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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 - .19
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .19
Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .15
Announcements and Regional Links … 13.01 - .04
Financial Crisis …14.01 - .02
Custom search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.
Bold Italic highlights research terms and/or phrases of interest.
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Top Regional Community stories
1. Editorial: C
"The region has done a very poor job of marketing itself," said Bob Ady, president of Chicago-based Ady International, one of eight site selection firms that met in late June with prominent Twin Cities politicians and business leaders.
"We haven
Once told, it
As the site selectors learned about our region, those tasked with attracting businesses here got an education on what companies around the country are looking for. Contrary to much business-climate rhetoric, taxes aren
"Everybody thinks it
On regionalism, the oft-derided Met Council is perceived as positive, if not as a cost of entry into the competition. "I
More broadly, collaboration across the community draws praise. "I was impressed with the public sector, private sector and academia working together," said Ady. "That kind of concerted effort is unusual. ...
RC: Metropolitan Council http://www.metrocouncil.org/
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/98553694.html?page=2&c=y
2. Panel urges full-time mayor:
While the committee was broken up into eight subcommittees, each charged with looking at a specific issue, the overwhelming theme of the report was consolidating city and county services, which was one of the key planks of Benjamin’s platform that got him elected.
“It was important because we thought it was a way to make services more efficient and also is a cost-saving measure,” said Gail Baker, president of the Hyatt Park Neighborhood Association and a member of the public safety subcommittee.
The regionalism and intergovernmental relations subcommittee said Benjamin “must reestablish the credibility of the City of
The environment and sustainability committee suggested the city take the lead in coordinating the smaller, private wastewater systems in the area hooking up to the city’s larger system, because it would improve water quality and “demonstrate a commitment to regional problem solving.”
The public safety subcommittee recommended combining the city Fire Department with the
The city is in talks with Sheriff Leon Lott about his possible management of the city Police Department.
The report also encouraged the city and county to combine their planning and zoning departments and to learn from county governments about garbage collection, noting that, “The city uses employees, which are more expensive; the counties use contractors, which are less expensive.”
…
RC:
http://www.thestate.com/2010/07/21/1384661/panel-urges-full-time-mayor.html
3. How to Make an American Job Before It's Too Late: Andy Grove - Bloomberg.com -
… I’ve lived in the Valley a long time, and usually when I see how the region has become such a draw for global investments, I feel a little proud.
Not this time. … Something didn’t add up. Bay Area unemployment is even higher than the 9.7 percent national average. Clearly, the great Silicon Valley innovation machine hasn’t been creating many jobs of late -- unless you are counting
The underlying problem isn’t simply lower Asian costs. It’s our own misplaced faith in the power of startups to create
The scaling process is no longer happening in the
... Long term, we need a job-centric economic theory -- and job-centric political leadership -- to guide our plans and actions. In the meantime, consider some basic thoughts from a onetime factory guy.
...
Financial Incentives
The first task is to rebuild our industrial commons. We should develop a system of financial incentives: …
4. Planning for high-speed rail on track - The Day -
Transportation officials are working to keep plans on track for high-speed trains running through
The three states have received a total of $160 million in federal economic stimulus money for track improvements to link high-speed trains from
Train service for years has been diverted east to Palmer to avoid the run-down tracks, he said. Transportation officials want to rebuild those tracks to provide north-south passenger service to population centers in
Stephen Delpapa, transportation supervising planner at the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said the state will spend $40 million in federal stimulus money to add a second track from the Meriden-Berlin town line to
…
Commuter rail service on the 64-mile corridor linking
…
http://theday.com/article/20100726/NWS12/307269919
5. Officials offer solutions to area’s population losses - SW Iowa News –
If the communities of
Just what that means differs slightly, depending upon whom you ask. But, in the end, everyone agrees sitting back and doing nothing will not fix the problem for future generations.
…
“People want to live in rural areas, but they are attracted by jobs,” she said. “The strategy we’re working on — and it’s no magic bullet, mind you — but we’re looking for people who want to stay here and self-employ. Then, we can help them build from there, and add more jobs that pay well and will stay local for the long term, not just suck up the incentives and then leave.”
… second summit on regionalism and economic development in September. The goal is to continue the conversation generated in the first summit and to encourage more communities to get involved in the
“By building regions, we’re not just talking about two counties, or four counties, or even 22 counties,” she added. “We may even have to look at regions across state lines, and identify assets we can market globally.”
