A weekly compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.
Published on line since November 11, 2003.
No one has ever been fishing in the West Georgia Regional Reservoir that officials first planned in the 1980s to help quench the region's thirst.
That's because despite millions of dollars set aside by three Georgia governors, the state never built the reservoir. It never inundated thousands of acres of woods and pastures along the now drought-stricken Tallapoosa River in Haralson County, just a few miles from the Alabama line.
Nor did the state build the rest of the network of at least a dozen regional reservoirs that were supposed to drought-proof North Georgia. Nor did officials erect a proposed dam on the Chattahoochee River six miles downstream of Lake Lanier to pool more drinking water for metro Atlanta. Nor did they win approval to lock in dibs for more drinking water from Lanier.
Despite ample warnings and dire predictions over the last four decades, metro Atlanta has continued to grow even as it repeatedly failed to guarantee it would have enough water to satisfy its long term needs.
...
Metro Atlanta has a water plan, but it doesn't look very far ahead, given how long it takes to complete water projects. Adopted four years ago, it predicts the metro area will have enough water through at least 2030.
The plan assumes the region will get better at water conservation, though the state Legislature hasn't required a top water-saving recommendation: requiring low-flow plumbing retrofits when the area's million-plus older homes are resold.
The plan assumes Georgia will win the long-running tri-state water war. It also assumes completion of five local reservoirs, one of which Alabama recently asked a federal judge to block.
Planners also didn't figure the current drought — or the potential for worse ones — into their forecasts.
...
RC: Atlanta Regional Commission
2. Strong regions make stronger cities - Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
It used to be enough to think globally and act locally. No longer; now we must learn to act regionally.
In a city such as Toronto, where the summum bonum of all planning and municipal politics is the neighbourhood, this doesn't bode well.
Heading into the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly clear that successful jurisdictions are those whose scope extends beyond borders to encompass the larger area.
In these parts, it is the lack of public transit that provides the most glaring example of why we need to adopt a more regional approach. The woefully inadequate GO system, the failure to construct a rail line from Union Station to Pearson airport and the general mediocrity of public transit throughout the Golden Horseshoe are all symptoms of our inability to think big.
Because transit functions as the organizing principle of growth, its absence has led to ever greater sprawl. In the last few decades, sprawl has emerged as one of the major problems facing southern Ontario. Even so, it's remarkable that Queen's Park has had the courage to take on the forces of sprawl, through its Places to Grow Act and Greenbelt legislation.
... planning professor and author Robert Fishman talked about "the renaissance of regionalism." He used the word renaissance because, as he pointed out, the great regional plans drawn up for Chicago and New York date back to 1910 and 1920, respectively.
The metropolitan region is no longer relevant, he said; neither is the nation. The thing now, he insisted, is the mega-region.
Thus it may be that even an area as large as the Golden Horseshoe no longer matters. Instead, some suggest a Great Lakes region that would take in New York, Montreal and beyond.
...
3. Water cutoff forces planning - Tucson Citizen - Tucson, AZ, USA
Tucson's decision to halt expansion of its water system is jump starting discussion on regional growth.
The city's move was a step toward ending ongoing water wars and uniting the metropolitan area under regional water and land-use policies.
City Manager Mike Hein revealed at Tuesday's City Council meeting that he had ordered a stop to expansion of Tucson Water's delivery system beyond city limits to instead focus on areas where it is legally obligated to deliver water.
The potentially risky move already is bringing other local government officials to the table for what Hein called a pressing need for joint discussions of growth and water.
"It just seems to me that we have to be able to set the table and have some rational dialogues that aren't built on turf, aren't built on egos and aren't built on political control, " he said Wednesday. "When I talk about regional growth, we should as a region understand each other's intentions. I find more typically than not (that) all of our goals are aligned. They're just not communicated real well."
Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, who represents eastern Pima County, said it is a good time for the city to examine its policies because new housing starts are in decline.
"There's not going to be a lot of neighborhoods that need an expansion, " he said. "The market's already got a moratorium on expansion."
One risk in the city's move is that developers could begin drilling wells themselves, said Sharon Megdal, director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center.
...
RC: PAG- Pima Association of Governments
4. Foolish turf fight – Lexington Herald Leader – KY, USA
The Bluegrass Area Development District, a quasi-governmental agency that provides services to counties and cities in the region and is a conduit for federal and state funds, has been operating in Central Kentucky for over 30 years.
