grants levered in six times as much private money, says NWDA

Crain's Manchester Business - Manchester, UK

The Northwest Regional Development Agency claims that every £1 handed out under the Grants for Business Investment (GBI) scheme has levered in more than £6 in private capital investment. In the 2009/10 financial year, the agency gave grants of £12.9m to 61 North West companies. The projects also saw £81.8m in capital investment and are forecast to create 1,199 jobs and safeguard 817 jobs. In total 125 applications for GBI were received. ...

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/article/20100609/FREE/100609892/1053

.06 Two interconnected summits in Vilnius

The Baltic Times -

For the first time, the summit of members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and the Baltic Development Forum, were held simultaneously in the same city, i.e. in Vilnius on June 1-2. Both summits were interconnected: the president of the European Commission, as well as heads of delegations from the Baltics, Scandinavia and Germany visited both forums. ... They also discussed implementation of the EU’s Baltic Sea Strategy, which was adopted by the European Commission on June 10, 2009. So far, this EU region, together with its neighboring non-EU states, is the only region of Europe having such a special EU-developed strategy. It gives some advantage over the rest of the EU in branding the region’s name and developing the region’s identity. Now, the EU is discussing a similar strategy for the Danube region. ... Latvian Prime Minister Dombrovskis spoke about the necessity of further integration in the region. “The more integrated the Baltic states are, the more integrated they will be with the Nordic countries. There is a need to remove the barriers in the Baltic region. It still took Brussels to dismantle borders between the Baltic states - they could not do it on their own. ...

http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/26385/

.07 Presidential panel suggests electoral system reform to ease regionalism

Yonhap News Agency - Seoul, Korea

A presidential advisory panel on Tuesday proposed a change in South Korea's electoral system to tackle deep-rooted regionalism, saying it is one of the biggest obstacles to social integration in the ideologically divided nation. "Regionalism-based political conflict is mainly attributable to a party monopoly of a region. It is urgent to modify the current election system," the Presidential Committee on Social Cohesion said in a report to President Lee Myung-bak. The committee, led by former Prime Minister Goh Kun, said shifting the single-member district electoral system to a multi-member system can be an alternative. It would allow voters to choose multiple candidates in a larger electoral district, reducing the number of dead votes. The local elections last week showed that regionalism prevails in South Korean politics, despite some signs of abating. ...

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/06/08/81/0301000000AEN20100608003700315F.HTML

.08 Remarks by State Councilor Dai Bingguo at the Third Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia

MFA China - Press Release

It is a great pleasure to join you at the Third Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) [http://www.s-cica.org/page.php?lang=1 ] in the beautiful city of Istanbul as the Special Representative of President Hu Jintao. Let me extend to Turkey warm congratulations on assuming the CICA chairmanship and sincere thanks for its careful preparations and thoughtful arrangements for the successful convocation of the Summit. I would like to especially convey, the cordial greetings and good wishes form President HU Jintao to all the leaders present here today. Eighteen years ago, shortly after the nearly half-a–century long Cold War came to the end, President Nazarbayev proposed the idea of CICA in line with the common desire of people in Asia for peace, security and cooperation. Over the 18 years, along with the solid steps of regional development and progress in Asia, CICA, with its member states working hand in hand, has continued to grow and played a unique role as a useful platform for enhancing mutual understanding and confidence among Asian countries, safeguarding regional security and stability, and promoting regional exchanges and cooperation. Since the Second Summit in 2006, ...