South Page Superintendent Gregg Cruickshank said he has already been looking at the same approach to regionalism as an education paradigm for small school districts. He said he’s concerned too many communities will take a “bunker approach.”
…
“We’re going to have to start looking at more regionally based options, and the legislature is going to have to dictate how we do that to us, but we can’t be stuck in just our own communities with a bunker mentality,” he said. “If we don’t change that attitude, we will be left behind at the starting gate.”
RC: Southwest Iowa Planning Council http://swipco.org/
http://www.southwestiowanews.com/articles/2010/07/14/shenandoah/doc4c3dbdde69c8b763124991.txt
6. LETTER: Regional sharing of tax revenue and expenses - The Morning Journal -
To the Editor: It appears that
Certain letter writers have referred to the credit reduction as a new tax. It is not a new tax. The 1.75 percent tax in
As a matter of “fairness” everyone in
However, it is also not fair for a person to pay a full income tax to a city where he/she works, since that person does not receive the same level of services as residents of that city receive. Both the city of “residence” and the city of “employment” provide some level of service for this person for which some contribution should be made.
The real issue here is: How should we go about paying for services we receive from our “home” town versus our “employment” town?
The answer is simple. We should have regional sharing of tax revenue and regional sharing of certain publicly provided services.
Unfortunately,
…
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/07/16/opinion/mj3032604.txt
7. Alternative energy leader? - Journal Watchdog -
The announcement by a Korean company that it would spend $21 million to begin assembling electric cars in
CT&T Ltd., a Seoul-based company, said it will team up with 2AM Group, a
That announcement, coupled with the start of production in Greenville this month by Proterra, an electric bus company, puts the Upstate at the forefront of the emerging industry of alternative and “green” energies, said Kevin Landmesser, vice president of the Greenville Area Development Corporation, a public-private economic development organization.
“There are tons of opportunities for us,” Landmesser said.
Landmesser said he expects more alternative energy-related economic development announcements to be made in the Upstate within the next six months.
Richard Blackwell, director of investor and public relations for the Upstate SC Alliance [ www.upstatescalliance.com/ ], said the Upstate’s status as an automotive hub, something that started with BMW’s arrival, expanded by the location of dozens of Tier 1 suppliers and was cemented by the development of the
“It has taken a lot of time to get the puzzle pieces in place,” he said, “but they are there and now they’re paying off.”
Former
“Regionalism is gaining traction,” he said. “It shows that communities don’t have to be divided by geopolitical lines.”
Automotive and energy are two of the four target markets for the Upstate SC Alliance, which represents
...
http://www.journalwatchdog.com/business/698-alternative-energy-leader
8. Regional development key to growth in all areas of economy, report states - IrishTimes.com
DEVELOPING THE regions will benefit all sectors of the economy and should not be viewed as an isolated or sectoral issue, a Western Development Commission (WDC) report states.
The full potential of the State’s less developed regions is not being realised, leading to a “waste of talent and opportunity”, according to the commission study, …
It recommends that an “identifiable single figure at national level” is required to implement an effective co-ordinating role in regional development.
Recent research by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) shows that nurturing growth in these less developed areas will bring about national growth, Dr Helen McHenry, WDC policy analyst and author of the study, says.
Two OECD papers published last year found that while leading regions were important in driving national economies, lagging regions also made a strong contribution.
“Regional policy is not a zero sum game where growth in one region is at the expense of another,” Dr McHenry says.
…
In its report Why Care About the Regions? A New Approach to Regional Policy , the commission recommends that a focused and targeted policy here should extend beyond transport and infrastructure. It also says that regional policy in the future must have a “more subtle understanding of issues such as environmental sustainability, individual welfare or happiness, and their association with economic and social development”.
It believes investment in infrastructure must be maintained and combined with investment in the three “Es” – enterprise, employment and education, along with “drive to increase innovation”.
…
The commission is the statutory body promoting economic and social development in counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo,
Its abolition was recommended in the McCarthy report on expenditure, and it has had its investment fund cut dramatically.
The Council for the West has urged its retention.
Report: http://www.wdc.ie/publications/reports-and-papers/reports-2010/
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0719/1224275018416.html
9. Transportation sales tax initiative in development - Albany Herald -
The Georgia Department of Transportation is busy trying to implement the framework of a regional sales tax proposal that would fund transportation projects in 12 different regions statewide.
Approved by the Georgia General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue, HB 277 completely overhauls the way GDOT funds local transportation projects, Senior Planner Todd Long said.
