A compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.
Published on line since
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Contents
Top Regional Community stories … 1. – 9.
U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State – news articles …10.01 - .37
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .27
Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .22
Announcements and Regional Links … 13.01 - .09
Financial Crisis …14.01 - .03
Custom search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.
Top Regional Community stories
1. Time is right for regional leaders to come forward - Fort Worth Business Press - Texas, USA
In November 2006, three of our North Texas mayors came together for a common cause: bringing one of the largest sporting events in the world to our region. The commitment of the mayors of Arlington, Dallas and Fort Worth, as well as many other individuals and organizations including the North Texas Commission, proved successful when the National Football League announced that Super Bowl XLV will be held here in February 2011. What a win for North Texas.
While the competing teams will be facing off at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, this Super Bowl will be known as the North Texas Super Bowl to further reinforce regional collaboration.
…
Leadership North Texas, a program of the North Texas Commission and the North Texas Future Fund, is a graduate-level leadership program aimed at educating and enabling leaders who have a strong commitment to regional growth and North Texas. Participants will be a regionally diverse group of 35 individuals from throughout the region who already have a strong understanding of local leadership and possess the desire to serve on a regional level.
As North Texas continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the country, it is imperative that our regional leaders have a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face. Through nine program days, Leadership North Texas participants will learn about regional opportunities and challenges, and about the North Texas economy, our workforce and our education systems, sustainable development in North Texas, how to build a healthy region and how to move our goods and people efficiently throughout the region. …
You may be asking yourself what are the qualities of a regional leader.
A regional leader is someone who can come to understand …
RC: North Central Texas Council of Governments - http://www.nctcog.dst.tx.us/
http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=9577
2. Region reaches high - Cincinnati.com -
After two years, more than two dozen community meetings involving the work of more than 1,000 volunteers, and a survey of nearly 5,000 people, the last thing the organizers of the Agenda 360 communitywide plan want is for their 12,000-word report, which was made public Friday, to be noted with a pat on the back, a "nice work" compliment, and then shelved.
How they plan to move this far-reaching regional agenda forward and achieve some of the goals they
The plan is broad and its ideas big, as it lays out a half-dozen chief priorities for the entire metropolitan statistical area, followed by 18 recommendations for realizing those goals.
One key to getting the job done will be the organizers
"We didn
Agenda 360 leaders have signed agreements with several civic organizations, including the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the University of Cincinnati, OKI Council of Regional Governments [http://www.oki.org/] and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, which have agreed to be formal partners in working toward the goals.
"We didn
In transportation, for example, OKI [ http://www.oki.org/ ] has already established a Regional Freight Working Group to consider ways to improve the flow of goods through the area
Agenda 360 report: http://cincinnati360.com/
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090215/EDIT03/902150376
3. Network matches Northeast Ohio workers to skills - Akron Beacon Journal, OH
Thousands of Northeast Ohio workers are looking for employers.
Thousands of Northeast Ohio employers are looking for workers.
What keeps them apart is a disconnect between the skills once valued by our industrial past, and the needs of a new high-tech, service-oriented, knowledge-based economy.
Enter the Regional Talent Network, a new group charged with building a work force pipeline to fill high-demand jobs.
RTN represents the first time that businesses, colleges and work force development organizations from across the region have united to address the issue of talent development, said Greater Akron Chamber President Dan Colantone.
''We know that the market for talent in Northeast Ohio is regional, with workers crossing county lines — sometimes multiple county lines — in their daily commutes, so it is appropriate that we all work together to address the critical issue,'' he said.
The state put a spotlight on the talent gap last year, when it launched a pair of manpower efforts.
One initiative, the Ohio Workforce Guarantee Program, gives grants to relocating or expanding companies so they can train the workers they need.
The other — the Ohio Skills Bank — has been coaxing businesses and educators in 12 defined economic development regions to talk about how to build a pipeline of talent to match current and future vocational needs.
That's where RTN can have a real impact, said Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.
''In Northeast Ohio, we have a special collaboration in the Regional Talent Network, …
RTN is largely funded through The Fund for Our Economic Future [http://www.futurefundneo.org/], a partnership of the region's philanthropic community.
Jon Honeck, senior researcher for Policy Matters Ohio, said a lot of areas in the state are having trouble getting similar efforts off the ground because of a lack of funding.
…
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/39822287.html
4. How many jurisdictions does it take to run a region? -
About 30 years ago, twinkle-eyed state Rep. James Pehler drafted a bill that, had he introduced it, would have caused a stir in his district. It would have planted a compass point on a map of downtown
He was only half-joking, the retired legislator and educator recalls. He
His contemporaries, shrewd politicians all, declined. …
In 2005, when then-state Rep. Joe Opatz had the courage to introduce a serious version of Pehler
"It wasn
…
For the encouragement, Haws and like-minded government thinkers look to the Legislature. Stearns County Board Chair DeWayne Mareck asks: What if the next biennium
…
"We need to think more as local government, not as town government, city government and county government," said Mareck. He
How much, and how quickly? The tsunami of red ink headed toward every government budget is calling those questions.
5. Municipalities eye regionalization potential -New England Business Bulletin - New Bedford, MA, USA
…
Hathaway News Service interviewed officials from Somerset, Middleboro, Dartmouth, Fall River, and Fairhaven to gauge their mood on the subject of working together in the face of 2009's economic reality.
Their answers demonstrated that considerable thought is being given to the subject at the local level although there's still some question about what it will take to move cities and towns off the thought process and into action.
"There's lot of stuff you can do," Somerset Town Administrator Dennis Luttrell said. "You just have to think outside of the box. Towns tend to be parochial. They have a long history of working independently. There has to be an impetus for them to get together. The economy may have to be that impetus."
Luttrell worked in a regional government in Colorado where he said building inspectors, sanitation inspections and environmental positions were shared among cities and towns. He said the sheriff's department in that state handled dispatch services for police, fire and highway services. Luttrell said he was a county commissioner in Colorado, covering an area half the size of Rhode Island, which he said was similar to being a selectman in Massachusetts towns, but on a regional basis.
"It worked quite well," Luttrell said.
State Rep. Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset), … Over the next two years, she said the state will be asking cities and towns to "economize and cooperate." Regionalization is not a popular term right now with cities and towns, but she said, the state will be encouraging it more and more.
… state is giving cities and towns two years to try to arrange their own collaborations together. If none of those collaborations come to fruition, she said the state House of Representatives and Senate will file legislation to require them to work together. …
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090220/NEBULLETIN/902200363
6. United Upstate could plan regionally - Greenville News -
Organizers of a new push for regional planning in the Upstate say they don
An organizer said one possibility is the South Carolina Conservation Bank, a state program that protects special lands from development.