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t707236.htm

.09 Yemen pardons 33 journalists

UPI.com

Yemen Tuesday dropped charges against 33 journalists accused of disseminating false information and harming the national unity, authorities said. The journalists were granted amnesty under a presidential pardon, the government Court of Press and Publications said. The journalists had been charged with harming the national unity, inciting regionalism, insulting statutory bodies and disseminating false information to weaken the armed forces, SABA reported. …

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/06/08/Yemen-pardons-33-journalists/UPI-75611276013036/

.10 Di Buchan to stand for regional council; urges young people to vote

Wellington.Scoop - New Zealand

Resource management and community consultant specialist Dianne Buchan has decided to seek election to Greater Wellington regional council and she is urging every resident, especially young people to get out there and vote this election. “Young people have the most to lose from poor environmental choices and have the most to gain from electing a council with strong environmental credentials. The future is theirs. I want to make sure that future is worth having.” ... Given the level of responsibility that regional councils have – the general lack of interest among so many residents in this region about the elections, about who gets elected to look after their interests is a real concern. Despite pressing environmental issues in the Wellington region, voter turn-out is one of the lowest in New Zealand, she said. “I want to use the expertise I have developed in community participation to change this”. ...

http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=25451

.11 Regionalism Becoming a Greater Threat to Moscow than Nationalism, Analyst Says

The Georgian Daily - New York

Ethno-nationalism continues to attract more attention from analysts in both Moscow and the West, but according to one Russian analyst, regionalist movements based on territorial identities may prove to be a far greater threat to the future shape of the Russian Federation. In an essay on the “Svobodnaya pressa” portal yesterday, Anton Razmakhnin assesses the various regionalist movements and their varying strength and concludes that as “the regions ever more loudly demand real autonomy,” Russia might “several years from now cease to exist in its current form” ...

http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18887&Itemid=72

.12 'Troubled' development authority shuts down Seven employees out of work at South Shore agency

TheChronicleHerald.ca – Nova Scotia, CA

All staff members of the South West Shore Development Authority have left the building. The regional development authority stopped operating at 5 p.m. Thursday, said Phil LeBlanc, the board chairman. Seven employees, including executive director Frank Anderson, are no longer working, LeBlanc said Friday. The authority was investigated by Nova Scotia ombudsman Dwight Bishop this year. He examined the authority’s management and administration because public money was involved. A new development authority is now expected to be put in place. ... "We want a (development authority) that’s going to be able to officially and effectively promote economic development for the region. "We’re not going to agree to support (a new development authority) financially unless we are satisfied that . . . prerequisites are met," said Dexter. In the meantime, chief administrative officers from member municipalities will operate as an interim management team. ...

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1186866.html

.13 No European Heritage Label without the regions and cities, stresses the CoR

Press Release - Committee of the Regions - Brussels

Europe is planning to better promote its heritage through a new label. The Committee of the Regions' message is clear: since the financial management of these sites falls mainly to the local and regional authorities, it is incomprehensible that the current Commission proposals foresee no role for them in this process. Mireille Lacombe (FR/PES), Member of Puy-de-Dôme General Council and rapporteur on the label, stressed this point at the Committee's plenary session in Brussels. The new label is expected to come into force no later than 2012. Its aim is to showcase sites that symbolise European integration. … "European regional and local representatives are calling to be included in the national pre-selection process and for the Committee of the Regions to participate in the final selection by appointing a member of the European panel - as is the case for the European capital of culture" confirmed Mireille Lacombe. ...

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=COR/10/47&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

.14 Logan Symposium: Google Public Data Explorer

Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism – FOR A-TV

Ola Rosling co-founded the Gapminder Foundation and led the development of Trendalyzer, a software that converts time series statistics into animated, interactive and comprehensible graphics. The aim of his work is to promote a fact-based world view through increased use and understanding of freely accessible public data. In March 2007, Google acquired the Trendalyzer software, where Rosling and his team are now scaling up their tools and making them freely available for any individual or organization to use for analyzing and visualizing data.

http://fora.tv/2010/04/18/Logan_Symposium_Google_Public_Data_Explorer#fullprogram

