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A compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.
Published on line since November 11, 2003.
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Contents
Top Regional Community stories … 1. – 9.
U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State – news articles …10.01 - .40
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .28
Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .16
Announcements and Regional Links … 13.01 - .09
Financial Crisis …14.01 - .03
Custom search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.
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Top Regional Community stories
1. More regional planning needed, report finds - The Daily Sound -
Unparalleled challenges face the residents of
…
No other agency or organization in the county is more fit to seek out and implement solutions to those challenges than the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments , according to a recent
But the organization, known as SBCAG, has not done enough to focus on comprehensive regional planning, the civil jury found, and instead has focused on road projects rather than other critical issues that impact residents, such as the jobs-housing imbalance and land use planning.
“There is no existing, documented, overarching framework to guide or anchor the decision-making process,” according to the report. “In its review of SBCAG meeting videos and minutes, the jury confirmed reluctance on the part of the board to adopt a collaborative approach to countywide problems. Rather than treating issues as opportunities for collective decision-making, the typical approach has been to frame them as threats to local autonomy, particularly if the state was involved.”
Several elected officials who sit on the SBCAG board — a 13-member panel comprised of the five county supervisors and mayors from each municipality — acknowledged there is work to be done on the regional planning front.
…
The board itself has acknowledged that fact on numerous occasions, according to the grand jury report, including in a 2004 study that spelled out the necessity for tools to deal with challenges that don’t follow political boundaries.
“Regrettably, SBCAG essentially shelved the report and its recommendations,” the grand jury found.
In its own set of findings and recommendations, the jury lobbied for a fully integrated regional plan and aggressive pursuit of any state funding to develop such a blueprint.
…
And while the SBCAG [ http://www.sbcag.org/] board is starting to take baby steps, as Kemp termed them, toward regional planning, the executive director said the public also plays a critical role in the process.
“The community needs to support this kind of planning or it will be an uphill battle the whole way,” Kemp said.
http://www.thedailysound.com/061609sbcagreport
2. Tunnel idea forces local officials to juggle - Glendale News Press -
The prospect of a
It also has caused headaches for the city of
So it’s no surprise La Cañada Councilman Dave Spence is in a difficult position.
He represents only his city constituents, but also serves on several regional governmental bodies, including as president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments [ http://www.sgvcog.org/ ], one of four sub-councils to the Southern California Assn. of Governments, [ http://www.scag.ca.gov/ ] which supports the 710 extension.
Therein lies a delicate line Spence and other officials have found themselves in as stakeholders begin to entrench themselves over the proposed project.
“It’s a tricky position,” La Cañada Mayor Laura Olhasso said of Spence’s governmental roles. “I know as a leader of San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, Dave wears a regional hat. The majority of the members of that body have voted in support of an extension of the 710, and that’s the position that body has. But Dave, as a member of this council, has voiced strong opposition. That’s the hard thing about wearing multiple hats.”
Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian has found himself in a similar position. In his city role, he has repeatedly voiced opposition to the project, but he is also scheduled to become chairman of the MTA later this summer, placing him in a powerful position at a county agency that would control millions in funding for the tunnel.
Spence, who is up for reelection to the regional council …
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/06/20/politics/gnp-spence20.txt
3. New Rail Lines Spur Urban Revival - New York Times -
...
While the credit crisis has halted many housing developments — notably subdivisions and stand-alone condominium buildings — some projects that are going forward are linked to broader revitalization or transit-related efforts.
“People have rediscovered cities and urban living,” said Shelley Poticha, the president of Reconnecting America, a nonprofit organization focused on integrating transportation systems with communities they serve.
…
Many cities are inspired by the success of
...
“It’s been transformative,” said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. He anticipates 50 transit-oriented developments to be built around FasTracks over the next decade.
Urban-style development may be the brightest spot in a generally gloomy market. A recent survey of developers and investors by the Urban Land Institute for its annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report found that urban redevelopment had the best prospects among all types of housing, while urban mixed-use properties and town centers scored high among niche property types. “These are the places that will be creating and holding value,” Ms. Poticha said. She said proximity to public transit could raise property values significantly.
“It’s moved from being an interesting idea to a core investment,” said Jonathan F. P. Rose, the president of the Jonathan Rose Companies, …
The most successful projects do more than build housing near transit stations. They take pains to create livable neighborhoods, with parks, paths, retail stores and places for people to gather. “Place-making is key,” Ms. Poticha said.
That often requires collaboration between local governments and private developers. Local governments might invest in transit, parks and infrastructure, revise zoning laws and offer financial incentives in return for a developer taking the risk of building in an unproven area.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/realestate/14sqft.html
4. Dodging a Bullet (Train): When DART's More About the "Area" Than About "Dallas" -
The concept of regionalism is a Trojan horse designed to gut the city in favor of the 'burbs. If you ever doubted that, take a look at the very close bullet that downtown
For 26 years, ever since the founding of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, downtown
Oh, right.
Just what the city should do with a quarter-century's worth of financial and political capital: help fund more sprawl and screw downtown. Crazy, right?
But it almost happened, which means it could happen again. Make that: will happen again.
People with a stake in downtown
Imagine the shock, then, when DART revealed during the recently ended session of the Legislature that it was thinking of not going into the airport but bending the Orange Line west, into the furthermost 'burbs instead. It seemed to make no sense.
…
Keep your eyes peeled for regionalism. They say it walks by night.
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2009/06/_the_concept_of_regionalism.php
5.
Will
The Scottsdale City Council will consider that question at a meeting next week.