The Upstate, if it comes together for regional planning, could speak with one voice in making applications to the Conservation Bank, said Jacki Martin, who is managing the push for regional planning for the Urban Land Institute.
… possible outcome of the regional planning push is agreement among the 10 counties to coordinate development of their individual comprehensive plans.
The effort is supported by a broad group of civic leaders and organizations, including two prominent businessmen from
They said the Upstate stands to add 234,000 residents, 118,000 households and 203,000 jobs by 2030. The figures come from Woods & Poole Economics Inc., a research firm, and are more conservative than those from the federal Census Bureau, Martin said.
Navarro said the Upstate needs to decide how it will grow.
… Urban Land Institute has sponsored Reality Check events around the country, including one in
The Upstate event marks the start of a multi-year "collaborative regional visioning process" to define a shared vision for planning, organizers say. A special committee will develop an "action plan" based on ideas that surface at the April 8 event. A group called Upstate Together [ http://www.upstaterealitycheck.com/ ] will then work to implement the plan.
…
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090215/NEWS01/902150336/1001/NEWS01
Upstate Forever – Counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, Union - http://www.upstateforever.org/region.html
Regional Councils -
S.C. Appalachian Council of Government - Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens,
Catawba Regional Council of Governments –
7. Towns can consolidate their services, save money - Norwich Bulletin -
There’s an interesting dance at the state Capitol every year. Mayors and other municipal chief executives come to
And in bad times of historic proportions — where we are today — we have the opportunity to do something historic.
Towns such as
There is a solution: regionalism. By reorganizing some local services, towns such as
In fact, there is a proposal that would funnel a portion of the state’s sales tax receipts to cities and towns that regionalize based on a specific set of guidelines outlined by the state’s Smart Growth Task Force.
Step One: Towns would sign on to participate in regional coordination efforts including: establishing an “economic district” under federal standards; adopting a regional property tax revenue sharing plan and enacting an agreement among member towns for regional collective bargaining. As an incentive, the state would grant relief from certain mandates — providing an immediate cost savings.
Step Two: Towns, through their regions, would implement regionalization plans. As an incentive, the state …
...
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/opinions/x1820646422/Towns-can-consolidate-their-services-save-money
8. Collaborative cost cutting - The Macomb Daily News - Macomb County, MI, USA
Facing a gloomy financial forecast, two Macomb County communities will consider "collaboration" to provide government services cheaper and more efficiently.
Officials in Center Line and Warren expect to discuss possible changes to the cities' libraries, district court, property assessing departments and police and fire dispatch.
The Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments [http://www.semcog.org/], a regional planning agency, recently told top administrators and elected officials that municipalities can expect a severe, 20 percent drop in property tax revenue over the next three years. The decline is due to the slumping housing market.
Instead of immediately eliminating or curtailing services, issuing layoffs or raising taxes when finances are tight, SEMCOG urges its member communities to consider collaboration.
"When dealing with a potential 20 percent property tax drop over the next three years, drastic action may be needed," said SEMCOG consultant Dave Boerger. "I've seen many examples of the wrong way to slash and cut. We're trying to propose the right way to do such things."
After a cursory review of the budgets of Warren and Center Line, Boerger suggested the four departments as areas where both cities could work together to reduce costs. He didn't propose the outright elimination of one service to spare the identical one in the other city, but conceded that elimination of jobs — either by attrition or layoffs — is the most significant way to reduce costs.
...
SEMCOG's member communities in its seven-county region are increasingly interested in collaboration ideas. Representatives of approximately 100 local governments recently attended a workshop and government restructuring. Harrison Township, for example, has asked for follow-up facilitation from the regional planning agency.
Currently, a group of five governments are progressing toward some unspecified collaboration. Boerger, the SEMCOG consultant, declined to identify the municipalities, saying they hope to proceed without fanfare until agreements are reached.
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2009/02/22/news/srv0000004754288.txt
9. Turf buster: Enterprise architecture does the trick - FCW.com - Falls Church, VA, USA
Recreation.gov brings services from 11 agencies under one online umbrella.
Just a few years ago, a vacation planner who wanted to learn about opportunities for camping, hiking and boating on federal lands had to look for information on several Web sites housed in three separate, unrelated agencies.
Now they can find everything they need at Recreation.gov, a one-stop online shop that incorporates information from 11 different agencies spread across the federal government, from the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Creating a Web site that combines information from multiple agencies is always difficult, especially when agency leaders become territorial about the data they supply. But the Interior Department, the spearhead of Recreation.gov, combined a well-developed enterprise architecture with a set of strong policies to make it happen.
…
“Technology is probably the least of the challenges,” Coggins said. “The most significant challenge in many cases is breaking down the turfdoms which exist at agencies.” Agency leaders can balk at sharing an identity at a site such as Recreation.gov,[http://www.recreation.gov/] which blurs the traditional lines of demarcation and can make the exact source of information all but invisible to the casual user.
…
Architecture policies that work
Lessons learned from successful enterprise architecture implementations include:
* Require collaboration between business and technology specialists.
* Use segmented architecture rather than the traditional comprehensive one.
* Allow legacy systems to go unmodernized if they work well.
* Insist that action items be realistic.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/02/23/enterprise-architecture-recreation.aspx?p=1
10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.
Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth noting. In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the
.01 How the Crash Will Reshape America: The Winners and Losers - THE ATLANTIC - Creative Class Group Notice
Richard Florida addresses the economic crisis in this month's cover story for The Atlantic. The crash of 2008 continues to reverberate loudly nationwide - destroying jobs, bankrupting businesses, and displacing homeowners. But already, it has damaged some places much more severely than others. America's economic landscape will look very different than it does today. What fate will the coming years hold for New York, Charlotte, Detroit, Las Vegas? Will the suburbs be ineffably changed? Find out which cities and regions can come back strong in this exclusive cover story. And which will never come back at all? Richard Florida explores how the financial meltdown will forever change our geography.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200903/meltdown-geography
.02 Local leaders scramble for transportation money
Colorado Daily - Boulder, CO, USA
The competition is fierce: The Denver Regional Council of Governments, which is disbursing $60 million in transportation money, has hundreds of projects to choose among, with funding requests totaling $600 million. ... “The overriding criteria, the No. 1 criteria, is ‘ready to go,’ ... Boulder County’s transportation director, said county planners started aggressive work more than a year ago after voters agreed to extend a sales tax for transportation funding. ... ... We’ve been working hard to have projects on the shelf, ready to go,” he said. “Often money becomes available quickly, and you have to be able to react quickly.”