12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents

.01 Anchors or Drivers: Institutions in Regional Development

Eco.nomic Architecture

On May 26, 2010 the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City convened a roundtable on Anchor Institutions to help shape the agenda for the 2010 Summit of the Inner City Economic Forum. The Summit this year will focus on where and how jobs will be created in the inner city economy during the next decade. ... role of critical economic development anchors (universities and hospitals). Much of the panel’s discussion focused on the role that universities play in economic development. The concept of the university as an anchor institution reflects the notion that universities are grounded in the region, or at least immobile. Many universities are located in a community but exist apart from it – the classic town and gown divide. However universities have become increasingly engaged in local and regional economic development and have attracted more and more attention from practitioners and policymakers. ... If universities and hospitals are less and less grounded in our communities; if their prosperity has little to do with regional success; then how can they continue to anchor regional development. We need to develop some new models for community-university collaborations that recognizes the university as a driver of growth that is not anchored in the region. If you are interested in reading more about Anchor Institutions, you can see the new report from CEOs for Cities and Living Cities, How to Behave like an Anchor Institution or plan to attend the 2010 Annual Summit.

http://economicarchitecture.gspconsulting.com/2010/06/10/anchors-or-drivers-institutions-in-regional-development/

.02 What Makes Cities Fit

Creative Class

Earlier this week, the American College of Sports Medicine released its new version of the American Fitness Index, which tracks the health and fitness level of America’s 50-largest metropolitan regions. The index is defined as a “composite of preventive health behaviors, levels of chronic disease conditions, health care access, and community resources and policies that support physical activity.” The table … shows the fitness levels for these 50 metros. … Greater Washington, D.C. tops the list (for the third consecutive year) followed by Boston, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Sacramento, San Francisco, Hartford, and Austin. At the opposite side of the spectrum, the least-fit metros were ...

http://www.creativeclass.com/creative_class/2010/06/11/what-makes-cities-fit/

.03 Book Talk and Panel Discussion--Housing Policy and Community Development Corporations

Regional Network - Cleveland+Youngstown+Pittsburgh - Blog

The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University is hosting a Book Talk and Panel Discussion in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. …

the way we deliver affordable housing has evolved over the past 40 years, from a centralized to a highly decentralized networked system of providers. How will this network continue to evolve to deal with the foreclosure crisis, the bursting of the housing bubble, the restructuring of financial markets, and the “new HUD?” … This is a free forum. …

http://regionallearningnetwork.org/2010/06/book-talk-and-panel-discussion-housing-policy-and-community-development-corporations/

.04 A Special Month

Orange Regional CEO Blog

Last month was special for our organization. It was filled with honors and recognitions, celebrations and festivities. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who supported all the activities and took time to honor those who we spotlighted for excellence in quality care, length of service, dedication to their profession, outstanding leadership and commitment to the healthcare field. ... These acknowledgements highlight some of our proudest moments because it means that members of our hospital family are committed to delivering excellent healthcare to our community. Dedicated to and passionate about the delivery of quality care to our patients means that Orange Regional moves closer to being the “provider of choice” for our community, the “employer of choice” for our staff and the “workplace of choice” for our doctors.

http://orangeregionalceo.blogspot.com/2010/06/special-month.html

.05 Would someone with a major in ” City, Community, and Regional Planning” be able to get a job in Architecture?

Greener Living Online

this is what it says about City, Community, and Regional Planning at collegeboard.com; You may have heard of the term urban sprawl. Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled growth of cities and suburbs. The typical results: traffic congestion, a lack of green or open spaces, poorly designed or nonexistent public transportation, and unhappy residents. City, community, and regional planners address urban sprawl and other problems that communities face, such as pollution. Planning majors learn about the principles of architectural design and how to use them to create communities in which people are proud to work and live. They explore such topics as affordable housing, public transportation, land use and zoning, economics, аnd environmentally friendly buildings.

http://greenerlivingonline.com/would-someone-with-a-major-in-city-community-and-regional-planning-be-able-to-get-a-job-in-architecture.html

.06 Community Updates from the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham

Your Town Alabama Blog

16th Street Corridor Study and Conceptual Streetscape Plan

The RPCGB and the Fountain Heights Neighborhood Association presented the 16th Street Corridor Study and Conceptual Streetscape Plan to the City of Birmingham Planning Commission and City Council. The City of Birmingham Planning Commission adopted the 16th Street Corridor Study and Conceptual Streetscape Plan on May 5th, 2010. The City of Birmingham City Council adopted the 16th Street Corridor Study and Conceptual Streetscape Plan on May 11th, 2010. The Fountain Heights Neighborhood Association and the City of Birmingham have requested assistance from the Regional Planning Commission through the Building Communities Program to complete this study. For additional information please contact Richard Amore, Senior Planner with the RPCGB at ramore@rpcgb.org.