However,
Lane said he is reviewing all of the city's memberships and contributions to regional planning efforts to make sure
But some are concerned that pulling out of the group would cut the city off from talks about how to connect Scottsdale to the regional transportation system in the future - whether by streetcar, bus, trolley or light rail.
Regional transportation discussions are already covered through the Maricopa Association of Governments and Valley Metro, which
"We need to look at whether or not it is important for us to be involved with (Metro light rail) since we don't have any track, we don't have any vote and we're to discuss things that don't impact us at all," Lane said.
...
The question of light rail in
Supporters view light rail as a way to boost revitalization and relieve congestion.
But opponents say the system is too costly and could corrupt the character of the city's Western-style downtown.
…
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/06/13/20090613nesrtransit0613.html
6. Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities: DOT, EPA, HUD - US DOT – Press release
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson today announced a new partnership to help American families in all communities –- rural, suburban and urban – gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs.
DOT, HUD and EPA have created a high-level interagency partnership to better coordinate federal transportation, environmental protection, and housing investments and to identify strategies that:
* Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nations’ dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.
* Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.
* Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded business access to markets.
* Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities – through such strategies as transit oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling – to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.
* Coordinate policies and leverage investment. Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.
* Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods – rural, urban or suburban.
The HUD/DOT/EPA partnership will:
* Enhance integrated planning and investment. ...
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot8009.htm
7. East
East Texas Council of Governments [ http://www.etcog.org/ ] has formed a Citizens' Advisory Team to advise staff regarding the area's position on federal and other funding, as well as to prioritize regional transportation project needs.
The team will advise staff on the development of a Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO).
Citizens' Advisory Team members include: Harrison County Judge Richard Anderson; Jeff Austin III, chairman of the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority; Smith County Judge Joel Baker; Randy Brogoitti, MB Construction Management, LLC; Randy Hopmann, TxDOT Tyler District; Griff Hubbard, AMTRAK; Bobby Littlefield, TxDOT Paris District; Robert Ratcliff, TxDOT Atlanta District; Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt; Tim Vaughn, East Texas Corridor Council chairman; and staff members John Hedrick, director of transportation, and David Cleveland, executive director.
Staff and team efforts would place the region in front of proposed state legislation that would encourage RTPOs being linked to Councils of Governments. The team will consider best practice alternatives with the goal to present the ETCOG executive committee an RTPO framework that will strengthen the region's transportation, planning, consensus building and advocacy activities.
"ETCOG is always looking for ways to address regional needs. As a regional planning organization for nearly 40 years, this project is a perfect fit for us," said David Cleveland, ETCOG executive director.
…
ETCOG serves as the Rural Transit District for its 14-county region, providing public transportation services for Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood counties.
It also provides administrative support for the East Texas Corridor Council, which is seeking higher-speed rail along the I-20 Corridor.
…
http://www.kilgorenewsherald.com/news/2009/0620/news/016.html
8. Regional agency opposes
A regional planning agency for the
In a letter to members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission last week, the Indian Nations Council of Governments, a voluntary association of 50 municipal and five county governments in the
Instead, INCOG is recommending the commission create a geographic split where a line is drawn through the area's existing area code. The old area code would remain the same on one side of the line while the new area code would be in effect on the other side.
The three-member commission, which regulates utilities and the oil and gas industry, is considering a new area code for northeastern
…
INCOG's letter, dated June 16, states that the overlay method, which would place the new area code over the existing area code territory, would require every telephone customer within the 918 area code to dial 10 digits for all local calls, regardless of which area code they were assigned.
NANPA updates their estimates of when area codes are expected to run out of numbers several times a year, but it can be hard to find the information.
"Electronic dialing systems such as fax machines, alarm systems and speed dials would have to be reprogrammed," according to the letter, which is signed by INCOG [http://www.incog.org/ ] chairman John Selph.
…
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/06/23/ap6576038.html
9. Ahead of the curve - The Gazette (
We are living through a great turning point in world history. In just a few short months, our economy and our society are on their way to being transformed.
…
With credit tight and in some cases unavailable, the real economy, real people and real creativity replace finance capital as the new coin of the realm.
…
Creativity is in the region’s DNA. More than just about any other region,
But the city and the region need a government that can help get them there. Governmental structures in
I saw similarly overbearing structures in
..
But today’s regions are too complicated for top-down, single-leader strategies. The key is to create a broad shared vision that can mobilize the energy of many groups – an open-source approach that can harness the energy and ideas of networks of people.
…
http://www.montrealgazette.com/Ahead+curve/1021904/story.html
Note: This just came as a Google news alert. Though dated December 2, 2009, the content remains current for those involved in the long term arc of regional community building and community resilience. Ed.
10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.
Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth noting. In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other regional organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google search will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always get the organization name correct. Contents
.01 Could Metro crash also happen here? Most SEPTA, PATCO lines have crash-prevention systems
In the earliest stages of its investigation into the
.02 Emergency response to Metrorail crash shows post-9/11 gains
The Christian Science Monitor -
First responders' effective handling of Monday's rail accident in
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0624/p02s21-usgn.html
.03 Dayton-area officials endorse regional government
Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley and Dayton City Commissioner Joey Williams both endorsed the idea of having a regional form of government Tuesday morning at the Montgomery County Regional Development Forum. … All five panel members agreed the region needs to move towards a regional economic development approach, with strong central governance. Proponents of regional government say the model would make the
http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/06/22/daily13.html
.04
City officials have voted to re-join the
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_12620535
.05 Aerotropolis idea takes flight with signed agreement
The
Nine local governments signed an agreement today that seeks to turn the area surrounding
.06
The Wall Street Journal -
In the history of American urban planning, Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago stands alone not only in its innate elegance but also in its astonishing ambition. With near hubris it counseled that the people of
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204482304574217771125507970.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
.07 New Report Says National Energy Policy and
Chicago Council on Global Affairs - Press release
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs released a task force report, Embracing the Future: The Midwest and a New National Energy Policy, that calls upon the
http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/media_press_room_detail.php?press_release_id=101
.08 Council of Governments translates into strength in numbers - Gettysburg Times -
Banding together often is seen as a solution to problems faces by multiple people, businesses or other entities. The approach, which is on its way to becoming the Adams County Council of Governments, allows the power of a large organization with the ability of its members to maintain their individuality and autonomy, Cumberland Township Supervisor and COG temporary president Barbara Underwood said Tuesday morning. In development for about a year, the informal organization has representatives from about 15 municipalities, two school districts and the county. “I think this is the right time for this,” Underwood said. “Folks seem very interested in sitting at the table and talking with one another.” She began working to create the organization about a year ago, after reading about the concept in the Township News, a magazine for township supervisors. A similar organization already is functioning in
http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/local/doc4a38ccd770dce978117278.txt
.09 Intergovernmental committee to take up several issues
The summer meeting of the Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations ... The committee consists of four members of the State House of Representatives, four members of the State Senate and seven members appointed by the governor. The gubernatorial appointments are from all over the state. "We sit as a legislative body and look at all governmental issues," said Colvin, who is based out of
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=52586
.10 Ayer turnout thin for regionalization forum
Nashoba Publishing - Ayer, MA,
"Embedded in our culture is the sense that we want to educate our kids in our home commmunities and when you regionalize you loose a piece of that, there's no question," Frost said, "but what's becoming more and more obvious to those involved in the day-to-day function of the schools is that the sustainability of increasing budgets is becoming a challenge." The Regional Planning Board's presentation is available at: http://www.alsregion.org./
http://www.nashobapublishing.com/ci_12618362
.11 Regional development agency cuts staff, freezes salaries
The Allegheny Conference on Community Development eliminated nine positions as a result of a restructuring to better match staffing with resources, a spokeswoman said today. Six people were laid off Thursday, and three other positions were eliminated which were currently vacant, said Catherine DeLoughry, senior vice president of communications. As a result, the group now employs 47 people. The conference, which focuses on regional economic development and public policy, also froze salaries and cut "some discretionary expenditures," said DeLoughry. The organization's current budget is about $9 million. ...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_629322.html
.12
The Desert Sun - Palm Springs, CA,
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090613/NEWS07/906130316/1013/news07
.13
The Hub -
The Borough Council has approved a resolution in favor of joining the Central Jersey Council of Governments (CJCG), a bipartisan organization focused on making government more efficient for the residents of
http://hub.gmnews.com/news/2009/0611/front_page/006.html
.14
Squeezed by the recession, two mainstays of the
http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/1260342.html
.15 City looks to merge services with
Warren Tribune Chronicle -
... , vice president for government affairs for the Regional Chamber, said the chamber supports regionalization and would eventually like to see a Metro police force in
http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/523598.html?nav=5021
.16 Commission Looks at Merging Paducah, McCracken Co.
A commission will spend the next year looking at the pros and cons of merging the
.17 The Next Page: For a
A statewide effort to reduce the number of school districts, combined with a countywide consolidation of municipalities, presents a golden opportunity: We can do both at once. The promise of such a far-reaching effort is to create more cost-effective, economically competitive and efficient governmental bodies. As a jump-off to this discussion, I offer the following plan to reduce the number of school districts and municipalities in
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09172/978701-109.stm
.18 Inside the Newsroom: Time to consolidate city county
Commercial Appeal.com -
Fly over
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jun/14/inside-the-newsroom-time-to-consolidate-city/
.19 Regionalism Leader Calls Legislature 'Bloated'
Residents in two Western New York towns voted to downsize their respective town boards in recent days, a path unavailable for
http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/532490.html?nav=5018
.20 Proposed National Heritage Area public meeting
Historic City News -
... proposed Nation’s Oldest Port National Heritage Area ... Those who live in the coastal
.21 Rural
Southern Maryland Online - MD,
The Rural Broadband Coordination Board will meet by teleconference on Monday, June 29, at 9:30 a.m. to elect a new chairman ... Board members represent the Rural Maryland Council, the Department of Business and Economic Development, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Information Technology, the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, the Tri-County Council for Western Maryland, the Mid-Shore Regional Council, the Tri-County Council for Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Upper Shore Regional Council. Extending broadband service throughout
http://somd.com/news/headlines/2009/10119.shtml
.22 Group to receive $2.5 million to aid with housing program
NVDaily -
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission will receive $2.5 million of $17.5 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Funding ticketed for
http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2009/06/group-to-receive-25-million-to-aid-with.html
.23
High-speed rail plans in the Midwest and
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/06/15/daily58.html
.24 High Speed Rail Play: ABB Ltd (ABB)
Green Stocks Central -
... How many proposals like DRPA’s from around the country get federal funding, according to the CEO? Only 2 out of every 100 projects. That leaves room for states to act more quickly, he says, which can bring a time and cost advantage as the race for regional high-speed rail heats up. We’re tracking companies like ABB (NYSE:ABB), which has played a major role in creating light-rail systems around the world. Next week, a look at what other countries are already doing with high-speed. What’s your experience with rail travel, and how do you think the
http://greenstockscentral.com/high-speed-rail-play-abb-ltd-abb-1771.html
.25 Rail advocates call for multi-state approach
... Tom Irwin of the Conservation Law Foundation wants even more collaboration. Irwin chairs the steering committee of the New England Regional Rail Coalition
(Irwin) "What we don't have is a true wide regional vision of what projects should be top priority in terms of region-wide benefit."