Bluegrass Tomorrow, a non-profit regional planning organization, was founded in 1989. For almost 20 years the two have been working on related issues in the same region.
So, it was odd at best last week when Bluegrass ADD director Lenny Stoltz II blew up at a meeting that didn't include representatives of Bluegrass Tomorrow. Stoltz' target was a study on the region's economy that the non-profit released earlier this year that was commissioned by the non-profit.
It was even stranger when Stoltz said yesterday that the two groups will meet soon to "try to better understand each other."
If the Bluegrass ADD doesn't understand Bluegrass Tomorrow, why didn't someone pick up a phone and ask a few questions?
If this is partially, as Stoltz suggested, about years of working with small counties while being snubbed by Lexington, shouldn't Stoltz be happier with Mayor Jim Newberry, whom Stoltz described as a "godsend, " in office?
There's been a certain undercurrent of begrudging participation by the Bluegrass ADD at the two regional summits this year convened by Newberry, Bluegrass Tomorrow and others to encourage more cooperation among area cities and counties.
Political turf wars are nothing new, but this one doesn't seem like a fair match up.
What does the ADD, with 74 staff members and a $20 million budget, have to fear from Bluegrass Tomorrow, which has two employees and a $300, 000 budget?
…
5. Funding becomes a Valley priority - Youngstown Vindicator - Youngstown, OH, USA
Cooperation between communities is key if the Youngstown area is going to get funding from Columbus, says Ken Carano, regional director for Gov. Ted Strickland.
"Regionalization is a fact. Battles between communities are over, " Carano told a group of business people gathered at a Regional Chamber breakfast Friday.
"We better all sit down together, find out what we really need and go down to Columbus and talk, " he said. "Unless the community as a whole becomes one unit, we won't be heard."
He said that the Mahoning Valley needs to fight against the "C-C-Cs" — Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. "Unless we hold hands a little bit tighter, we're not going to get what we deserve in the Mahoning Valley."
Carano also outlined some problems the Valley faces in attracting businesses.
The Valley, he said, is fighting a perception problem — that it's a crime area.
"Bull. We aren't anymore, " he said. "We had a lot of problems but those problems are over. Forget about it."
He said that the Youngstown area also has a reputation for unions stifling business.
"Baloney. It's a fallacy that unions won't work with business, " he said. "But you have to sit down and talk to them."
Delays in granting permits, however, he said, are a real problem here.
…
RC: Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
6. "New regionalism" better than amalgamation, Craig says - Waterloo Record - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
A "new regionalism" is a better solution than amalgamation for Waterloo Region, Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig says.
"I don't think the process (of amalgamation) would save us a nickel, " Craig told a luncheon meeting of the Confederation Club at the Delta Hotel.
Craig was invited to speak at the club's monthly meeting after Jim Erb, a member of the Citizens for Better Government committee, presented the pro-amalgamation argument at the Club's luncheon in October. The citizens committee, a volunteer group, is holding regular meetings to canvas citizens' opinions regarding reducing duplication between local cities and townships and replacing them with a single government.
Instead of amalgamation, Craig calls for a "new regionalism" that maintains the two-tier regional structure but puts Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo in the drivers' seats.
Councillors should sit on both regional and city or township councils to foster communication and more co-operation, Craig said. As well, city mayors should sit on the police services board, there should be representation by population on regional council and politicians should control costs by moving some government services to the control of city or township councils.
...
7. CITY: Report on planning for Edmonton region's growth covering 25 municipalities
Alberta Index - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Alberta government is studying a report commissioned by Premier Ed Stelmach on how the Edmonton region’s 25 municipalities can jointly plan and manage their unprecedented growth underpinned by a total of $88 billion in new projects.
Commissioned six months ago, “Working Together – Report and Recommendations of the Capital Region Integrated Growth Management Plan Project Team” is Premier Stelmach’s document to provide a leadership role for the region’s growth.
He said he will study its recommendations in the report, and will listen to the individual responses of the region’s municipalities at a meeting today.
He said: “It’s just common sense that municipalities work together on a regional plan. We’re looking at the potential for $88 billion in new development, the most intense in the region’s history, and we have one chance to ‘get it right’.”