http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2009/feb/20/local-leaders-scramble-transportation-money/
.03 Aging boomers test community planners
A report by the ARC and the
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/02/08/older0208.html
.04 One leader sees a green future for
The Detroit Marshall Plan is an important step in that direction, and because it has the support of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and other regional actors, it should have enhanced appeal for
http://www.freep.com/article/20090215/COL33/902150360
.05 FY10 budget squeezes, eases
http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/home2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17259&Itemid=40
.06 Will
WBZ -
In
http://wbztv.com/local/regionalization.small.towns.2.939295.html
.07 Rumblings For Government Regionalism In
News Copy,
Most of
.08 Volunteer nature of regionalism bills questioned
Sharkey, who has introduced regionalism bills through the Planning and Development Committee which he chairs, cautioned against a “one-size-fits-all” strategy. “There are no silver bullets to this,” he said. The bills would change how local property tax and state sales tax revenue are distributed for towns that band together to save money on various services. Groups of towns would have to become certified as federal economic development districts, agree not to compete against each on significant projects, and concur on regional revenue-sharing formulas, Sharkey said. ...
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x1802687666/Volunteer-nature-of-regionalism-bills-questioned
.09 Dallas-Fort Worth officials ask suburbs to chip in to get transportation bill passed
Fort Worth Star Telegram -
http://www.star-telegram.com/elections/story/1206086.html
.10 48th Regional Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast at
... the Regional Mayors
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/34025/
.11 United Way Merger Talks End
KSHB-TV 41 -
After more than 8 years of discussions about merging, talks have ended between
.12 Light-rail ridership exceeds expectation
The
The region
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/02/19/20090219railnumbers0219.html
.13 Bay Area Council says layoffs to accelerate
The Bay Area Council said Thursday that business confidence among Bay Area business leaders has reached a new record low and "significant" new layoffs are expected in the region -- a forecast that could have repercussions for the
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/02/09/daily49.html
.14 Stimulus bill: $1.45B for
The
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-stimulus-greatlak,0,3847343.story
.15 Wheels up: Continental’s application to join the Star
Welcome to the not-so-friendly skies. In 2009, the name of the game in some quarters of the ultracompetitive airline industry appears to be this: Form a powerful alliance in hopes of dominating international air service, then attempt to block your major domestic competitor from forming a partnership of its own. ... For the
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/6261426.html
.16 Rail Coalition says West
WQOW TV News 18 -
With the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in
http://www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S=9835131
.17 Big Rigs, Move Over
MSNBC - USA
A pilot program that restricts big rigs from the left-hand lanes on portions of Interstate 30 in Tarrant County and Interstate 20 in Dallas County is about to be expanded. "We had dramatic reductions in crashes in those sections where the restrictions were in place," said Rachel Wiggens, of the North Central Texas Council of Governments. She said the program reduced crashes by 20 percent, increased traffic flow and improved air quality. ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29288511/
.18 Consolidation debate expected to re-emerge
Hutchinson News - Hutchinson, KS, USA
In fact, after years of debate, House Speaker Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, said this week that he's hoping to finally give governments the power to merge functions without legislative approval. " ... This year's proposal comes from the Kansas Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations, a 15-member task force seeking to modernize government that is led by Secretary of Revenue ...
http://www.hutchnews.com/Todaystop/consolidation2009-02-21T21-11-48
.19 Perdue names site for Charlotte office
CharlotteObserver.com -
N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue this afternoon announced that she
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/533320.html
.20
Examiner.com -
Washington State Tourism will host seven product development workshops for visitor-related businesses beginning on Feb. 9 in
.21 Wiggins introduces legislation relating to LAFCO decisions on community boundaries
Lake County News - Lakeport, CA, USA
North Coast State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) has introduced new legislation requiring local agency formation commissions, or LAFCOs, to consider “sustainable community strategies” before making boundary decisions. ... While MPOs must consider LAFCOs’ planning documents, there is no reciprocal requirement for LAFCOs to consider the MPOs’ sustainable communities strategies and alternative planning strategies. Wiggins chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government. Her legislation, Senate Bill 215, seeks to add regional transportation plans, including their sustainable communities strategies or alternative planning strategies,” to the list of factors that LAFCOs must consider when acting on city and special district boundary changes. ...
http://lakeconews.com/content/view/7496/764/
.22 Earth to City Council: Take the Cobo deal
Detroit Free Press – Detroit, MI
In most regions, regional governance would be a no-brainer for a facility that both makes significant demands on Detroit's neighboring municipalities and helps sustain them. ... The council's choice is simple: It can embrace a less-than-perfect plan that enjoys regional support, or it can persist in the delusions that Detroit is still in the driver's seat, and a more-generous Cobo deal is just around the corner.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090224/OPINION01/902240324
.23 Ideas shouldn
The Legislature is aggressively searching for ways to generate revenue but at least two creative ways to save money and heighten efficiency in state operations aren’t getting much attention. ... Brian Dreyer, also a Rapid City Republican, sponsored a resolution to put a massive county consolidation plan before voters in the 2010 general election. ... It marked the third unsuccessful attempt to study county consolidation.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/02/14/news/opinions/doc4994aa69cf60b721979965.txt
.24 Cuomo pushes consolidation
... archaic and cumbersome state laws make it difficult for government leaders and citizens to reorganize and consolidate. Cuomo is touring the state, touting his plan to reduce property taxes and improve efficiency by making it easier to consolidate. His plan offers three voluntary tracks, initiated either by a county executive, town board or citizen petition. ....
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090213/NEWS01/902130323/1002/NEWS
.25 Consolidation often efficient
Charlottesville Daily Progress - Charlottesville, VA, USA
... At this very moment Albemarle County is constructing school additions, while Charlottesville classrooms are being underutilized. Consolidating affordable housing programs would be simple compared to consolidating schools. Huge logistical, political and emotional obstacles may loom. But not even this option should be off the table.
http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/opinion/op_ed/article/consolidation_often_efficient/36177/
.26 Inter-library cooperation at risk
Hingham Journal - MA, USA
In response to the need to make sometimes drastic, townwide budget cuts, municipal officials are beginning to take a broader look at developing regionalized services. “Ironically, one of the most enduring and best examples of integrated regional delivery of services is at risk as cities and towns slash library budgets,” Corcoran said. “State aid standards have worked extremely well in better times and even in mild downturns, but the current basis for interlibrary cooperation could be an unintended victim of today’s financial dislocation.” ...
http://www.wickedlocal.com/hingham/news/x286841398/Inter-library-cooperation-at-risk
.27 How safe are our restaurants?