The regions comprise the same areas as the existing Regional Development Commissions. Southwest Georgia’s region consists of Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt,
According to Long, HB 277 would allow for those counties to levy a one-percent sales tax for 10 years that would fund transportation projects and programs specifically within the region, meaning the money raised in the district stays in the district.
Voters in the majority of the counties within the region will have to approve an August 21, 2012 referendum for it to pass, although individual counties will not be allowed to opt out of the funding.
Long said that the reason for the change in the way GDOT funds projects comes as the push for more fuel efficient vehicles has grown, which reduces the amount of revenues GDOT has been able to generate through the motor fuel surcharge.
“We’re getting to the point where its becoming not feasible to keep up with the maintenance and growth of infrastructure demands using just the motor fuel tax,” Long said.
A new funding mechanism for road and transportation projects is a double-edged sword for local governments that have watched as funding for GDOT’s Local Assistance Road Program, or LARP — the program that helps local government fund vital infrastructure improvements — has been steadily reduced, but who are also hesitant for change.
...
RC: Southwest Georgia Regional Development Commission http://www.swgrdc.org/
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/headlines/99181379.html?ref=379
10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.
In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the
.01 Open for Questions: The Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities
... in Washington, D.C., Derek Douglas, the de facto head of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, sat down with Shelly Poticha from HUD, Beth Osborne from the DOT and Tim Torma from the EPA. It was a live chat, broadcast via simultaneous live feeds on whitehouse.gov and Planetizen.com. ... The reason for the live chat was to discuss the most exciting element of the Obama administration’s urban policy: the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. ... The end result of hosting a live chat with such a self-selecting audience has both good and bad consequences. It’s good, obviously, that instead of justifying the use of taxpayer dollars for innovative public policy, the representatives from the agencies could go into greater detail about the wonkier aspects of federal urban policy. ... I would have liked to hear someone ask if people in the agencies even think it’s possible to undo six decades of destructive, sprawling urban development. … The last question … “We advocates appreciate the administration’s emphasis on livability, sustainability and transit-oriented development. But what happens when a new administration takes office? In other words, how will these changes be made permanent?” The panel, for the most part, explained that good on-the-ground projects should change public opinion on the matter. ... As a closing note, Derek Douglas added, “This partnership is also changing the way that these agencies do business…they’re collaborating in ways they never did before, which will continue regardless of who’s in the Oval Office. And so I think that by changing not only the substance of the policies, but also the approach, that strengthens the ability for this to have a long-lasting impact.” It seems there’s a silver lining to lessons learned by the Obama administration’s inheritance of George W. Bush’s Minerals Management Services; for better or worse, these changes in the agencies are lasting. In the case of the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, it will be for the better.
http://americancity.org/columns/entry/2465/
.02 Inaugural Social Innovation Fund Grants Awarded to Experienced Innovators
Corporation for National and Community Service -
In response to the increasing health needs, economic challenges and gaps in youth achievement facing low-income rural and urban communities, the Corporation for National and Community Service announced its inaugural Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grants today. The grants will target millions in public and private funds to grow effective solutions to persistent social challenges across more than 20 states. The SIF portfolio consists of 11 organizations selected through a rigorous review process involving 60 external experts. The grantees, who represent a diverse set of nonprofit organizations and private and community foundations, share a track record of success at identifying and growing high-performing nonprofit organizations and their proposals offer a set of compelling ideas for how to use innovation and evidence to tackle social challenges in a new way. ... The grantees will address urgent needs across three key issue areas – economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development and school support – by providing funding and other support necessary to drive results and impact. The portfolio includes $74 million in secured private match funds, which is beyond the statutory requirement of $50 million. When combined with federal resources, this will result in $123 million being targeted toward promising nonprofit organizations that train the unemployed, increase access to heath services for the underserved and prepare youth for academic and economic success. ... An initiative that represents a new way of doing business for the federal government, the $50 million SIF fund leverages a 3:1 private-public match, sets a higher standard for evidence, empowers communities to identify and drive solutions, and creates an incentive for grant making organizations to more effectively target funding to solutions that generate real impact. The SIF is a critical component of the Administration
...
http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1829
.03 Groups study
Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region kicked off a $2 million study Thursday of how to slam the door on exotic species such as Asian carp by cutting links between the lakes and the
...
.04 Editorial: Tollway agency works to restore confidence - Dallas Morning News -
The North Texas Tollway Authority made the right decision by ignoring high-dollar bait dangled its way to choose a
Property owners near the new roadway will make a bundle after it
...