(Cohen) But others say the conversation has been going on for a long time. The Coalition of Northeast Governors or CONEG says it's working with states to identify which projects could strengthen passenger rail.
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/85156/
.26 A regional name for YWCA
Times Union -
The Troy-Cohoes YWCA serves all the region's women and children and now their name will reflect that. The YWCA branch on
http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?storyID=805460&newsdate=6/3/2009&BCCode=MBTA
.27 Group is seeking high-tech future
Fredericksburg.com -
A regional economic development group is looking for people interested in pursuing high-tech industries on their land sites. The
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/062009/06242009/475231
.28
At the 2009 Nano Renewable Energy Summit in
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/uod-snc062309.php
.29 Our View: Private and public sectors must collaborate to build
State government cannot build
http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/story/812233.html
.30 Groups Urge Governors to
Forum News – Howard
... prevent a private company from constructing an island off the Rockaway coast that would receive shipments of liquefied natural gas. According to groups fighting this and other similar proposals, the five governors from
http://forumnewsgroup.blogspot.com/2009/06/groups-urge-governors-to-block-gas.html
.31 Summer Coin Crew working hard
Kosciusko Star Herald -
Roughly 60 young men and women are working in various places throughout the city and county thanks to a federal work program. ... The program is being administered by the Mississippi Partnership Local Workforce Area through Three Rivers Planning and Development District in Pontotoc and in cooperation with Northeast Planning and Development District in Booneville, North Central Planning and Development District in
http://www.starherald.net/homepage/local_story_169115546.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
.32
Iowa City Press Citizen -
A new allotment of federal money will soon be available for flood-affected communities and homeowners, including in
http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20090611/NEWS01/906110318/1079
.33 Workshop to 'connect the dots' around region
Citizens from
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090611/YOURTOWNS01/906110309
.34 Public transit task force meets
Regional transportation was the topic of discussion at the Riley County ATA Transit System meeting Tuesday at the Riley County Courthouse. The meeting laid preliminary groundwork for a regional public transportation system in the seven counties that surround
The Kansas Collaborative recommended the creation of a team to develop an understanding of the Regional Transit Approach, analyze details of how the Regional Transit Approach could work in the
http://www.kstatecollegian.com/today/public-transit-task-force-meets-1.1761348
.35 New data terminals aid CCSO deputies
Princeton Times Leader -
Communications capabilities of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Department have been augmented with the addition of a new mobile data terminal (MDT) in one of the department's SUVs. The new MDT, funded by a Homeland Security grant administered through the Pennyrile Area Development District (PADD) office, brings the department's total total to five, with a combined value of about $50,000. ...
http://www.timesleader.net/articles/stories/public/200906/14/4ooZ_news.html
.36 Starting at the center
… If we had leadership at the County level that talked up regionalism and worked to build coalitions for the advancement of policies that strengthened the region, starting from the center and spreading outward, that would be an important step in moving us forward collectively. Right now, we have a mayor crying in the wilderness, to the disdain of his counterparts in the suburbs. Ironically, however, by being unwilling to give up any control over their situation, they will lose it all.
http://www.vindy.com/weblogs/reason/2009/jun/16/starting-at-the-center/
.37 Beebe Trumpets Regionalism
The Morning News -
All cities and communities in
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/06/17/news/061809rznaca.txt
.38 Summary:
S&P Credit Research
Abstract: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'AA' long-term rating, and stable outlook, to
http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/spcred/726645
.39 TechAmerica adds voice of state and regional council group
TechAmerica and the Technology Councils of North America have signed an agreement to coordinate the memberships, programs and services currently offered respectively through TechAmerica’s network of 16 regional councils and TECNA’s approximately 40 independent regional trade associations. The agreement between the two organizations paves the way for TechAmerica to serve as the exclusive national partner for TECNA in advocacy and marketing activities and will begin an effort to consolidate overlapping councils and associations serving the technology community around the country, ...
.40 `
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ks-disastertraining,0,6611355.story
11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 Unrest could hinder
The Associated Press
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gWuDG2AEaFHXvHiFD1iJ-1T-DC4AD98VR9100
.02 Coping with
Council on Foreign Relations -
Since
http://www.cfr.org/publication/19596/
.03 Water for
Council On Hemispheric Affairs -
The Corporate Crusade to Commodify Water ... Civil society has made strides against the runaway process of privatization and commercialization of water, but there is a formidable challenge ahead. While transnational companies have experienced setbacks in their attempts to privatize water in
http://www.coha.org/2009/06/water-for-sale/
.04 Urban mega-regions: opportunity or regret?