South Coast Today - New Bedford, MA, USA
Regional inspection services Another concept in the front of everyone's brain right now is regionalization, with the state championing proposals to have communities work together to provide certain services, perhaps even enhancing current efforts. It could be beneficial in food inspection services, Condon said. Following a recent survey of public health officials, "we've seen a pattern that suggests some of the approach taken at the local level needs to be enhanced, perhaps by promoting regionalization efforts," she said. "The platform has been laid down. Some of the vehicles are in place. Now it's a matter of working with people across the state." ...
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090222/NEWS/902220340
.28 Eldridge will be chairman of regional government committee
The Beacon-Villager -
“As Chair of the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, I look forward to examining ways to create cost savings for towns and cities and encourage regionalization of services. As our communities are facing cuts to local aid, it’s more important than ever that we take a hard look at municipal reforms to support our towns and cities,” said Eldridge. ...
.29 State of the States: Importance of Religion
The
http://www.gallup.com/poll/114022/State-States-Importance-Religion.aspx
.30 Appeals court overturns new mountaintop mine rules
The Associated Press
... Janet Keating, executive director of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, the lead challenger of the Corps
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hSJOr-NBI35YZsgfG0YNbfsQDF-gD96AV63O2
.31 Regional council plans more health care for kids
Increasing access of health care for Ahwatukee,
http://www.azcentral.com/community/ahwatukee/articles/2009/02/18/20090218ev-first0218-CP.html
.32 Juvenile facility planned for area
The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette, LA, USA
"This facility marks a major step for juvenile justice reform in this state, implementing best practices for regional services that improve care and outcomes for young people in the juvenile justice system," Jindal said in the statement. ... a major component of the reform effort is a move toward regionalized secure care in therapeutic facilities, as well as establishing a community-based, school-based and regionally-based system of progressive sanctions and services for juveniles who have committed delinquent acts. …
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090221/NEWS01/902210330
.33 Attorney wants action on Thompson cases
Cherokee Scout - Murphy, NC, USA
... county is denying responsibility in the matter. County attorney Scott Lindsay previously said there is government immunity for the state and county if they haven’t purchased insurance. The county has not waived government immunity concerning the septic issue. “The county should have major liability,” Steinbronn said. “The board of health is one of those freakish entities that cross jurisdictional lines. The county has responsibility to make sure people get what they pay for. ...
http://cherokeescout.com/articles/2009/02/17/news/doc499b2514ab6a0235009930.txt
.34 Wolf Web site unveiled
The Western Wolf Coalition, comprised of 17 conservation and wildlife organizations, launched WesternWolves.org Thursday. The Web site features data and reports from wildlife agencies in the states of
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9836744&nav=menu227_1
.35 Study: Big regional differences in Medicare costs
The Associated Press - U.S.
"There are no financial rewards for collaboration, coordination or conservative practice," the study said. The study found that among the 25 largest hospital-referral regions, Manhattan was the costliest, at $12114 per patient in 2006. Minneapolis was the least expensive, at $6,705 per patient. Among states, New York spent the most per Medicare enrollee: $9,564 per patient. Hawaii spent the least: $5,311. .... On the Net: Regional comparisons: http://www.rwjf.org/qualityequality/interactive.jsp?id38
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijgp5dnO4_Vg1XyeyW0MkT7QWwbAD96IRV2G0
.36 Mayors meet with Obama, Office of Urban Affairs created
American City & County
More than 80 U.S. mayors met with President Obama Friday, the day after the president signed an executive order creating the White House Office of Urban Affairs (OUA). OUA will coordinate policies on urban development across all executive offices of the president.
The mayors, under the leadership of Washington-based U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) President Manny Diaz, met with Obama and Vice President Biden, along with several other members of Obama's cabinet. The meeting was held to discuss cities' role in implementing the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and how to get money from the stimulus plan flowing to cities. ...
http://americancityandcounty.com/admin/finance/office-urban-affairs-mayors-meet-obama-20090223/
.37 Nationally, Home Price Declines Closed Out 2008 with Record Lows According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Prices Indices
Standard & Poor’s – Press Release
New York, February 24, 2009 – Data through December 2008, released today by Standard & Poor’s for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show that the prices of existing single family homes across the United States continue to set record declines, a trend that prevailed throughout all of 2007 and 2008. …
PDF - http://www2.standardandpoors.com/spf/pdf/index/CSHomePrice_Release_022445.pdf
Historical list of reports:
11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 National Geographic Geotourism Contest Seeks Top Innovators in Sustainable Tourism
Media News International
The National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers today opened the entry process for the second annual “Geotourism Challenge” to showcase how tourism done well sustains, enhances and preserves local culture and the environment. The competition will identify individuals worldwide who have introduced the most innovative practices in tourism and destination stewardship. ... accept online applications at www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge through May 20, 2009. ...
.02 Stanford case deals 'reputational blow' to offshore markets
Jamaica Gleaner
... end of the Cold War effectively cast the Caribbean adrift and led to an understanding that overcoming smallness would require future development to occur through regional economic integration and global competitiveness. But well before achieving any adequate form of integration or regional governance, external pressure led the Caribbean to join the WTO, liberalise its economies and unquestioningly embrace the Washington consensus before having fully adjusted to the rapid reduction in its dependence on preference and external aid. The global recession throws this experience into sharp relief and may well force the region to confront the unresolved contradictions of its historic commitment to social provision and equity, with its apparently universal commitment to growth, the market and a desire to consume in the image of the US.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090222/business/business4.html
.03 Russian president fires four regional governors
Reuters -
Medvedev signed decrees relieving the governors of the Oryol,
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLG7734620090216
.04
Georgian Daily -
Even as the EU seeks to promote a
http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9991&Itemid=65
.05 Fish migrating to cooler waters, study says
CNN -
A new study predicts that by 2050, large numbers of marine species will migrate from tropical seas toward cooler waters -- specifically the
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/02/12/fish.migration.study/
.06 Cisco Systems unveils global blueprint for cities
Technology has made possible better management of cities and their amenities so that citizens can enjoy better quality of life. To this end, Cisco Systems unveiled in Bengaluru city on Thursday, its "Intelligent Urbanization" blueprint. Through this global framework, Cisco plans to help cities around the world use the network as the next utility for integrated city management, better quality of life for citizens and economic development. ... the
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62050971,00.htm?scid=rss_z_nw
.07
Chosun.com -
... there was a marked preference in favor of people from the Gyeongsang region, with 8 out of 10 executive positions at the personnel office of Cheong Wa Dae coming from there. Regionalism, in other words, has reared its ugly head once again in Korean politics. Previous governments have been criticized for favoritism in terms of blood ties, academic affiliations or social ties. ...