.05 County transit requests are investments
Voters in Ingham and Eaton counties have before them requests to fund public transportation. In
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100722/OPINION01/7220324/-1/newshome
.06 Suburban residents now favor more transit spending, poll shows
Reflecting the increasing strain of gridlocked traffic, a majority of Chicago-area residents think improving bus and train service is so important to the region that repairing and expanding expressways and toll roads should take a back seat, a Tribune/WGN poll shows. Most suburbanites support investing more in mass transit than roads, sharing the long-held stance of a large majority of city residents, the poll found. Suburban residents also said they are driving less and taking more advantage of expanded suburban train and bus service in communities where the automobile has been king. ...
.07 More transparency needed by gas drillers -- Companies should release list of chemicals
Patriot-News -
A big question for many Pennsylvanians right now is what chemicals drillers in the Marcellus Shale region are using to extract natural gas. It is a worry for those who have wells near the drilling sites and it is a concern for people who know the water from that region runs into creeks and streams that eventually lead into waterways such as the
http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2010/07/more_transparency_needed_by_ga.html
.08 Regional Carbon Cap Gets Second Look as
The New York Times -
The climate debate in Congress is prompting a closer look at a mandatory program that has been chugging along for almost two years in the eastern
.09 Pinal Partnership CEO honored for service
TriValley Central -
Sandie Smith, president and chief executive officer of the Pinal Partnership, is the recipient of the 2010 Desert Peaks Professional Service Award from the Maricopa Association of Governments. “I think the judging panel was impressed with her ability to reach across county lines on issues that affect both counties,” said MAG director
.10 Regional leaders can aid exporters, report says
San Francisco Chronicle -
Regional business and political leaders can do more to help local exporters, says a new Brookings Institution report that profiles the 100 largest metropolitan areas that ship goods and services abroad. The report, "Export Nation," comes at a time when the Obama administration has called for a five-year doubling in exports. Many economists agree that boosting exports is a necessary part of restructuring a
…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/26/BUC31EJ7CR.DTL
.11 Agencies Look To Link Commuters
WFMZ-TV -
Local transportation officials said they are trying to make your morning drive a little easier. Take the bus. That
http://www.wfmz.com/berksnews/24327744/detail.html
.12 Towns learning to share, stretch taxpayers
The Sun Chronicle -
"Combine, save and better serve" is catching on in numerous
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2010/07/26/opinion/7715468.txt
.13 New name, new brand for Navajo, Apache counties regional development effort
White Mountain Independent - Show Low, AZ,
Navajo and Apache counties offer
http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20442140&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6
.14 Boeing talks up future in
The
Top Boeing executives at the Farnborough Air Show offered encouraging words Monday about the future prospects for designing and building airplanes in the
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012398574_airshow20.html
.15 As regional carriers dominate travel, safety is big concern
The News & Advance -
In the past five years, only three
.16 Regional variation in health-care spending and utilisation higher in Medicare than private sector
Science Centric News -
In the latest Health Policy Outlook from the American Enterprise Institute and the Schaeffer Centre for Health Policy and Economics at USC, Schaeffer Centre researchers investigated whether geographic variations in utilisation of health services and spending differed between Medicare and the private sector. A large body of literature has documented regional variation in Medicare spending and the amount of care provided, leading some to suggest that
.17 Twitter mood maps reveal emotional states of
NewScientist.com
.18 Where is Top Secret
The
Explore the map to find locations of government organizations within Top Secret America.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/map/
.19 Bring Back Local Community News Shows/End Merged KPFA-KPFK Merged IndyBay.orf - Voices For Justice Radio
The merger of KPFA and KPFK news has limited the amount of local community news on both stations from each area. This merged operation must be changed with a return to a one hour locally produced show on both stations. With population of over 10 million in each region it is critical that there be more local an regional community news and not a homogenization of the news on both stations. ...
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/07/19/18654239.php
11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 Cracks appear in regional unity
JournalLive.co.UK
HOPES of creating a new body to fight for the North East’s needs at a national level appear to be fading. Business leaders and council chiefs had hoped they could set up a successor body ready for when development agency One North East is abolished in 2012. The Government was told two months ago the region would be happy to accept one Local Enterprise Partnership – LEP – offering economic support from the River Tweed to the River Tees. But cracks have started to emerge in the regional unity, with many in the North of the region now privately thinking councils and businesses in Teesside will ask ministers for permission to set up their own partnership. Teesside would also need the support of key businesses, many of which are wary of breaking up the region. Such a move would pave the way for three competing partnerships in the region, focused around major city areas such as
.02 Most RDAs performing to high standard, watchdog finds
Regen.net -
Most of England
The watchdog rated the performance of six of the eight RDAs against the three indicators as either "strong" or "good". … "At such a time it is helpful to have the results of the NAO’s independent assessment of RDAs’ work. We hope and believe that these findings should inform whatever future structures for economic development finally emerge."