Canoe.ca -
Take the Golden Horseshoe, an expansive area encompassing the
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Environment/Suzuki/2009/06/17/9828566-ca.html
.05
Canada.com - Don
It's a tourist map with a difference. A new map unveiled Monday by Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay promotes the geotourism of
http://www.canada.com/news/national/Montreal+first+city+geotourism/1698675/story.html
.06 'Inequities' of regional development agencies decried at
Western Canadian grumbling at the Paris Air Show over inequitable federal corporate aid programs that favour Atlantic Canada over the West prove that regional development is an inherently unfair system, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said Friday. ... The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency,
.07 TLC: Cycling Plan a Smart Investment
Raise the Hammer -
Getting the cycling network in place will help attract the "creative class" and will do much to "change Hamilton's image as a faltering industrial city paralyzed by conflict and indecision....Hamilton must celebrate itself, recreate its sense of pride and stop listening to the naysayers." ("
http://www.raisethehammer.org/blog.asp?id=1390
.08 New cycleway slammed as 'dangerous'
The Chronicle -
IT looks like an Irish gag. But the joke is on us. This Toowoomba cycleway cost us $150,000.
“Unmitigated disaster,” is how cyclist Hugh Wilson describes the
http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/06/12/new-cycleway-slammed-dangerous/
.09 Rockhampton: the place to live
Australian Mining
Rockhampton Regional Council will showcase what is said to be “the most liveable community in the world” at the 2009 Queensland Resources Expo (QREX) trade exhibition ... As the ninth largest council in
http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/Article/Rockhampton-the-place-to-live/485504.aspx
.10 Council CEO quits over 'cash for comment' on 4CA
Knowfirst
THE chief executive of a north
http://www.knowfirst.info/forums/showthread.php?t=28960
.11 It’s time to make local government truly local again!
Pits'n'Pots - The Radical Press -
A Conservative government would devolve power away from central and regional government down to the local level to ensure that people are given a much greater say in the decisions that affect them. I firmly believe that real innovation is being stifled by the straightjacket of over centralised government control and our localist agenda will change this. Put simply, we want to make local government truly local again. We will put real trust in local democracy by decentralising power, putting communities and their elected representatives in charge.
http://pitsnpots.co.uk/2009/06/its-time-to-make-local-government-truly-local-again/
.12 Bigger isn't better: A return to booming economic growth would put the world back on the path to disaster -- it's time for a radical rethinking
Ottawa Citizen -
... the
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/fp/Bigger%2Bbetter/1590471/story.html
.13 Winners and losers in the new geopolitics
EurActiv -
The West must "rethink its narrative" if it wants to strengthen its standing in the world, writes Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, in a June paper. "Both the global economic crisis and the arrival of Barack Obama are transforming the geopolitical landscape," he states. ... "The recession will not enhance
http://www.euractiv.com/en/opinion/winners-losers-new-geopolitics/article-183069
.14 Consultative workshop on natural products sector of eastern
FARA Secretariat
The establishment of the Botanical products and marketing platform Africa was announced, a regional forum and global community of practice for networking and technical exchange between stakeholders, adding value to the plant products of agroforestry systems and natural plant product value chains of the African continent. The ‘Naturally African Platform’, will develop the science, cultivation and trade of tree and other natural products’ - as a first step ... For more details, visit, http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/af1/index.php?id=79
or http://www.naturallyafricanplatform.org/
.15 Asia-Pacific to form bio-security network
Intellasia.Net
A biosecurity regional network that will develop safe and stable bioscience architecture in the Asia-Pacific region will be focus of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) when they meet in
http://www.intellasia.net/news/articles/finance/111266787.shtml
.16 North East comes alive at Kamani auditorium in
Sindh Today -
Organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The event aimed at showcasing the culture of North Eastern States on one platform. Besides bonding different communities, it also aimed at spreading the culture of northeastern states in other parts of
http://www.sindhtoday.net/news/1/18888.htm
.17 German firms looking to ink research pacts in
Livemint -
Almost nine months after
http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/19001022/German-firms-looking-to-ink-re.html
.18 Concern grows for communities
TbNewsWatch.com -
There is a growing concern for First Nation communities with H1N1 cases in
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/?cid=59289
.19 GCC nationals suggest names for proposed common currency
Peninsula On-line -
The four countries that have signed the agreement to have a currency union are
.20 Turkish delight: Tele Atlas maps and geopolitics
GPS Business News
Maps and geopolitics are closely linked together as demonstrated again this week by an email from Tele Atlas to its customers. This email reveals that the
http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/Turkish-delight-Tele-Atlas-maps-and-geopolitics_a1577.html
.21 Water from T&T, so what?
This is in response to an article in Mondays' Gleaner titled "Water on sale from
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090618/letters/letters4.html
.22 What is the 'Fundamental Solution' to the Political Malaise?
The Chosun Ilbo -
In his biweekly radio address, just before leaving for the
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/06/16/2009061600872.html
.23 [Editorial] President Lee should heed religious leaders' counsel
The Hankyoreh -
Now President Lee Myung-bak has gone one step further in his radio address. There he claimed that public sentiments are split by ideology and region, and that the culture of political strife has not left
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/360648.html
.24 Govt. presents draft law on regional development
B92 -
Deputy Premier and Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić said that the draft is one of the most important steps toward the decentralization of
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=06&dd=09&nav_id=59724
.25
Xinhua -
Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions will actively engage in economic cooperation with nine Chinese mainland provinces in the Pan-Pearl River Delta region (PPRD), the heads of both regions pledged ... Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang and Macao Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah called for closer ties among the PPRD region to buoy the economic growth amid the global economic turmoil. ... Edmund Ho Hau Wah said the impact of the global economic turmoil was widespread and deep, and cooperation was the only way out. Regional cooperation would help push economy back on track, ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/10/content_11520199.htm
.26 World Bank outlook: developing region forecasts
Telegraph.co.uk -
The World Bank has warned that the weakness of banks and rising unemployment will continue to cast heavy shadows over the global economy in 2010. Below are the Bank's forecasts for each of the developing regions: ...