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200902/200902190039.html
.08 Regional water system a must
Lac du Bonnet Leader - Lac
There seems to be a million reasons why regionalization can’t happen. It’s just not feasible, the public is told by politicians and engineering firms, , the latter of which are getting big dollars to sell water plants. There’s too many rocks in the ground to lay pipe. It would cost more to lay pipe than it would to build an entire water plant. Then there’s the biggest whopper of all — that the Lac du Bonnet water plant, which runs only four hours a day yet is designed to run 24/7, is too small to supply water to other communities. ...
http://www.lacdubonnetleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1442960
.09 Van Dongen challenges mayor on metro police force
Globe and Mail - Canada
B.C.'s Solicitor-General yesterday challenged Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson to build support among other mayors for his idea of creating a Metro Vancouver police force to deal with gangs. John van Dongen said he isn't opposed to a regional force that would knit together the varied police departments that serve the Lower Mainland, but he doubts there is support for the proposal. ...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090220.BCGANGS20/TPStory/National
.10 Brong-Ahafo Region is 50yrs … But planned celebration in danger
Ghanaian Chronicle -
The absence of a substantive Regional Minister, is thwarting efforts by the chiefs and people of the Brong Ahafo Region, to plan the Golden Jubilee celebration for the creation of the region.
.11
Gazette Live - Teesside,
Tees Valley Unlimited is the partnership of public, private and voluntary interests which co-ordinates activities to improve the economic performance of the sub-region. The conference brings together key figures from the public and private sectors, along with regional and national organisations to discuss the progress made in developing initiatives to drive the economy - and the bid to become a pilot for the City Region programme. ...
.12 Talks on UNSC expansion to begin in earnest: Diplomat
Hindu Business Line -
UNITED NATIONS: After more than 16 years of futile discussions, the issue of expansion of the Security Council is headed for serious inter-governmental negotiations, ...
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/10141621.htm
.13 Regionalism a path to development
PRESS TV - Tehran, Iran
Tehran will host the Summit of the leaders of member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization(ECO) on Mar.11, 2009. This summit, given the global economic crisis, is of great significance and the decisions it makes and the policies it works out will certainly have important impacts on the life of more than 300 million people of this region.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=85858§ionid=3510303
.14 Mumbai terror attacks highlight need for regional cooperation, says Dhaka
Associated Press of Pakistan
... the terror attack in Mumbai taught the region a lesson that there was a growing need for regional cooperation as the terrorists “are very good in forming transnational linkages and partnership” where the intelligence agencies of the South Asian countries still lacked “unfortunately” for want of the expected cooperation among the governments. ...
http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69098&Itemid=2
.15 Council holds boundary realignment meeting
ABC Regional Online - South Australia
The District Council of Mount Remarkable is holding a public meeting tonight about a proposal to realign the boundaries of two of its communities. ... A South Australian Government panel is deciding whether to further investigate Port Germain and Weeroona Island becoming part of the Port Pirie Regional Council. ... "The boundaries facilitator will actually call a public meeting and they will chair it and it will be a proper forum to see both sides," ...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/24/2500010.htm?site=northandwest
.16 New boundaries proposed for tourism areas
Lake of the Woods Enterprise - Kenora, Ontario, CA
The need for increased investment was the key finding in the Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study chaired by the former Minister of Tourism, Greg Sorbara. ... the most important factor in his report suggests dividing the province into 11 tourism regions, tentatively slicing the Northwestern border to the East of Thunder Bay. Both he and Minister of Tourism, Monique Smith indicated stakeholder meetings are still to take place to ensure the practicality of regional boundaries. …
http://www.lotwenterprise.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1433361
.17 Rwanda: Regional Fine Coffees Conference Opens
AllAfrica.com -
At the opening of the conference, Makuza stressed that the government is optimistic that the function will be significant in developing the coffee sector in
http://allafrica.com/stories/200902130128.html
.18 Are Global Protest Movements Becoming Regionalized? The Case Study of the 2008 G8
In activist communities worldwide, globalization has had an enormous impact, both in the composition of activist groups and the content of their messages. At the same time, regional concerns are playing a significant role in the ways protests are organized, managed, and deployed. ...
.19 APRC and the Bioregional vision
Lankaweb – Shri Lanka
Why Sri Lanka needs Bioregions Sri Lanka is witnessing today the adverse impact of unwise decisions taken by politicians who are now dead. In the 1940s, Dr. S.A. Wickremasinghe was a lonely voice advocating not to build one large reservoir but to develop a series of upstream small water reservoirs under the Gal Oya development project. The economic and environmental costs of ignoring his advice were enormous. ...
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items09/250209-9.html
.20 Human rights body proposed for Pacific
fijilive.com
“A separate Pacific regional mechanism is important because it would be owned by Pacific Islanders who increasingly see their destinies as separate from Asia”. ... Regional human rights mechanisms already exist in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and under the auspices of the Arab League in West Asia and North Africa. The Asia-Pacific region is the only region without a regional human rights mechanism.
http://www.fijilive.com/news_new/index.php/news/show_news/13942
.21 Almost $2 million lost on Beckham
Kiwiblog
Hopefully the Auckland Regional Council has learnt a lesson with its $1.79m loss on David Beckham’s LA Galaxy team, playing at Mt Smart. ... The NZ Herald calculates that is a loss of $22,375 for every minute of the game.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/02/almost_2_million_lost_on_beckham.html
.22 Brazil: World Bank Approves US$46 Million for Regional Urban Development
finchannel.com
“The Cidades do Cearรก project is an important part of the State’s broader regional development strategy, which will improve the quality of life and economic prospects in the interior of the State,”said Cid Gomes, Governor of Cearรก. ... After studies through cluster analysis and identification of economic potentials of different regions, the government developed a regional integration strategy aiming at promoting the growth of secondary and tertiary urban centers outside the capital, Fortaleza. The project approved today will advance the state regional integration strategy through work in three main areas: ...
http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30516&Itemid=56
.23 Co-ordinated regional response now urgent
Jamaica Observer
... the Caricom needs to meet at the level of heads of government to approve a co-ordinated response. This cannot be relegated to an agenda item at the next Heads of Government Summit in March. Such a meeting needs to be preceded by serious technical work. This task is too important to be left to a task force of the regional institutions which, in the first place, allowed the region to be bereft of structural, institutional and policy resilience. The lack of a co-ordinated regional response so far is evidence of the lack of genuine commitment to regionalism at the highest political levels, and the lack of leadership in key regional institutions, notably the Caricom Secretariat. The people of the Caribbean deserve more than this.