.03 What sort of fourth level of government do we want?
The
... fourth level of government has evolved in the Metro area, and it
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/What+sort+fourth+level+government+want/3302889/story.html
.04 Bresso calls for
EU Committee of the Regions Press Release -
The European Commission
.05 Keep the Canadian Census Long Form; Gardons le formulaire long du recensement canadien
GoPetition.com
Category: National Affairs
Region:
Target: Government of
...
Background (Preamble):
The Harper government is moving to eliminate the
Petition:
We call on the Canadian government to reverse its decision to eliminate the mandatory long form
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-the-canadian-census-long-form.html
.06 Kamla and the future of
Stabroek News -
... Framework for the Management of Crime and Security erected on Mr Manning’s watch three years ago exemplified the finest features of functional cooperation. These legacies facilitated a common visa policy and free movement of persons and demonstrated the benefits of regional security cooperation which, prior to 2007, had a spotty record. CARICOM’s decision to accord an important role to crime and security as the “fourth pillar” of the Community was an act of faith. CARICOM’s choice of
.07
Asian Development Bank News Release -
Increasing interdependence within Asian economies suggests the region should strengthen its institutional architecture to cement recent gains, broaden integration, and ensure that regional and global processes remain compatible and mutually reinforcing, a seminar audience heard today. The seminar was held at the Asian Development Bank
http://www.adb.org/media/Articles/2010/13223-asian-regional-institutions-integrations/
.08 Mamata: How regional leaders misuse national roles
The allegations against Mamata Banerjee that her preoccupation with
http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/national/82589/
.09
Lankaweb -
... the entire world is undergoing a drastic reality change in which, the traditionally oppressed nations in the global south are getting organized to tackle the challenges posed by the neo-colonial policies of the west. In this global political atmosphere, Sri Lanka also shares the collective view of the nations in the region that India and China need to improve their bilateral relations for their mutual benefit as well as for the benefit of the entire regional stability and security. ... In regard to the significance of having a stable regional system toward Asian progress, ‘The Hindu’ observes that, Asian passivity of energy as a major obstacle to progress of
.10 The Failed States Index 2010
ForeignPolicy.com
Sixth annual ranking in collaboration with The Fund for Peace.
.11 Social networking, CSR come to rescue of regional businesses
Kippreport.com -
The ongoing global financial crisis has taught lessons to regional companies, according to two separate surveys: One is the importance of social networking and, second, the recognition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a business imperative rather than a philanthropic add-on. As the number of consumers in the MENA region who are actively using interactive Web platforms hit 15 million, social networking has become a serious business for the corporate firms. In the UAE alone, almost half the companies are using social networking as a mainstream marketing tool to win businesses amid tight financial conditions, revealed the global survey commissioned by workspace solutions provider Regus. About 29 percent of companies in the country said they set aside a proportion of marketing budget specifically devoted to social networkers, which not only include a young consumer base but also enterprise level businesses, it added. “Although there is a hardcore of skeptics globally, who do not believe that social networks will become a significant method of reaching customers and prospects, a significant proportion of firms are devoting real marketing budgets through the medium to acquire new customers and keep existing ones,” said Mark Dixon, CEO of Regus. ...
MENA Region map: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/MENARegion/Pages/MenaRegionIndex.aspx
http://www.kippreport.com/2010/07/social-networking-csr-come-to-rescue-of-regional-businesses/
.12 Niagara,
NiagaraAtLarge.com - Greater Niagara Region - Niagara River & Canada/U.S. border
.13
.14 City Workers In
GOVMONITOR -
WorkSafe Minister Tim Holding said analysis of more than 120,000 individual WorkHealth checks show that while the gap between the health of regional Victorians and Melburnians is quite small there are concerning health issues for all of those tested. “These statistics are alarming and show the importance of workers in either the city or country getting their health checked and leading a healthy lifestyle,” Mr Holding said. “Workers in regional Victoria are more likely to have a waist measurement indicating a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, have high blood pressure, drink alcohol at risky levels and smoke. “Workers from
.15 Lost in Translation
Wall Street Journal -
... in Pormpuraaw, a remote Aboriginal community in Australia, the indigenous languages don
Differences in how people think about space don
...