.27 Morning Feature: The (Geo)Politics of Emotion - Conclusion and Critique (Non-Cynical Saturday)
Daily Kos -
Will the (geo)politics of emotion really determine our fate? This week Morning Feature explores Dominique Möisi's new book, The Geopolitics of Emotion. We began Wednesday with a summary of Dr. Möisi's thesis, and his observations of
.28 Bill Clinton: Global cooperation needed for mankind's survival
CNN.com/World
Former President Bill Clinton urged people to accept themselves and others in a world system that is "unstable, unequal and unsustainable."
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/06/14/clinton.speech/
12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents
.01 Breaking Down the Blueprint: Economic Competitiveness, Efficiency, and
Transportation For
... our Transportation Projects of National Significance Program (pg. 40) will provide targeted funds for the “mega-projects” that cross regional boundaries and bring truly national benefits without favoring any specific mode of transportation over another. To help fund this program, we support the plans by the Obama administration to create a National Infrastructure Bank, a government-owned corporation that could fund these large-scale projects by leveraging private investment.
.02
Reflections on
... Auckland Regional Council has a healthy Council, with good regional decision-making for the most part. That's been my experience. It has 13 members. It does not have 13 wards though. In fact it has two single member wards (Rodney and Franklin/Papakura), two 2-member wards (
http://joelcayford.blogspot.com/2009/06/auckland-local-government-how-many.html
.03 The Broken Regions of the North
Artvoice
This week, a group of energetic and hopeful people came to
http://artvoice.com/issues/v8n25/broken_regions_of_the_north
.04 Living In The World As If It Were Home
The League of Ordinary Gentlemen
One step further, I take it to be incumbent upon localists to come to terms with the fact that they have hit upon a set of values that are useful beyond particular regional boundaries. In globalizing the local — or even just extending its reach into larger urban centres — we free those values to work their influence and positive impacts on a much greater cross section of people in a much greater numbers of localities. ...
http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/06/living-in-the-world-as-if-it-were-home/
.05 What's a Henweigh?
URBAN DIRECTION
By farming their own eggs, these suburban chicken owners are part of the emerging local food movement in
http://urbandirection.blogspot.com/2009/06/whats-henweigh.html
.06 EWR - for Old Metal
Utahdog!
Regionalism is very important. Specifically regionalism refers to the elements of a bicycle's design that relate a purpose built machine directly to the requirements of the terrain for which it was built. The earth is not covered only in the sweeping rolling hills, long switchback climbs, and vision-blurring descents of central
http://utahdoglives.blogspot.com/2009/06/ewr-for-old-metal.html
.07 Clay Shirky Explains How Twitter & Facebook Have Changed Geopolitics
Marketing Shift.com -
20 years after the Berlin Wall fell in
http://www.marketingshift.com/2009/6/clay-shirky-explains-how-twitter.cfm
.08 The Cloud and Collaboration
Half an Hour
Paper written as a contribution to the Ars Electronica symposium on Cloud Intelligence. ... idea that the cloud enables us to work together, to collaborate, to forge a new consensus. The cloud, in other words, reinforces the ways with which we have attempted hitherto to organize ourselves. ... What is collaboration, though? Is it something that neurons in a human brain actually do? Can we describe the organization of our mind in the same terms we currently use to describe the organization of society? The characteristics identified by the National Network for Collaboration (The National Network for Collaboration, 1995) are typical:
* Accomplish shared vision and impact benchmarks
* Build interdependent system to address issues and opportunities
* Consensus used in shared decision making
* Roles, time and evaluation formalized
* Links are formal and written in work assignments
* Leadership high, trust level high, productivity high
* Ideas and decisions equally shared
* Highly developed communication
Collaboration, on this model, can be contrasted with looser forms of association such as networking, alliance-formation or cooperation. What distinguishes collaboration from these other forms of organization is a commonality of understanding or purpose. This theme permeates writing on the subject. Schrage calls collaboration "an act of shared creation and/or shared discovery" (Schrage, 1990, p. 6) Senge talks about the creation of a shared vision. (Senge, 1994) ...
http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2009/06/cloud-and-collaboration.html
.09 Secession and Actual Democracy
The American Secessionist Blog
... American democracy now being dismantled from it's citizenry is left with only one alternative; "secession". For a "regional example", eventually the peoples of the States of let's say, "New York" and the "New England States" for instance, will find that their only hopes of securing their borders, reducing their federal budgets, cutting their property taxes and remedying their immigration, medical and socials ills, will be to secede from the Union of the United States and to form their own neighboring country. …
http://www.secessionist.us/sp.html
List of Current North American Secessionist groups - Middlebury Institute for the study of separatism, secession, and self-determination.
http://www.middleburyinstitute.org/currentamericansecessionistgroups.html
List of active autonomist and secessionist movements - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_autonomist_and_secessionist_movements
.10 Governance Without Government: A Preliminary Overview
Law at the End of the Day
... The state became the source of an authoritative allocation of values, the entity with the power to frame them through law, and to enforce them through the police power. … But success might well create the conditions for great change. Just as individuals are social animals, so, it appears, are states. States developed systems of relations with other states, and the resulting rules defined a community of states and the international system. But they also served to emphasize the permeability of borders. The reality that borders are permeable produced two simultaneous reactions—control and management. If borders were permeable, then, following the logic of cuius regio, eius religio, it was for states seek to control them to the extent technologically possible, and to assert the power to control the nature and manner of those penetrations. The logic of power and management, in the last half of the 20th century, has been manifested in “globalization”—the coordination of economic, political, cultural and religious systems across borders. ...