The region’s strength, the Premier said, lies in the ability of individual municipalities to take on a long-range regional perspective on key infrastructure such as land use, roads and transit.
The report, produced by consultant Doug Radke, was developed with ongoing input from the region’s municipal leaders.
It outlines:
• a basis for a regional growth management plan; ...
8. Sprawl whittles away at natural resources - The Tennessean - Nashville, TN, USA
My first exposure to the need for "regional water management" was on the Cumberland Plateau in 1995. "We are on a mountain top, " a Crossville citizen told me. "As soon as our rain hits the ground, it runs off the mountain."
High-and-dry communities and those near smaller rivers often rely on small, local dams and intakes in shallow streams for their water supplies. By contrast, most of Tennessee's biggest cities — Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville — all sit beside big rivers, made dependable by early forms of regional water management.
Gov. Phil Bredesen recently noted an observation shared by previous governors: Drought and the lack of regional cooperation create unnecessary competition, virtual water limits and highlight management flaws.
A 1994 McWherter administration report documented that 539 water systems in 95 counties contributed in part to growing water conflicts, fragmented water services, short-range planning and insufficient infrastructure. Many still exist.
Since 1996, state policy periodically promoted regional water management and many communities responded. Due to continued state and federal disincentives and local turf battles, the Dickson County Regional Water Authority and the Duck River Utility Commission are two of the few that have succeeded.
Careful management needed
Regional water management avoids repetition of smaller, more damaging and cumulatively more expensive stream intakes and dams. Tennessee's remaining natural rivers and their flows preserve our uniqueness, support species that occur nowhere else, and create sustainable communities and tax revenue with diverse tourism, fishing, recreation and industry.
Regional water management, however, must be carefully managed. It can encourage harmful water transfers. Hence, the Sundquist administration's 2000 Inter-basin Water Transfer Act, was passed to control permanent water losses and protect vulnerable downstream users. The companion 2002 Water Information Act created new water accounting to monitor local and regional water use. Unfortunately, ...
9. An emergency patchwork - Cincinnati Post - OH, USA
Seconds count when a building is burning, an accident victim is bleeding or a heart attack is causing panic.
But when it comes to fire and ambulance service in Northern Kentucky, sometimes historic boundaries and traditional allegiances count for more.
Consider:
When a fire breaks out on Old Ky. 17 in Kenton County, dispatchers need a computer to tell them whose fire trucks to send - in one half-mile section of the sparsely populated road, four separate departments claim jurisdiction.
...
These examples aren't unusual. In fact, they're common in Northern Kentucky, where archaic geographical boundaries, dramatic differences in financial resources and a conglomeration of 35 separate and independent fire agencies has created a disjointed, inefficient and uneven system of fire protection, say several dozen fire chiefs and other officials in the region.
Those inconsistencies - and a lack of regional coordination - are hampering the ability of fire departments to respond to increasing financial, staffing and growth pressures as the world around them changes.
Many rural districts rely in great part or exclusively on volunteers, but increasingly those volunteers are being kept away by family obligations and stringent training requirements. Many rely on limited funding mechanisms, but the costs of everything from health care to retiree benefits to fire trucks themselves are skyrocketing.
Meanwhile, dramatic growth, with thousand-home subdivisions popping out of the ground, is raising the demand for service.
"It's a hodge-podge, " said Campbell County Emergency Management Director Ken Knipper, describing a system that includes municipal departments, fire authorities, rural fire protection districts and independent volunteer departments that sell services to surrounding cities.
...
RCs: Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission Northern Kentucky ADD
Northern Kentucky Tri-ED OKI - Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council
10. U.S. regional communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles. Highlighted words are Google search terms. In this and the following section, 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
.10 State government reform panel: downsize, consolidate
Indianapolis Star, United States
But they and others noted that Indiana has more government than most states in the nation, and that counties in other states have found cost savings through consolidation, ...
.11 House passes energy bill
BusinessNorth.com, MN
... legislation sets aside a total of $200 million for short-line and regional railroads to improve track and infrastructure. Additionally, the energy bill will establish a new program to promote short-sea shipping to move cargo on the Great Lakes and along our sea coasts. ...