.16 Smart smart smart, it really does
National Business Review -
Noticed how the word “smart” is the new business/PR/marketing bumph word. A propaganda document prepared by the Christchurch City Council -owned Canterbury Development Corporation is a treat for folks wishing to be entertained and nauseated by obfuscation, incomprehensibility, cliché, endless repetition and general torturing of the English language. To say nothing of the childish message betraying the insecurity of small towns trying to match
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/smart-smart-smart-it-really-does-126619
.17 Council approves regional group
The Chronicle -
TOOWOOMBA Regional Council yesterday gave its “economic dream team” permission to break free and to pursue the interests of the wider region. During its general meeting, council decided to support “in principle” a move from the Toowoomba Regional Economic Development Board to form an independent, regional group. It would represent communities from Goondiwindi to Roma, Dalby and Toowoomba. Despite gaining unanimous approval, many councillors voiced their reservations about relinquishing their stronghold over the board they formed only a year ago. Cr Peter Marks said he had fielded calls from people concerned council was turning its back on the Toowoomba region. ...
http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2010/07/21/council-grants-expert-team-independence/
.18 Strategizing regional
Manila Bulletin -
Ever since the Center for Research and Communication was founded in 1967 by Dr. Jesus Estanislao and a visionary group of economists, political scientists, and business executives who had just returned from their graduate studies in the US and Europe, the advice being given by this pioneering think tank to leaders in both the government and private sectors of the Philippines was to "think global, strategize regional, and act local." Contrary to the mood then prevailing among many Filipino intellectuals who were still caught up with the inward-looking, protectionist, and ultra-nationalistic ideology so prevalent in developing countries after the Second World War, the "Friends of CRC" were constantly exhorted to look outward.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/268304/strategizing-regional
.19 Frank Gavin:
The Long Now Foundation - Video
Historian Francis J. Gavin considers the relationship of historical analysis to public policy and offers methods for using history. He is the Director of the
Chapters – 1:41 Total Time
1. Wrong Predictions of the Future
2. Benefits of Applying Historical Knowledge to Policy
3. Reasons Why Historians and Policy Makers Don
4. Five Key Concepts for Historical Analysis in Policy
5. Vertical History
6. Horizontal History
7. Chronological Proportionality
8. Unintended Consequences
9. Policy Insignificance
10. Final Thoughts
11. Q1: Misuses of History
12. Q2: Why the Media Focuses on Wrong Things
13. Q3: Historical Precedents for Climate Change
14. Q4: Leaders with Historical Sensibility
15. Q5: Brilliantly Doing Nothing
...
25. Q15: To Contact a Historian
http://fora.tv/2010/07/12/Frank_Gavin_Five_Ways_to_Use_History_Well
12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents
.01 Do we need a grocery ambassador or a city-wide food security/foodways plan?
Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space
... Washington Business Journal, in Cheh introduces "grocery ambassador" bill, Councilmember Mary Cheh has introduced legislation on the topic, calling for a grocery czar amongst other steps, but I think the legislation is somewhat narrowly conceived because this issue is about more than just trying to attract some grocery stores. The real issue is a comprehensive plan for food security and foodways in the city. Grocery stores are but one piece. The Community Food Security Coalition is an organization broadly focused on food access.
http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/07/do-we-need-grocery-ambassador-or-city.html
.02 Does “New Politics” Really Involve Localism?
Political Promise -
...
Mr. Cameron tells us, that power will be devolved from
http://politicalpromise.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/does-new-politics-really-involve-localism/
.03 Music and the Mega-Region
Creative Class
... mega-regions are not only important to markets, economics, and technology, now it appears they are important to music as well. Case in point, the indie-rock band The Walkmen whose newest single was recently released. Half the band live in
http://www.creativeclass.com/creative_class/2010/07/23/music-and-the-mega-region/
.04 Regional Bias: A Celebration of Bay Area Music and Culture to Benefit
The Bay Bridged
For the past four and half years, The Bay Bridged has been proud to champion the San Francisco Bay Area indie music scene through an innovative mixture of new media journalism and cutting edge live events. ... second annual fundraiser party, Regional Bias 2010, a celebration of Bay Area music and culture to benefit The Bay Bridged. ... this isn’t your typical fundraiser event. It’s a celebration of independent music’s vital place in Bay Area culture. ...