http://lcbackerblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/governance-without-government.html
.11 A thought on choosing leaders of intergovernmental organizations
Thoughts About K4D
The current process of choosing leaders for intergovernmental organizations is fully in the hands of the international diplomatic community, and is intensely political. There are informal agreements that specific countries have the right to choose the heads of some organizations or that the directorships would revolve among the regions of the world. There are trade-offs with governments supporting each others candidates in parallel elections. Unfortunately, in the process the idea of selecting the best man or woman for the job seems often to get lost. ...
http://stconsultant.blogspot.com/2009/06/thought-on-choosing-leaders-of.html
.12
Books, places, movies and then some
Is it
http://navy-blue-jeans.blogspot.com/2009/06/bangalore-by-any-other-name.html
.13 Rating the Councils
Homepaddock - NZ
The councils which were best at processing consents on time were: Stratford District Council processed 97 applications and 100% were processed on time. Buller District Council 130 – 100%. Taranaki Regional Council 401 – 100% ...
http://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/rating-the-councils/
.14 Culture change for Government 2.0
acidlabs
Members of governments here, in the
http://www.acidlabs.org/2009/06/21/culture-change-for-government-2-0/
.15 Secure Communities Elevates Community Insecurity
Border Lines - Reporting from the TransBorder Project of the Center for International Policy
The administration and DHS are also stepping up federal/local cooperation in the new border security initiative that puts local police in close cooperation with ICE and especially the Border Patrol. Latching onto the concern about the possibility of spillover violence from
http://borderlinesblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/secure-communities-elevates-community.html
.16 Bioregional Animism: Grey breath
paganism
Bioregional animism is on account of centre relating to the land/bioregion as the well-spring of ones creed and motif. It is a accumulate of Personalism where other then accommodating persons including the all things considered bioregion itself is mutual to and communicated with as a man, not as if it was a man but as a man. ...
http://paganism.edublogs.org/2009/06/19/bioregional-animism-grey-breath/
13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
.01 Transportation Authorization Information and Materials - NARC
Activities in both the House of Representatives and Senate have begun on the surface transportation authorization bill. The current law, SAFETEA-LU, expires in September 2009, and both Congress and the Administration are determining ways in which the nation’s transportation system can be financially sustained, while meeting national goals and fulfilling state, regional and local needs. The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) is working with Congress, the Administration, our state, local, and private partners to create a new transportation vision through flexible and innovative regional collaboration, solutions and partnerships for a sound national transportation system.
http://narc.org/news/231/385.html
.02
convened by Houston Tomorrow and
Confirmed Partners to date:
Purpose:
* Build support for a national infrastructure investment plan and establish knowledge of Megaregions by leaders in the metro areas of the Texas Triangle, which includes
* Identify the major transportation, energy, and water infrastructure priorities in the Texas Triangle megaregion
* Seek common ground among regions in the Texas Triangle on programs and policies to meet core infrastructure challenges.
* Explore emerging economic trends and strategies for sustainable prosperity in metro regions
* Create a framework for working toward a vision for sustainable prosperity in the Texas Triangle
http://www.america2050.org/2009/06/save-the-dates-september-23-25.html
.03 Call for papers - Special session on spatial competition - 56th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, November 18-21, 2009
Ever since Hotelling’s seminal paper on spatial competition in 1929, the subject of location choice and endogenous product differentiation has given rise to discussion among economists. Up to the present day, the theory is extended and innovative empirical applications are brought forward. We want to organize a special session at the 2009 NARSC conference to bring together recent theoretical and empirical additions in this field. The annual conference of the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) is structured around a number of thematically-focused sessions during which regional scientists present their work. NARSC-Conference deadline for Abstract Submission : August 1, 2009
Paper submission and registration should be done through the NARSC website below. In addition, express your willingness to participate in the special session by sending an email listing the author(s)’s name(s) and affiliation, title, and abstract to Mark Lijesen, VU University Amsterdam mlijesen@feweb.vu.nl
Abstract/Session Submission: http://www.narsc.org/newsite/?page_id=64
.04 Call for Papers - "Global Recession: Regional Impacts on Housing, Jobs, Health and Wellbeing" - Regional Studies Association Annual Winter Conference - November 27, 2009 -
Contributions are welcomed on the following themes: Health and welfare at the local and regional scale; Happiness and wellbeing: definitions and indicators; Poverty, exclusion and wellbeing; Jobs, employment and wellbeing; Social impacts of housing; The personal, social and financial costs of housing; Funding public health, housing and care; Social justice, quality of life and standards of living; Healthy lifestyles and healthy living
Please submit offers of papers in the form of 400 word abstracts through the Regional Studies Association on-line conference portal by Tuesday 30th June 2009.
To submit go to http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/ and follow the Winter Conference 2009 Call for Papers link.