.12 Metro area seeks vision, cooperation
Birmingham News – Birmingham, AL, USA
Improving education, managing growth, curbing crime and finding better ways to transport people and goods are ongoing challenges for the leadership of any metropolitan area, ...
.13 Voters approve town's consideration of joint town projects
Windsor Locks Journal - Windsor Locks, CT, USA
... program, which was established this year, is offering $8.6 million in grants to the state's regional planning organizations through the state Office of Policy and Management as an incentive for towns to share the costs of municipal projects. One of the agencies, CRCOG (Capital Region Council of Governments), will apply for the grants on behalf of ...
.14 Highlands chief speaks across region to explain master plan
NorthJersey.com - Hackensack, NJ, USA
The master plan is to determine which parts of the water supply region should be preserved and which can handle additional development. ...
.15 Task force begins developing plan for Rock Island Arsenal
Quad City Times - Davenport, IA, USA
Nearly two dozen leaders — representing a cross section of local governments, industry, companies and community interests — traveled to Huntsville to learn firsthand how the Tennessee Valley region’s efforts to rally around Redstone have produced thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in investment....
.16 Our whole region should fund the homeless shelter
Daily Press - Newport News, VA, USA
Why should the city of Newport News totally and solely subsidize the operation of a family shelter and do this indefinitely? ...
.17 Puget Sound Regional Council wants public input
Central Kitsap Reporter - Olympic View, WA, USA
According to the PSRC, VISION 2040 is the region’s new draft strategy for enhancing the region’s environment and overall quality of life while meeting the needs of the additional 1.7 million people and 1.2 million jobs expected by 2040. ...
.18 Iron Range Resources gives region's infrastructure a boost
Duluth News Tribune – MN, USA
The Iron Range Resources board unanimously approved about $4.1 million in public works infrastructure projects for 24 communities from Grand Marais to Grand Rapids.
.19 Riley: Langford a 'catalyst' for region
Bizjournals-com - Charlotte, NC, USA
Gov. Bob Riley praised regional leaders on Friday for speaking with a unified voice during 2007. After years of prodding metro Birmingham officials to work together to achieve common goals, Riley said is he encouraged by the region's recent actions. ...
.20 Regional task force questions governor's casino findings
Brockton Enterprise - MA, United States
Stephen C. Smith, author of the letter and executive director of Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District, said the draft is a ...
.21 Yale and New Haven Find Common Ground
New York Times - United States
The university’s support of the Science Park at Yale has provided start-up space for entrepreneurs in the region’s biotech industry, which now includes 22 firms in New Haven. ...
.22 LETTER: Helping your fellow man
Lufkin Daily News - Lufkin, TX, USA
At Deep East Texas Council of Governments we have committed ourselves to raising the awareness of the food stamp program to ensure that every family can ...
.23 Ark-Tex Council of Governments: Group eyes FEMA trailers for storage
Texarkana Gazette - Texarkana, TX, USA
HOPE, Ark.—The Ark-Tex Council of Governments is looking to Hope in hopes of finding something they need. ... “We would like to buy some of the trailers stationed in Hope to put emergency radio equipment in, ” ...
.24 LCOG postpones population projections for further study
The Register-Guard - Eugene, OR, USA
Opponents of the projections say they’ve been unable to find documentation that shows that the governor’s office has given the council the authority to oversee the population projections. ...
.25 Triangle Leaders Stress Severity Of Drought
NBC 17-com - Raleigh, NC, USA
The Triangle J Council of Governments proposed amplifying its calls for water conservation Thursday as it learned the drought could extend into next fall. ...
.26 Zoning group gets plenty of homework
Central Maine Morning Sentinel - Augusta, ME, USA
On Monday, John Maloney, a planner from the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, guided the land use ordinance committee through state shoreland ...
.27 Tax-averse citizens may feel pinch of civic job cuts
San Diego Union Tribune - United States
"Consumer expenditures will definitely be less, " said Marney Cox, an economist with the San Diego Association of Governments. "We could lose anywhere from ...
.28 Southwest Florida should create a regional identity
The News-Press - Fort Myers, FL, USA
... a brand image of Southwest Florida, making our region identifiable, moving the idea of regionalism forward and recruiting key leaders to make it happen. ...
.29 Hodge Elected to Lead Tri-County Council
Washington Post - United States
A Charles County commissioner, who spent "half of his adult life" as executive director of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, ...