http://www.yourtownalabama.org/blog/2010/06/community-updates-from-the-reg-3.html

.07 Challenges in multi-regional modelling projects

ARIS BPM Community

... Dr. Jung of Deutsche Post DHL presents his experiences of multi-regional modelling projects. DHL is a big German logistics company. It doesn't just provide mail items, but also global forwarding of freight and supply chain management. Interestingly, and I didn't knew that before, DHL doesn't own any planes or ships, but just take care of organising the transports. The nature of DHL creates challenges for multi-regional modelling projects like global teams with different cultures and needs. The overall goal of their effort was establishing global standards for business processes. Of course they wanted to harmonize their processes, but also their enterprise architecture and the way they interact with customers. ... They had 3 modelling teams located in North America, Europe and Asia. Each modelling team was responsible for modelling a set of key scenarios. After 6 months they integrated the models created, reworking them several times so that they are not just applicable for operations in the region they were created in. Here, it was a challenge to schedule joint phone conference due to the different time zones. ...

http://www.ariscommunity.com/users/sstein/2010-06-09-challenges-multi-regional-modelling-projects

.08 Russia: Mapping Top Bloggers and Regional Communities

GlobalVoicesonline.org

The Russian regional blogosphere as well as discussion boards are often ignored. Authors from Moscow and Saint Petersburg represent the blogger majority, but they aren’t the only ones. With the expansion of the broadband, more and more bloggers from the Russian regions start their blogs, form online communities, and foster their own leaders. ... Regional LiveJournal communities are vast. We have found at least 767 active communities (it means that someone has posted in them during the last 4 weeks) with an overall audience of at least 57,700 users (although, according to the observations, the audience of the LiveJournal communities is usually bigger than the number of subscribed users). On the average, every large Russian city has 8 active LiveJournal communities. Cities with the population of over 1 million residents have the average of 32 communities. The average number of subscribers is 3,400 there, while in the smaller cities both the diversity of communities and their audience are much smaller. ...

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/06/04/russia-mapping-top-bloggers-and-regional-communities/

.09 Posting for Community Housing Association of DuPage: Executive Director

Bridgestar.org

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director has overall strategic and operational responsibility for CHAD’s staff, programs, expansion and execution of its mission and provides direction and leadership toward the achievement of CHAD’s philosophy, mission, strategic goals and objectives. The Executive Director is required to provide overall leadership in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of all CHAD properties and programs. The Director represents the organization in the local and regional community and promotes the organization and its mission to secure funding for program expansion and ongoing program sustainability. Additionally, this individual provides guidance and direction to their direct staff including the Housing Director, the Maintenance team, the Controller, and Resource Development. ... Posting Expiration: 8/2/2010

http://www.bridgestar.org/MyCareerCenter/PositionDetails.aspx?jobId=7032

.10 Cooperation

Goodosphere - Good Things Happen

... the underpinning of any good cooperative effort is the principle that two or more partners can achieve greater results together than they could alone. Normally, it’s rare that government agencies or corporate giants engage in this sort of thing. But recently, they’ve been doing just that. ... Today, there are many reasons to cooperate. With a tough economic climate and increasingly entrenched political divisions, cooperation might be a necessity for institutions hoping to weather the storm. At the end of the day though, cooperation carries emotional benefits too- at the intersection of teamwork and togetherness is a powerful force of good.

http://blog.goodosphere.com/?p=1410

13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents

.01 Transform Government by Consolidating and Delivering Services More Efficiently for Taxpayers - LGI Issues Report – Madison, WI, USA

The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin (LGI), a collaboration of the associations representing the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Alliance of Cities, released the results of the study today, A Roadmap for Government Transformation.