.05 “
The Global Midwest Initiative releases its second Global Midwest Policy Brief, part of a new series that frames and analyzes pressing issues facing the
http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/taskforce_details.php?taskforce_id=14
.06 MetroMonitor - Brookings
The Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings has initiated the MetroMonitor, a quarterly, interactive barometer of the health of
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/MetroMonitor.aspx
.07 Institute of the North
Since its creation in 1994, the Institute has gained a wide reputation as a center for the study of commonly owned lands, seas and resources using the “owner state” of
http://www.institutenorth.org/
.08 what does regionalism stand for? - Stand For - English to English Dictionary
regionalism stands for: (3 meanings in total)
1. n. loyalty to the interests of a particular region (view details)
2. n. a foreign policy that defines the international interests of a country in terms of particular geographic areas (view details)
3. n. a feature (as a pronunciation or expression or custom) that is characteristic of a particular region (view details)
Meaning 1: (noun) loyalty to the interests of a particular region
regionalism is a kind of: loyalty ( what does loyalty stand for? )
Meaning 2: (noun) a foreign policy that defines the international interests of a country in terms of particular geographic areas
Meaning 3: (noun) a feature (as a pronunciation or expression or custom) that is characteristic of a particular region
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by
What do YOU think regionalism stands for?
http://www.stand-for.com/what-does-regionalism-stand-for.html
.09 Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of a Borderless World - bookitplus.net
In this provocative new book, Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu tell the fascinating story of the Internet’s challenge to governmental rule in the 1990s, and the ensuing battles with governments around the world. It’s a book about the fate of one idea–that the Internet might liberate us forever from government, borders, and even our physical selves. We learn of Google’s struggles with the French government and Yahoo’s capitulation to the Chinese regime; of how the European Union sets privacy standards on the Net for the entire world; and of eBay’s struggles with fraud and how it slowly learned to trust the FBI. In a decade of events, the original vision was uprooted, as governments time and time again asserted their power ... Note: Free download.
http://www.bookitplus.net/2009/06/who-controls-internet-illusions-of.html
14. Financial Crisis. Contents
.01 Fool's Gold: How the Bold Dream of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Was Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe - BookTV on CSPAN2
A Financial Times reporter's insider story of how a team at JP Morgan devised the new financial instruments that produced "a revolution in banking" - and the market events of 2008. Ms. Tett was named British Business Journalist of the Year for her coverage of the market decline in 2008. She was also awarded the Wincott Prize (for financial journalism) in 2007. Currently, Ms. Tett runs the global market coverage for Financial Times newspaper.
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=286433-1
.02 Definancialisation, Deglobalisation, Relocalisation - Dmitry Orlov
This talk was presented at The New Emergency Conference in
1. Good morning. The title of this talk is a bit of a mouthful, but what I want to say can be summed up in simpler words: we all have to prepare for life without much money, where imported goods are scarce, and where people have to provide for their own needs, and those of their immediate neighbours. I will take as my point of departure the unfolding collapse of the global economy, and discuss what might come next. It started with the collapse of the financial markets last year, and is now resulting in unprecedented decreases in the volumes of international trade. These developments are also starting to affect the political stability of various countries around the world. A few governments have already collapsed, others may be on their way, and before too long we may find our maps redrawn in dramatic ways.
2. "Sustainability" -- what's in a word?
In a word, unsustainable. So what does that mean, exactly? Chris Clugston has recently published a summary of his analysis of what he calls "societal over-extension" on The Oil Drum web site. Here is a summary of his summary, in round numbers. I don't want to trifle with his arithmetic, because it's the cultural assumptions behind it that I find interesting. The idea is that if we shrink our ecological footprint by an order of magnitude or so, that should make the whole arrangement sustainable once again. This is expressed in financial terms: here we are lowering the GDP of the
...
Dmity Orlov, a Russian who grew up in the U.S. since age 12, later returned there several times after the 1989 collapse, did a PowerPoint “Closing the 'Collapse Gap': the USSR was better prepared for collapse than the US” - http://www.energybulletin.net/node/23259
Orlov is on video presenting at The Long Now organization, February, 2009 -
http://fora.tv/2009/02/13/Dmitry_Orlov_Social_Collapse_Best_Practices#chapter_01
.03 Right Sizing the Economy: Can Herman Daly's Prescription for a Steady State Economy Accomplish this Task? - The Oil Drum -
... here are some questions to be considered by anyone hoping that new economic paradigms can ultimately be established.
1. What mechanism(s) should be used for community finance? ...
2. What levels of organization of community finance should exist (e.g. village, bioregion, province, nation-state, international, global)? ...
3. What specific mechanisms should be used to make it clear to everyone that a stable, right sized economic community is the real source of our long term security rather than private financial stashes? ...
4. If atomized wealth accumulation by individuals and families is abandoned as the driving force behind economic activity how can efficiency and productivity to be encouraged and rewarded? ...
http://campfire.theoildrum.com/node/5487
15. Custom search: region, regions, regional communities Contents
To search on topics like those in Regional Community Development News use this custom search engine which utilizes 2,106 regional related sites as of June 24, 2009. Entering the term collapse returned 350 items; rebuilding returned 455 items.
Search engine link: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000551187207053117963:m1gvkhigkeo&hl=en
My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental and regional cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work.” Regional Community Development News is published bi-monthly based on news reports as of Wednesday of the publication week
Making visible such cross-boundary planning, collaboration and cooperative action at multi-jurisdictional networked regional scales, public, private and NGO is my purpose. "Think globally, act locally" was innovative in its time. Today the local scale is often too small to address today's needs and opportunities. "Think local planet, act regionally,” is my candidate paradigm. No one said we're only allowed one paradigm.
We can see that “regional communities of communities” are organized locally and now act both to avoid tragedy in the commons and gain benefits. An effective multi-jurisdictional regional community has DNA. It is geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will be able to see the regional communities that already exist.
News references are found using 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.
To search previous issues since 2003 go to: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/regions_work/
To join Regional Community Networkers and get 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
For the Blog and RSS feed go to: http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/
Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development News?
Please email the editor: Tom.Christoffel@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP - http://www.regional-communities.com/