.30 WyCo getting involved in regional transit debate
Kansas City Kansan - Kansas City, KS, USA
Two years ago, the Mid-America Regional Council - a metropolitan-wide governing body - put together a plan called Smart Moves, and tried to sell the plan to Missouri and Kansas legislators. Missouri bought into the plan, but Kansas did not. ...
.31 Letters | REBUTTING THAT CASINO EDIT, POINT BY POINT
Philadelphia Daily News - Philadelphia, PA, USA
In fact, studies by the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, the Wall Street Journal, Temple University and Philadelphia magazine all show ...
.32 MORPC ready to coordinate evacuation plan
Bizjournals-com - Charlotte, NC, USA
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission knows many Columbus-area communities are prepared for any large-scale emergencies that might come their way. ...
.33 Public transport in region's future?
Laconia Citizen - Laconia, NH, USA
The Community Transportation Association of America named Carroll County as one of four areas around the country in a study of the feasibility of public ...
.34 Counties may ride road together
TheReporter.com - Vacaville, CA, USA
Rather than consider Highway 12 and its safety in segments, an idea is gaining ground for three counties to collaborate through a corridor advisory committee for the roadway.
.35 Drought of '07 brings clarity to the term 'regionalization'
The Tennessean - Nashville, TN, USA
One of the political buzzwords recently has been "regionalization, " which has come off more often than not in vague expressions about the need for ...
.37 Commission on Culture & Tourism and five tourism regions to host free international marketing workshops
Norwalk Plus Magazine - USA
... the Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT), in collaboration with the five tourism regions, will help members of the state's tourism industry tap into this market with free International Marketing 101 workshops ...
11. Other in the news: Highlighted words are Google search terms.
.10 Ten Takeaways from the Bali Climate Change Summit
Wired News
7. But there's a big regional split in the US. The southeastern Congressional delegations are really holding the line for the coal business because they don't have easy access to renewable energy. ...
.11 Mexico Proposes an Intergovernmental Border Commission
Mexidata-info - San Diego, CA, USA
The proposal states that the northern border region is one of the most complex in all Mexico, where differing economic and social processes intermingle, and that its role with the United States is fundamental to bilateral relations....
.12 Regional council wants in on land development
Waterloo Record - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Regional council is ready to jump into the land development business, hoping to lure new buildings to a proposed rapid transit line. ...
.13 MD council in a giving mood, funding 25 programs
Cochrane Times - Cochrane, Alberta, Canada
"These community-based initiatives play an invaluable role in the betterment of our region." The criteria for organizations to be given grants were for ...
.14 Ecuador Wants `Fund of the South' to Back Regional Currency
Bloomberg - USA
... President Rafael Correa wants Latin American countries to merge repatriated offshore assets in a fund that would back a proposed regional currency. ...
.15 Bolivian regions in autonomy push
BBC News - UK
Bolivia's wealthiest region has taken steps to declare autonomy from the central government amid a bitter dispute over constitutional changes. ...
.16 State to subsidise construction of rental housing in Helsinki region
Helsingin Sanomat - Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Plans are under way for the state to subsidise the construction of rental accommodation in the Helsinki region. The aim is to reduce rents for new rental ...
.17 Electrolux closure a "major blow" for North-East economy
The Northern Echo - UK
REGIONAL development agency One NorthEast today described the closure of the Electrolux cooker factory at Spennymoor, County Durham, as a major blow for the workers and the local economy.
.18 Irish regions go full steam ahead with 2007-13 cohesion programmes
Edubourse-com (Communiqués de presse) - Brie Comte Robert, France
They will sign the National Strategic Reference Framework and the two programmes which will be supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) at ...
.19 Feature: CV makes headway in good governance
Philippine Information Agency - Philippines
To maintain the regions capability to promote good governance, the Regional Development Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council in Central Visayas ...
.20 Region set for starring role
The Northern Echo - UK
... "It is vital that each of the 25 local authorities sign up to this charter, so we can sell ourselves as a truly filming friendly region."
.21 Magadan ranked among Russia’s top cities
Vladivostok News - Vladivostok, Russia
The contest, held by the Regional Development Ministry as a part of a national program supporting the development of municipal territories, included two ...