http://www.thebaybridged.com/regional-bias/
.05 Does Dense Make Sense? Part 2. Regional Transportation
The Blue Line -
The City of
http://www.boulderblueline.org/2010/07/25/does-dense-make-sense-part-2-regional-transportation/
.06 Open house for the West of
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA Blog
On July 20th, Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) held an open house in
http://www.pcac.org/2010/07/23/open-house-for-the-west-of-hudson-regional-transit-access-study/
.07 Africa’s good governance icon gives polio big boost in
Kick Polio out of
Rotary’s promise to kick polio out of Africa and the world received a big boost from Celtel founder Mo Ibrahim by calling upon African leaders who met at the 15th African Union Summit in Kampala to finish the job of polio eradication. The 53-member bloc that gathered at the AU summit focused on health issues, peace and security, infrastructure, energy and food security during its three-day summit. ... “There are two valuable lessons to be drawn from this experience. Firstly, it emphasises the importance of good governance in fighting disease. The Kick Polio Out of Africa campaign has commended the political leaders of
.08 A NEW BEGINNING FOR BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY?
The Diplomat of the Future
... although the world has become more multilateral as I have described, it has also become more bilateral. Relations between individual countries matter, starting for us with our unbreakable alliance with the
http://diplomatofthefuture.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-beginning-for-british-foreign.html
.09
Building A Green
Last Thursday, July 15th, I attended the last scheduled Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Regional Exchange, held at the Prince George
.10 Water Security And Regional Disputes In
The 3rd world view
… if India and China race for building dams to control flow of river within their boundaries without consulting their downstream neighbors then the situation will be volatile leading to unnecessary confrontation and war. The threats cannot be addressed by the unilateral efforts of nations, only regional cooperation can mitigate such tensions. The Dhaka Declaration on Water Security has proposed an expert committee to prepare a road map for data-sharing and scientific exchange and to prepare guidelines for introducing transparency regarding relevant data. The declaration urges "greater political commitment and data exchange among
http://rezwanul.blogspot.com/2010/07/water-security-and-regional-disputes-in.html
.11 For a new regional park between Northern Milan and
Abitare.il -
The northern territory of Milan and central Brianza is situated between the valley of Lambro river – on the east side – and the regional Park of Groane – on the west side – it is one of the most urbanised areas of Lombardy (and Europe) and one of the areas in which in the last years urbanization spread the most with a consequent erosion of free spaces in agricultural areas. About 450.000 people inhabit this scenario. The average urbanization of the territory, referring to an area regarding 19 municipalities, in 1999 was attested at about 62%; today at about 65%. ... it is important to create a new regional park against concrete and mafias, for a better visibility of urbanised territory, to develop a new urban agriculture and favour ecologic connections between
http://www.abitare.it/highlights/for-a-new-regional-park-between-northern-milan-and-central-brianza/
.12 Regional council adopts treaty model for resources
Waatea News Update
Hawkes Bay Regional Council is to share management of natural resources in its region with the 12 iwi in its area. Taro Waaka from Ngati Pahauwera says the co-management committee, approved by Cabinet this week to clear the way for the treaty settlements, will be responsible for all matters covered by the Resource Management Act. He says councilors have recognised that iwi have a lot of contribute to on the ground management because of their kaitiaki responsibilities...
http://waatea.blogspot.com/2010/07/regional-council-adopts-treaty-model.htmlB
.13 Devolution would bring long-term benefits, says councillor Bert Biscoe
This is
... campaign to persuade the Government to recognise
.14 Southwest Regional EF! Rendezvous & Organizers’ Conference
Southwest Earth First Blog
Plans are in the works for a Southwest Bio-Regional Earth First! Rendezvous and Organizers
http://southwestearthfirst.wordpress.com/southwest-regional-ef-rendezvous-organizers-conference/
.15 Necessity is the Mother of Innovation
We Know And Share
Transporting goods and people are the necessities of life. With a motorcycle, innovations are needed to carry "extra cargo". (See a few)
http://weknowandweshare.blogspot.com/2010/07/necessity-is-mother-of-innovation.html
13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
.01 Webinar: Exploring Rural Policy Opportunities - July 29, 2010 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm - National Rural Assembly
The National Rural Assembly is pleased to launch a webinar series that will explore rural policy opportunities at both the state and federal level. We invite you to participate in our first webinar on July 29, 2010 @2pm-3pm Eastern for a broad scan of rural policy issues, looking at rural economic development, energy and the environment, health care, and education. This webinar is free and open to all who wish to join, but you must first register.