.24 Commission increases flexibility of structural funds in response to financial crisis
Eurรณpai bizottsรกg
In response to the financial and economic crisis, Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hรผbner has announced a package of decisions by the European Commission aimed at giving Member States more flexibility in their use of the structural funds. The changes will extend the deadline for EU countries to use up their allocations from the 2000-2006 funding period and ensure that every available euro can be used to maximum effect. ...
.25 Police hampered by "obsolete structure"
Reuters UK
The report by Reform said London's Metropolitan Police should take national responsibility for dealing with crimes involving drugs and guns, and that regional forces should be split up into smaller units to concentrate on local issues. "The threat of crime is changing and growing," said Elizabeth Truss, Reform's Deputy Director. "But the police response has been hampered by the obsolete structure of 43 regional forces." ...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKTRE51P01B20090226
.26 APNIC 27 to focus on IPv4 exhaustion
CIOL - India
Paul Wilson, director general, APNIC, said: "The process of transitioning the world's networks to IPv6 is underway as we face the inevitable exhaustion of the IPv4 address pool. However, the IPv4 protocol will remain an important part of the Internet for many years and strong demand is predicted to continue long after the free pool of unallocated resources is exhausted. There are justifiable community concerns that the remaining free pool of unallocated address space is distributed fairly in accordance with the global and regional community's wishes." ...
http://www.ciol.com/about/About_CIOL.aspx
.27 Coming to the aid of an interdependent world
The Dominion Post – Wellington, NZ
… World Bank: "Every 1 per cent drop in world growth adds 20 million people to the poverty count." A fall from 4 per cent growth last year to 0.5 per cent this year will push 70 million back into poverty on top of the 100 million last year's food crisis pushed into extreme poverty. Mr Deutscher's argument was blunt: "Development co-operation is no charity. It is a strategic investment in a common future that we can only shape collectively." The "we" are the nation-states. A common future requires global agencies, acting globally, not nations acting separately. ...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4846883a23917.html
12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents
.01
Launch
... nationally recognized speaker and transit expert,
.02 Detroit and the Tragedy of the Commons
Build Detroit
• We must explore the creation of a regional government entity to spend a regional tax base in a fair and equitable manner. This regional government entity would also be in charge of managing our common, cross-jurisdictional assets. This entity must have a robust leadership structure with broad public representation, a strong decision-making executive leadership, a true operating Executive Committee, and input from the private sector. ...
http://builddetroit.blogspot.com/2009/02/detroit-and-tragedy-of-commons.html
.03 Some “stimulating” transit expansion ideas
Its Our City - WHYY
It
... Point 4 ties very closely into what I was talking about yesterday in my post about saving the suburbs. You can have all of the density and walkability you want in this new vision of a sustainable suburbia, but without a reliable and convenient form of transit to carry people to other destinations in the region, fewer people will want to live there. From the report, here’s a vision of what the “virtuous cycle” of transit expansion looks like: …
http://whyy.org/blogs/itsourcity/2009/02/12/some-stimulating-transit-expansion-ideas/
.04 Industry And The Urge To Cluster
newgeography
What drives industry to locate in one region and not in the next? … New Economic Geography (NEG) theory would argue that agglomeration advantages lock business activity into core regions. The core also supports the existence of intermediate industry in the periphery, and so specialized input-suppliers co-locate close by. For instance, think of
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00589-industry-and-the-urge-to-cluster
.05 Support Your Local Dispatchers
John Linko
Regionalization / Consolidation - GJRCC functions at a higher level of overall efficiency because of its
http://johnlinko.blogspot.com/2009/02/support-your-local-dispatchers.html
.06 E911 Consolidation, Working Together Regionally
A big decision regarding the future of E911 Emergency Communications is in the works.
Not long ago, the City and
http://hrpartnership.blogspot.com/2009/02/e911-consolidation-working-together.html
.07 Atlanta, DeKalb win smart-growth grants
Fresh Loaf
The hardest part about making progress in metro
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/02/12/atlanta-dekalb-win-smart-growth-grants/
.08 Heart of The Triad meeting that got no reports from local media
TRIAD WATCH
... Piedmont Triad Partnership is working on a PTIA/Aerotropolis project, Robbie Perkins let that out of the bag now we will want to have 2 aerotropolis in the same vicinity of each other and Robbie Perkins want regional cooperation and we come to find out that the airport wants it
http://triadwatch.blogspot.com/2009/02/heart-of-triad-meeting-that-got-no.html
.09 Dynamic Legislative Process: Part One
Dynamic, Collaborative and Sustainable Meta-Regionalism ... How can we take some of the "One Long Island" concepts and apply them to a "dynamic" legislative process? Not only for the federal government, but for state and local entities as well. The above diagram is just a quick first draft. ...
http://longislandideafactory.blogspot.com/2009/02/dynamic-legislative-process-part-one.html
.10 Group completes Discovering a Sense of Place study circle
g.a.l.a. - global awareness local action
community members concluded their study circle titled, Discovering a Sense of Place
[ http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/course-offerings/discovering-a-sense-of-place ] ... designed by the Northwest Earth Institute. This particular course focused on how to develop a strong sense of place and use that sense of grounding toward making a positive impact in your community. … This seven-session course is organized chronologically by the following topics/chapters: … 3. Knowing Your Bioregion: Your bioregion is a unique place with its own watershed, soils, climate, plants, animals, and history. How much do you know about it?; …
http://galacommunity.org/blog/?p=99
.11 round 2 of the fair wheat fight
agrarian grrl
"A WHEAT disease that could destroy most of the world
http://agrariangrrl.blogspot.com/2009/02/round-2-of-fair-wheat-fight.html
.12 192021 – Measuring the same data, across 19 cities
Re*Move
Richard Saul Wurman presented 192021, his new project to tackle a simple problem – the world does not currently measure comparative data on key indicators related to the world
"While some say the world is flat, supercities are rising - vast, intensely urban hubs will radically redefine the world
The website is currently the presentation. The project is a multi-year initiative to collect, organise and package information on population
http://movementbureau.blogs.com/projects/2008/01/192021-measurin.html
.13 Roger Cranville of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance posts from Vietnam
From Feb. 14 to Feb. 21, a delegation of 15 business and academic leaders from the
http://www.vnbusinessnews.com/2009/02/roger-cranville-of-pittsburgh-regional.html
.14 Message from Australia: Four messages from Western Australia
World Streets
3. Regional planning to ensure regional transit systems and associated TODS.
Transit Oriented Developments have begun to work well in
http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/02/four-messages-from-western-australia.html
.15 Regionalism in Flight
this material world
We seek our identity in strange places, in strange reflections. We seek it in sports teams and local newspapers, on water towers and postcards. Regional airlines, too, play on ideas of hometown pride and local boys done good. (
http://thismaterialworld.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/regionalism-in-flight/
.16 Fourteen Future Trends for Business in 2009 and Beyond
DaVinci Institute
2. System Crisis. ... Many of the global systems we currently have in place are on the verge of breaking. Most global systems have evolved out of a patchwork of kluged-together national systems, and have not been designed to properly manage the speed, volume, and excessive nature of today’s society. We are in need of a complete systems overhaul, transitioning us from national systems to global systems. ... 7. The Green Movement Loses Steam. As with the life cycle of any cause, the Green Movement has passed its prime. The weight of any overarching philosophy becomes unwieldy over time, so as a result, many of the movement
http://www.davinciinstitute.com/page.php?ID=621
.17 Ignoring the ‘virtuous circle’ - ignorance or arrogance?