.22 Regional development coach hired to help British surfing
Surfersvillage-com
The British Surfing Association (BSA) has found its new Regional Surf Development Coach for the South West following the announcement of the crucial funding which created the new career opportunity in September.
.23 A model for disruptive technology forecasting in strategic regional economic development
ScienceDirect-com
As regions look to increase their economic development activities, technology-based developments and the penchant for long-term developments in disruptive technologies like nanotechnology become an important part of the options
.24 Review of the year: Regional theatre
Telegraph-co-uk - United Kingdom
X: Xenophobia. Let's call a halt to it - given that the influx of Polish workers has done wonders for church attendance in this country, it's only a matter of time before these famously theatre-loving souls make regional playhouses throng again. ...
.25 PEEL REGIONAL COUNCIL APPROVES 2008 BUDGET
Brampton Guardian - Ontario, Canada
"Regional Council strives to ensure our budget provides adequate funding for services that sustain healthy communities, " says Emil Kolb, Regional Chair. ...
.26 Hackman stands out from the crowd
The Statesman Online - Accra, Ghana
To do this, he intends to make regional administration more autonomous and have the regions micro-managed from the regional capitals instead of being ...
.27 Resilient banking system
Hindu - Chennai, India
Micro finance has been recognised as a tool for extending banking services to the poor. Great efforts are on to place micro financing on a sound footing. ...
AlwaysOn Network
... Strategy Paradox: strategies with the greatest possibility of success also have the greatest possibility of failure. Resolving this paradox requires a new way of thinking about strategy and uncertainty." ...
12. Blogs: Highlighted words are Google search terms.
.10 Regional Branding: the KC Animal Health Corridor
By Maureen Rogers(John Whiteside)
I saw a small piece in a recent Economist on Kansas City's attempt to make itself into the Silicon Valley of animal health. My first reaction - foolishly - was that "Animal Health Corridor" was a not particularly catchy or interesting ... when it comes to animal health, they are, indeed the place to be. I found all this out on the KC Animal Health Corridor web site.
.11 "Yo, Cleveburgh!" . . . listen up.
By Janko(Janko)
I'm still eager to see what develops from the first Tech Belt meeting held at Youngstown State University in October. In the meantime, my new tag for Youngstown, Cleveland Pittburgh posts on regionalism will be: "Yo, Cleveburgh!"
.12 Miami Valley "Regional Planning" Commission (MVRPC) Does NOT DO Regional Planning
DaytonOS
Before the planning effort moves forward, the jurisdictions within the region that are part of MVRPC should pass a resolution agreeing to abide by the plan and enter into a inter-governmental agreement with the other participating jurisdictions to that effect. ...
.13 My Role in the Environment
By Ruth(Diane)
That's why this week's vote by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to recommend green building techniques for its member jurisdictions is welcome. COG's recommendations center on Leadership in Energy and Environmental ...
.14 Milwaukee to Region: Let's Cooperate.(Do as we say)
By Fraley
Further proof that when Milwaukee 'leaders' speak of regional cooperation they merely mean the surrounding communites should cooperate by supporting whatever the (flailing?) City of Milwaukee wants. In two moves that touch on ...
.15 "Our Region, Our Giving: 15th Anniversary Edition"
By washington grantmakers
Local foundations investing in the area: More local philanthropic dollars are now staying within the region—63 percent of total grants made in 2005 as compared to 46 percent in 1992. National foundations giving to this region: More ...
FishbowlDC has gotten our hands on an email distributed by Regional Reporters Association President Suzanne Struglinski, in which she...
.17 Regional Cooperation on the move
By CCRC(CCRC)
Municipalities from around the province are becoming more aware of the various possibilities of regional cooperation and service sharing. This is great news for CCRC as it provides great support for the work that we do. ...
.18 Public Transportation In the Lake Tahoe Region
By Ken
What's perhaps most intriguing is that the amount of money desired for improvements to the Tahoe region's transit service is 3.3 million dollars. The transit service serves about 363372 riders per year and rising. ... Until public transportation services get more efficient at collecting money from their users, they will be perpetually broke and underfunded. ...
19. Report Calls for Research Universities to Increase Community Engagement
By icce
"Today, more than ever, the public research university should engage in mutually beneficial partnerships with its greater community, " Block said in the report. "When we extend the reach of our scholarship beyond our own campus, ...