The study is intended to build upon the work of and take to implementation the results of other commissions and task forces organized over the past decades to make recommendations for streamlining local government.

Key findings include:

Wisconsin has a history of successful intergovernmental cooperation for service delivery where necessity, convenience or regulation dictate. However there are further significant opportunities to achieve efficiencies;

Reducing the units of government may not be as effective or practical for reducing the cost of government as cooperation to consolidate delivery of services and pool capital investments across a multi-jurisdictional service area;

Successfully changing the way in which services are delivered within an area requires an approach that is unique to the local governments involved. A “one-size-fits-all” approach will not work given the wide range of local situations that exist across the state;

There are six factors that clearly contribute to the success of efforts to transform the delivery of public services within an area, notably:

* Trust between leaders

* Shared perception of need

* Clear fiscal benefit

* Improved service quality

* Collaborative leadership

* Community support

http://www.localgovinstitute.org/?q=node/92

.02 57th North American Regional Science Association International (RSAI) Conference sponsored by the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) - November 10 - 13, 2010. Denver, CO

Conference organizers welcome individual papers and organized sessions relating to a wide variety of topics inclusive within the diverse realm of regional science. We are an international scholarly organization that focuses on regional analysis, ranging from urban and spatial theory to applied problems in regional development, sustainability, environmental management, and rural land use. We are an interdisciplinary association, with members representing fields as diverse as economics, agricultural economics, public policy, urban planning, civil engineering, geography, finance, sociology and demography. The annual North American RSAI conference is the premier regional science meeting in North America and attracts scholars and practitioners from around the world.

You can learn more about the conference, submit an abstract, and register at the NARSC Website at: http://www.narsc.org/ Visit the Conference section of the Website and click the User Area link to register or sign in. Individual papers and sessions must be submitted online in the abstract submission section of the Website between now and August 1, 2010. The conference registration section will allow secure electronic financial transactions.

If you have questions about the program or submitting a paper or session proposal, or experience any difficulties, contact the 2010 Program Chair, Neil Reid, phone: 419-530-3593; e-mail: neil.reid@utoledo.edu . All other questions about the conference can be directed to the 2010 Local Arrangements Chair: John Leatherman, phone: 785-532-4492; e-mail: jleather@k-state.edu . For sponsorship, exhibitor spaces, and overall arrangements, contact Jean-Claude Thill at NARSCouncil@uncc.edu

.03 Resilient places: The future for local economic development - 13th and 14th July 2010 - Renold Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Local economic development is changing as the policy context and the on-the-ground challenges evolve and intensify. This CLES Summit is about unpacking and exploring what these changes will mean for your work, your organisation and for the future of economic development. If you are interested in the future of our local economies and communities, want to know how we can do economic development better in the future, keen to meet new people, hear new ideas and have fun, then the CLES Summit is for you.

http://www.cles.org.uk/information/100246/104778/summit_2010/

.04 Leadership in Urban and Regional Development: Exploring the Debates and Challenges - 23rd - 24th November, 2010 - Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) organised in association with the Centre for Leadership at the University of Birmingham (CLUB) - UK

Call for Papers – Deadline to submit your abstract: 1 September 2010

http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/research-networks/current/plurd/cfp-Nov2010.pdf

Organisers:

John Gibney - Centre for Urban and Regional Studies. Birmingham Business School. University of Birmingham. UK. gibney@bham.ac.uk

Markku Sotarauta - Department of Regional Studies. University of Tampere. Finland. markku.sotarauta@uta.fi

Andrew Beer - School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management. University of Flinders. Australia. andrew.beer@flinders.edu.au

.05 Regional Studies Association Best International Conference Paper Award Winners in 2010:

Best International Conference Paper in the Early Career Category in 2010:

.06 Nils Gilman: Deviant Globalization - The Long Now Foundation

Nils Gilman describes deviant globalization as "the unpleasant underside of transnational integration." There's nice tourism, and then sex tourism, such as in Thailand and Switzerland. The vast pharmacology industry is matched by a vast traffic in illegal drugs. The underside of waste disposal is the criminal dumping in the developing world of toxic wastes from the developed world. Military activities worldwide are fed by a huge gray market in weapons. Internet communications are undermined by floods of malware doubling every year. Among the commodities shipped around the world are exotic hardwoods, endangered species, blood diamonds, and stolen art worth billions in ransom. Illegitimate health care includes the provision of human organs from poor people -- you can get a new kidney with no waiting for $150,000 in places like Brazil, the Philippines, Istanbul, and South Africa. Far overwhelming legal immigration are torrents of illegal immigrants who pay large sums to get across borders. And money laundering accounts for 4-12% of world GDP -- $1.5 to 5 trillion dollars a year. These are not marginal, "informal" activities. These are enormous, complex businesses straight out of the Harvard Business Review. The drug business in Mexico, for example, employs 400,000 people. A thousand-dollar kilo of cocaine grows in value by 1400-percent when it crosses into the U.S. -- nice profit margin there.

http://fora.tv/2010/05/10/Nils_Gilman_Deviant_Globalization#fullprogram

14. Financial Crisis. Contents

.01 Financial reform needs 'hard rules': Volcker

The Gazette - Montreal, Quebec, CA

Major economies need to “rally” around the pending U.S. bill on financial reform and introduce similar measures if they are serious about curbing excessive risk-taking and averting another financial crisis, Paul Volcker, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, said Wednesday.

The approach championed by Canada, to get agreement among Group of 20 countries on higher capital levels and stricter leverage limits, has merit, but he suggested it lacks the required teeth to ensure market stability.

“We need some guideposts, some structure and we need legislative direction,” he told a luncheon crowd of roughly 800 at the International Economic Forum of the Americas here. “We need hard rules to help the supervisors in maintaining stability in the markets.”

http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/fp/Curb+risk+taking+bring+stability+Volcker/3132184/story.html

.02 AIG's problems far greater than Bush officials told public

McClatchydc.com - Washington, D.C., USA

At the peak of the 2008 financial crisis, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and top Federal Reserve officials told the nation that there was an urgent need for the government to lend $85 billion to the American International Group so the giant insurer's temporary cash squeeze wouldn't trigger global financial chaos.

Nearly two years later, taxpayers are on the hook for twice that amount, and it now appears that Paulson and senior Federal Reserve officials either plunged ahead without understanding AIG's financial situation and the risks it posed to taxpayers — or were less than candid about one of the largest corporate bailouts in U.S. history.

AIG reported combined total losses of $110 billion in 2008 and 2009, erasing any doubt that the government stepped into a colossal mess.

AIG was at the epicenter of all the government bailouts of financial institutions in 2008, a company through which more than $90 billion in federal money flowed out the back door to some of the same Wall Street banks whose risky behavior fueled the crisis. Among the leading beneficiaries of the AIG bailout was investment banking giant Goldman Sachs, which Paulson headed until June 2006.

Explanations of the bailout from current and former top government officials have never fully jibed, fueling allegations that most of the money was always intended for Wall Street rather than Main Street.

Elizabeth Warren, the chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel that's tracking the use of bailout money, said at a hearing in late May that the government "broke all the rules" with its rescue of AIG, which she labeled a "corporate Frankenstein" that defied regulatory oversight.

...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/06/08/95534/aigs-problems-far-greater.html

15. Custom search: region, regions, regional communities Contents

To search on topics like those in Regional Community Development News use this custom search engine which utilizes over 1,200 regional related sites.

http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000551187207053117963:m1gvkhigkeo&hl=en

My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental and regional cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work.” It is my thesis that "regional communities” are emerging where multi-jurisdictional regional council organizations exist. This newsletter is research seeking confirmation of this thesis.

Making visible such cross-boundary planning, collaboration and cooperative action at multi-jurisdictional networked regional scales, public, private and NGO is my 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 of 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 Google Search services. Media article excerpts and 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. Regional Community Development News is published bi-monthly based on researched news reports as of the publication date.

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Tom (Thomas J.) Christoffel, AICP - http://www.regional-communities.com/