By ddeighton
Whilst not making an observation as to the desirability or otherwise of the proposals in the document discussed below, we no longer have the reserves, as a society, to make continual and seemly random changes to our institutions and governance. ... Speaking about the role of regional governance Gideon Amos added: “The proposal to scrap the RDAs raises a number of important questions such as what will happen to key infrastructure and development projects for which Regional Spatial Strategies provide the key route to permission. A Conservative government would need to figure out new ways to deliver regional partnership projects whose aims are more than just local. ...
.18 Conservative proposals on Elected Mayors
By Andy Sawford
The Conservative Local Government Green Paper “Control Shift” published today includes proposals for referendums in the twelve largest cities after
http://lgiu.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/conservative-proposals-on-elected-mayors/
.19 Our Friends In The North
The Futurist
To date, our view of the recession has been dominated by its economic impact. It is also changing the shape of global geopolitics and we need to be mindful of this. One area in which there could be profound geopolitical realignment is in the Arctic. ... One of the interesting consequences of the current financial crisis is the potential it has for strengthening the Federalist case in Europe. The direction is towards a tighter and more co-ordinated foreign policy for Europe, with a tightening of the institutional framework to give it substance. ...
http://eufo.blogspot.com/2009/02/our-friends-in-north.html
.20 10 Social Psychology Tips for Managing Online Communities
Leadership in Social Networks
Let’s take a scientific approach to managing online communities. The following tips are based on the science that describes the nature of human interactions - social psychology.
1. Beware the Fundamental Attribution Error ...
http://kleczek.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/10-social-psychology-tips-for-managing-online-communities/
.21 Make Your Idea a Reality! Consider Hosting Your Professional Meeting, Conference, or Event on Campus
Intercom
http://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20090213141736233
.22 Collaborative Writing
Sharley Ross
Collaborative document development is a great way for administrators to work with others in creating documents about new technology as well as getting others to work together on projects. ... acting globally in Tapscott and Williams’ definition, “. . .has no physical or regional boundaries. It builds planetary ecosystems for designing, sourcing, assembling, and distributing products on a global basis. ...
http://rossturtle.blogspot.com/2009/02/collaborative-writing.html
13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
.01 Executive Order: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to take a coordinated and comprehensive approach to developing and implementing an effective strategy concerning urban America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. About 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and the economic health and social vitality of our urban communities are critically important to the prosperity and quality of life for Americans. Vibrant cities spawn innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the businesses, universities, and civic, cultural, religious, and nonprofit institutions they attract. Forward-looking policies that encourage wise investment and development in our urban areas will create employment and housing opportunities and make our country more competitive, prosperous, and strong. In the past, insufficient attention has been paid to the problems faced by urban areas and to coordinating the many Federal programs that affect our cities. A more comprehensive approach is needed, both to develop an effective strategy for urban America and to coordinate the actions of the many executive departments and agencies whose actions impact urban life.
Sec. 2. Establishment. ...
.02 2007 Census of Agriculture – U.S. Department of Agriculture
Results of the 2007 Census of Agriculture were released February 4, 2009.
.03 “Geography of Emerging Industries” Regional Studies Annual Lecture - Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting - Las Vegas, March 22-27
Lecture will be presented by Professor Maryann Feldman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Sunday, March 22. A reception sponsored by the Regional Studies Association follows immediately after the lecture. For more information and description of the lecture material: http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/events/AAG2009_LasVegas.pdf
Other Regional Studies Association events: http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/
Association of American Geographers - http://aag.org/annualmeetings/2009/index.htm
.04 2009 Hampton Roads Civic Engagement Summit “Our Region, Our Future” - April 4 - Old Dominion University’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center - Suffolk, VA
Hosted by the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement; you should attend if you are concerned about:
* Having a high-achieving and well-governed region
* Defining “high-achieving” and “well-governed”
* Responsibility and accountability for our common future
.05 FEMA/NIBS HAZUS (Hazards US) software - HAZUS User Groups
HAZUS-MH is a powerful risk assessment software program for analyzing potential losses from floods, hurricane winds and earthquakes. In HAZUS-MH, current scientific and engineering knowledge is coupled with the latest geographic information systems (GIS) technology to produce estimates of hazard-related damage before, or after, a disaster occurs.
The mission of HAZUS.org is to focus on the promotion and development of HAZUS applications via the development and documentation of best practices, implementation guidelines, standards and outreach. This is accomplished through the support of HAZUS User Groups, the operation of the HAZUS.org web site and information sharing.
HAZUS User Groups (HUGs) are popping up all across the country. To see what is available where you are, click on your FEMA Region ..
http://www.hazus.org/NEW_HAZUSorg/HAZUSorg_HUGS.htm
.06 Tri-State Transportation Campaign - Transportation Reform in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut Metropolitan Region
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to reducing car dependency in
http://www.tstc.org/about.html
.07 Want to fight Metro cuts? Build a coalition
Greater Greater
The Transit First coalition is a group that intends to work with our elected officials to ensure that we find a solution to funding something that is so vital and interwoven with every aspect of our region. From commuting, to recreation, to social events, to reducing sprawl, to connecting our region, Metro rail and bus services are an inseparable part of the
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1693
.08 Advanced Regional Spatial Data Infrastructures in Europe - European Commission (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC) [http://sdi.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ ]
Executive Summary:
“This report presents the findings of the workshop on Advanced Regional Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) organised by the European Commission Joint Research Centre in May 2008. The objectives of the workshop were to review the state of progress, analyse the different organisational models established with local and national stakeholders, and assess the social and economic impacts of the regional SDIs. Eleven regional/sub-national SDIs in Europe are presented in the report: Lombardy, and Piedmont (Italy), Catalonia and Navarra (Spain), Wallonia and Flanders (Belgium), North-Rhine Westfalia and Bavaria (Germany), Northern Ireland (UK), Brittany (France), and Vysoฤina (Czech Republic).