INeedCoffee.com
... A thorough understanding of this article will be of great help in predicting the effect of Microbial Communities on the coffee ecosphere including the biodiversity of the region.... The COMMUNITY is the highest biological unit in an ecosystem made up of individuals and populations of various microorganisms. ...
.21 State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator's Integrated Approach
By Michael Kraft
Henry Crumpton, Daily's immediate predecessor, expanded the concept of regional cooperation among neighboring countries. While Frank Taylor and Cofer Black were the Coordinators, before I retired, we began programs, in cooperation with ...
.22 How to Restore Spies Credibility: Go Open Source
Wired News - USA
The Congressional Research Service's recent report on open source intelligence reminds us that the point Steele made eleven years ago remains valid today: the value of any given piece of information is found in its utility, not in how it was obtained. ...
.23 INTERVIEW - Rob Rufus: How apostles Work Today
By Adrian(Adrian)
... about 300 AD they started ordaining regional bishops, and that was the beginning of the end and the slide into the Dark Ages. So we try to avoid having regional apostles. ...
.24 Dec 13, 2007 - South Carolina Hospital Taps Evidence-Based Design
Spartanburg Regional Health System is designing its newest hospital in Greer, SC, to incorporate evidence-based design features that promote patient healing, the Spartanburg Herald Journal reports.
.25 Is anyone aware of any regions or communities with good searchable business directories?
This would be used in the context of economic development, allowing local businesses to connect with potential suppliers or partners locally rather than going outside the region. It could be linked to a geographic information system ...
.26 Physico Geographical Regionalization of Poland (PNG 2000x1700 pixels)
By Wojtek(Wojtek)
Physico Geographical Regionalization of Poland (PNG 2000x1700 pixels). Polska - regiony ...
13. Announcements and Regional Links
.10 Conference on regional innovation, Bilbao
A conference entitled 'Impact assessment for better governance of regional innovation policies' will be held in Bilbao, Spain, on 29 to 30 January.
The aim of this event is to present current developments in impact assessment and benchmarking tools that could be applied in the innovation policy-making of European regions, and show practical examples of successful applications. An overview of initiatives related to the evaluation of the innovation performance and policies in Europe will be provided.
Participants will discuss how the new tools can be applied in the regions and the next steps at the European level for the development of an 'impact assessment culture', so that it becomes an integrated part of regional innovation policy. For more information: http://www.innovating-regions.org
.11 Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future - CSPAN BookTV
Watch the book co-author discuss the global race to build the car of the future and the challenges of creating vehicles that will run on cleaner energy sources. Good discussion of real challenges of policy and corporate change due to legacy infrastructure.
14. Subscription
.10 London's economy still outpacing other regions
Financial Times - London, England, UK
London's economy in 2006 was the fastest growing in the UK for the fifth year in a row, official figures showed yesterday, as the capital pulled further away from the rest of the country in wealth and economic power.
In cash terms, London's economy was worth £197bn in 2006 - by far the UK's biggest regional economy. It expanded by 5.7 per cent from 2005 on the back of strong growth in finance and business services.
The national economy's growing reliance on London - which contributes 17 per cent of UK output and an even higher proportion of taxation, with only 12 per cent of the population - will worry ministers, whose objective is to spread opportunities across the country.
The situation also leaves the economy and public finances vulnerable to a London downturn, which could happen next year if the global credit squeeze takes its toll on the City.
The economic picture in other UK regions was varied. North-east England had a third good year in a row, with high energy prices benefiting its traditional chemicals and oil-based industries.
Rapid increases in public expenditure have a disproportionate impact on the north-east and Northern Ireland - another successful region in 2006 - because predominantly public-sector industries, such as defence, education and health services, account for more than 30 per cent of these regional economies, compared with only 16 per cent in London.
However, success was far from universal in Labour's heartlands. North-west England performed worst for the second year running. Wales and Yorkshire were also near the bottom of the table.
...
15. Google News for “Regional Community”
Other menu sections available from this link include: regions, regional, regional community, region, Regional Council, regional development and other search terms. They can be sorted by date or relevance. These are among the 50 search terms I use to produce this newsletter.
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_work-subscribe@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.Christoffel@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP Making regions visible for Leaders and Problem-solvers. www.regionalintelligence.com