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/503925969
Notice at: Initiative for Sustainable Communities and States
http://www.sustainablecommunitiesandstates.org/2010/07/webinar-exploring-rural-policy-opportunities/
.02 Urban and Rural Definition -
Prior to Census 2000, urban referred to all territory, population, and housing units located in places with a population of 2,500 or more. With Census 2000, the definition changed.
After the 2000 census was taken, the Census Bureau’s geographers looked at every block in the nation and decided if it was or was not urban. There are very specific criteria about whether a block could be labeled urban. Land use patterns in American can be complicated and the rules for deciding “urban-ness” take into account many kinds of situations. They generally have to do with density of settlement and proximity to other urban blocks.
For Census 2000, urban territory, population, and housing units belong within urbanized areas (UA) or urban clusters (UC). UA and UC boundaries consist of
* core census block groups or blocks that have a population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile, and
* surrounding census blocks that have an overall density of at least 500 people per square mile
In addition, under certain conditions, less densely settled territory may be part of each UA or UC.
Notice that the definition of urban doesn’t have anything to do with the boundaries of incorporated places. Some territory inside an incorporated city or town can be rural instead of urban. In fact, urban and rural are delineated independently of any other geographic entity. That is, cities, towns, census tracts, counties, metropolitan areas, and the territory outside metropolitan areas often are split between urban and rural territory. The population and housing units in these geographic units often are partly classified as urban and partly classified AAG Krugman as rural. Rural territory can be inside or outside city limits. Urban territory can be unincorporated.
Put another way, an urban or rural classification cuts across other geographic entities. For another example, there is generally both urban and rural territory within both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For this reason, metro and non-metro areas cannot be used as a proxy for urban and rural.
In summary, rural is any territory that is not urban. The Census Bureau’s use of the word rural is what is left over after urban has been defined.
The Census Bureau’s website gives a great deal more information about the definitions of these terms. Please visit http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua_2k.html
.03
This comprehensive resource provides a sustainable design permitting assessment tool, a resources guide, and an action plan roadmap. Topics range from responsible land use development to water, air quality, energy efficiency and resource management. (including the regional scale)
Download: http://www.epa.gov/region4/recycle/green-building-toolkit.pdf
Notice at: Initiative for Sustainable Communities and States
.04 Linking Peacebuilders: Key Network Organizations in the Field - Peace and Collaborative Development Network
As the conflict resolution and peacebuilding field has grown an increasing number of organizations and associations have been formed to help share information, exchange best practice, work on conflict advocacy, etc. Some organizations are more practitioner focused and concentrate more on organizations, while others are more for individuals and possibly more academic and research focused (and a number combine both approaches).
14. Financial Crisis. Contents
.01 William K. Black: NEW FINANCE BILL WILL NOT PREVENT ANOTHER CRISIS
The Real News - YouTube
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=greYnznmTw0&videos=2YISCoER-ig
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqWwRbygQvA&feature=channel
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdIpNLfv3CU&videos=FI55JWNNt4c
.02 The Great American Bank Robbery
HAMMER FORUM Video http://hammer.ucla.edu/watchlisten/watchlisten/show_id/129363
William K. Black, the former litigation director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board who investigated the Savings and Loan disaster of the 1980s, discusses the latest scandal in which a single bank, IndyMac, lost more money than was lost during the entire Savings and Loan crisis. He discusses the political failure behind the current economic disaster and answers questions from the audience. Black teaches economics and law at the
15. Custom search: region, regions, regional communities Contents
To search on topics like those in Regional Community Development News use this custom search engine which utilizes over 1,200 regional related sites.
http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000551187207053117963:m1gvkhigkeo&hl=en
My name is Tom Christoffel. I
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 DNA. It is geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will be able to see the regional communities that already exist.
News references are found using Google Search services. Media article excerpts and links are “fair use” to transform globally scattered reports to make regional approaches visible. Links go to the publisher and do not compete with it. Such publishers are likely to have related stories and thus be seen by new customers. “Regional” is an emerging news category.
There is no charge for this service and no profit is made from its use, though any user can become more aware of the topic itself. Regional Community Development News is published bi-monthly based on researched news reports as of the publication date.
For the Blog and RSS feed go to: http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/
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Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development News?
Please email the Editor: Tom.Christoffel@gmail.com
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Tom (Thomas J.) Christoffel, AICP - http://www.regional-communities.com/
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