These experiences are set in the context of the broader European framework provided by the INSPIRE Directive, the national State of Play studies, and international experiences in the USA and Australia. A key finding of the report is that these regions are indeed leading actors in the development of SDIs in
This organisational work is challenging because it involves a very large number of stakeholders operating at the local level, and requires long term political, organisational, and personal commitment. However, the evidence available at the present time indicates that it is at the local level that the largest social and economic benefits of an SDI can be found, supporting operational day-to-day applications affecting millions of citizens and local businesses. To achieve these benefits there is no alternative but to engage locally, and invest in building and maintaining relationships and trust.
From this perspective, the main lesson of the European experiences, supported by those in the USA and Australia, is that Spatial Data Infrastructures are foremost social networks of people and organisations, in which technology and data play a supportive role. The technology is cheap, data is expensive, but social relations are invaluable.”
4.1 MB report download: http://sdi.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ws/Advanced_Regional_SDIs/arsdi_report.pdf
.09 Reclaiming Vacant Properties: Building Leadership to Restore Communities - June 1-3, 2009 Louisville, Kentucky
Choose from 30 breakout sessions, plus mobile workshops featuring some of the most exciting initiatives in Louisville, and all new this year, in-depth training seminars on key strategies. Network and share your expertise with others working to build strong, healthy communities across the country.
http://reclaimingvacantproperties.org/program/
The National Vacant Properties Campaign exists to provide everyone – individuals, advocates, agencies, developers, non-profits, and others – with information resources, tools, and assistance to support their vacant property revitalization efforts.
http://www.vacantproperties.org/
14. Financial Crisis. Contents
.01 Repairing the World
Where do we go from here? Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times and author of the recently-released book Fixing Global Finance, has some surprising answers.
...
Futurist: Looking ahead even more long-term, one of the thing I like about your book, you write that the
Wolf: … this is seen as a controversial view. In response to a financial crisis of an earlier decade, they pushed up deficits and gave themselves large export services and large export capital, to sustain large export surpluses particularly in the case of
… It would have been better for the
http://www.wfs.org/Jan-Feb%2009/WolflMA09.htm
.02 IMF Outlines Dire Consequences if World Fails to Act on Banks - International Monetary Fund
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn pressed governments around the world to act urgently and decisively to reverse a slump in global trade and industrial activity by cleaning up the banking system, restructuring the financial sector, and reviving the global economy in a coordinated manner. ... SEACEN governors welcomed the call to double the size of the IMF
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2009/NEW020709A.htm H
.03 Albert H. Gordon Lecture: Comments on the Current Financial Crisis - Remarks at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government - Richard W. Fisher, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
...
There are plenty of armchair quarterbacks who now claim to have seen all this coming. Indeed, we must acknowledge that many in the financial community, including those at the Federal Reserve, failed to either detect or act upon the telltale signs of financial system excess.
Paul Volcker told me recently that in his day, he knew that a bank was headed for trouble when it grew too fast, moved into a fancy new building, placed the chairman of the board as the head of the art committee and hired McKinsey & Co. to do an incentive compensation study for the senior officers.
Paul Volcker is the wisest of men. Yet, I believe the following, written by another wise man, provides a more fulsome and insightful description of what we recently experienced. This is a long quote, so bear with me, as it perfectly captures the circumstances that led up to our current predicament:
"Every now and then the world is visited by one of these delusive seasons, when 'the credit system' ... expands to full luxuriance: everyone trusts everybody; a bad debt is a thing unheard of; the broad way to certain and sudden wealth lies plain and open; and men ... dash forth boldly from the facility of borrowing.
"Promissory notes, interchanged between scheming individuals, are liberally discounted at the banks.... Everyone talks in [huge amounts]; nothing is heard but gigantic operations in trade; great purchases and sales of real property, and immense sums [are] made at every transfer. All, to be sure, as yet exists in promise; but the believer in promises calculates the aggregate as solid capital....
"Speculative and dreaming ... men ... relate their dreams and projects to the ignorant and credulous, dazzle them with golden visions, and set them maddening after shadows. The example of one stimulates another; speculation rises on speculation; bubble rises on bubble....
"Speculation ... casts contempt upon all its sober realities. It renders the [financier] a magician, and the [stock] exchange a region of enchantment.... No 'operation' is thought worthy of attention that does not double or treble the investment. No business is worth following that does not promise an immediate fortune....
"Could this delusion always last, life ... would indeed be a golden dream; but [the delusion] is as short as it is brilliant."[1]
That was not written by Martin Wolf of the Financial Times or Paul Gigot of the Wall Street Journal or David Brooks of the New York Times or Ellen Goodman of the Boston Globe. It was written by Washington Irving in his famous "Crayon Papers" about the Mississippi Bubble fiasco of 1719.
Irving, mind you, had never heard of a subprime mortgage or a credit default swap or any of the other modern financial innovations that are proving so vexing to credit markets today. ...
I am tempted to end this cheery talk by saying "Have a nice day!" and walking off the stage. However, I would hate to leave this podium with your having concluded that I am just another sourpuss. I am, as I said, paid to worry. But I am a red-blooded American, as are all my colleagues at the Fed. I draw on the wisdom of Marcus Nadler, one of the great minds of the Federal Reserve from a period when our economy endured an even greater "stress test." To counter the intellectual paralysis and down-in-the-mouth pessimism that gripped the financial industry after the Crash of '29, Nadler put forth four simple propositions:
First, he said: "You're right if you bet that the United States economy will continue to expand."
Second: "You're wrong if you bet that it is going to stand still or collapse."
Third: "You're wrong if you bet that any one element in our society is going to ruin or wreck the country."
And fourth: "You're right if you bet that (leaders) in business, labor, and government are sane, reasonably well informed and decent people who can be counted on to find common ground among all their conflicting interests and work out a compromise solution to the big issues that confront them."
This became known as "Old Doc Nadler's Remedy," and for my part, it is spot on. Every one of us preoccupied with what ails us should keep it in mind. ...
http://dallasfed.org/news/speeches/fisher/2009/fs090223.cfm
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 1,194 utilizes regional related sites as of February 25, 2009. Entering the term “regional crisis” returned 127 items; “crisis response” returned 258 items.
Search engine link: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000551187207053117963:m1gvkhigkeo&hl=en
My name is Tom Christoffel. I
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
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
News references are found using the Google News search service. 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.
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Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP - http://www.regionalintelligence.com/
