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 - .15
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .14
Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .10
Announcements and Regional Links … 13.01 - .06
Financial Crisis …14.01 - .02
Custom search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.
Bold Italic highlights research terms and/or phrases of interest.
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Top Regional Community stories
1. HUD official: Regionalism will be housing funding key
The future of funding from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, is not necessarily one of growing dollars, but it will be one with new focuses, including a regional one.
So said Ron Sims, deputy secretary of the department, speaking at the “Housing the
Sims, who is the second-highest ranking official in HUD, said local communities in the
“You already have everything people would give their eyetooth for,” Sims said of the region, adding, “It’s extraordinarily beautiful.”
“The question is, when the money comes down, are you working as a region?” Sims said.
The administration is following President Obama’s guideline of “seed the willing and fund the willing.”
Sims said new programs will be announced by the administration. In them, “regionalization will be very clear” and so will an approach he called “supernova” that means one large grant “gets you these pots of money” from different federal funding streams. He declined to elaborate because official announcement has yet to be made.
Sims said areas that have cohesion and show efficiency have the best chance of attracting private business and the jobs they bring.
HUD is also working on a “transformation of rental assistance” that would streamline various federal programs.
...
2. Professional Societies, The New Face of Regionalism
SmartRegion.org –
Hampton Roads Quality Management Community (HRQMC), with twenty associations represented from across Hampton Roads, met recently for an agenda of regional strategy. Spokespersons of the chapters introduced themselves to the group with briefs on objectives and goals for the near term. Discussion then framed a road ahead to improve membership and develop regional engagement.
Those in attendance agreed on the need for planning to develop a means for practical collaboration among the associations and recommendations for regional initiatives should be developed.
It was agreed that a common calendar would be established to improve communications and facilitate deconfliction of activities. A joint meeting for all of the associations is scheduled for 10 September, to focus on issues of regional performance.
Keynote speaker at this forum will be Captain Kiestler, Commander, Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Workshops will provide tracks for Leadership and Practitioners on the issues of regional engagement and organizational performance.
Some recommended themes for future joint meetings include: economic growth and prosperity in Hampton Roads, quality measurement tools, regional government and industry leadership, the region’s economic strategy (Vision Hampton Roads), transportation, industries attracted to Hampton Roads, higher education and building tomorrow’s workforce, manufacturing, social responsibility and community service.
The summit demonstrated significant interest in collaborative activities for benefit of the associations as well as the region overall. There is clearly a large potential for engagement: plans need professional and committed practitioners to deploy supporting initiatives.
…
http://smartregion.org/2010/06/professional-societies-the-new-face-of-regionalism/
3. St. Louis region has two China hub strategies, not just one
stlouistoday.com -
An air-cargo link with
The
…
Jeff Rainford, chief of staff to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, mentioned the dueling
---
"It
Jones sees MidAmerica
Jones doesn
"The real tension … is that we are a region that has suffered from negative growth and we have too much capacity," he said. "If we were a bigger, more robust place, we probably wouldn
Competition does have its virtues: it sharpens the senses and forces each contestant to work harder. …
In a high-stakes opportunity like this one, a region that can get its act together stands a better chance than a region that
4.0 Planning group has concerns about transportation tax
An area planning group raised concerns Tuesday about the state’s new plan for a penny sales tax for transportation.
With other 1-cent programs, “the cities and the county do not think they’re getting their fair share back,” said Srikanth Yamala, transportation planning manager for the Gainesville-Hall County Metropolitan Planning Organization.
And they don’t want a repeat of that “if this (transportation tax) should pass,” he said at Tuesday’s meeting of the MPO’s policy committee.
Mike Miller, interim Flowery Branch mayor, said, “If (the state revenue department) can’t keep up with our tax dollars, why we are going to start giving them another penny ... if we don’t know where it’s going to go?”
Yamala gave a presentation to the committee about the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 passed this session by the
The law would allow voters statewide to decide ultimately whether to add a penny sales tax to pay for transportation and transit improvements, from new roads to maintenance and operation.
But there are steps leading to that vote set to occur during the 2012 presidential primary.
The law has created 12 districts throughout the state based on a map of the regional commissions, with Hall belonging to the 13-county Georgia Mountains Regional Commission.
Two representatives from each of the 13 counties in the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission now must form a regional transportation roundtable.
That group must hold its first meeting after Nov. 15, Yamala said.
The measure would pass with a majority vote districtwide, meaning that larger counties such as Hall and Forsyth could hold sway on the vote.
However, the 26 members of the
And “if by October 2011, the final list is not approved by the roundtable, a ‘district gridlock’ will be declared ... and we can’t call for another vote for two years,” Yamala said.
...
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/34104/
4.1 Transportation referendum: To make progress, make a connection
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and the
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s signature on HB 277 gives the mobility-challenged
Making that really happen will require hard thinking and political courage. Planners and far-flung local governments must now think and act as a cohesive region if we are to bring our dreams of congestion relief to fruition. We must shelve the rivalries and hyper-local vision that’s to be expected in a mega-area that spans 28 counties by the broadest measure.
Instead, we must see regionalism as the only real way to both improve transportation here and as the best avenue toward obtaining the most benefit from the precious tax dollars that will begin to flow our way if voters say yes in 2012, as we believe they must.
What will a truly regional transportation approach look like here? That’s the question that agencies ranging from MARTA and its peers to the Atlanta Regional Commission and county governments are required to address in coming months. In reality, that means figuring out how to blend or, at minimum, better coordinate the current mishmash of MARTA, GRTA and county transit systems.
...
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/transportation-referendum-to-make-542255.html
5. Business Group Changes Name, Announces New Leadership
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report - IN
The Board of Directors of Northeast Indiana Corporate Council (NICC) voted today to change its name to the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana (Regional Chamber) … expanded mission, the Regional Chamber will focus its efforts on advocating matters effecting business in the ten-county region of Northeast Indiana.
…
Mike Kubacki, past Chair of the NICC, pointed to the reorganization as the next logical step in the development of a business organization with its roots dating back to 1980. “Since its inception, the Corporate Council has focused its efforts on various initiatives designed to enhance the economic vitality of
To advance the region's economy, business interests need to speak with a unified voice. The Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana will be that voice with the ability to help shape public policy promoting an environment conducive to economic growth throughout
Busse noted that through collaboration with local Chambers and alignment with Vision 2020, the Regional Chamber will not duplicate efforts of existing organizations, but will centralize the advocacy role throughout the region enhancing the effectiveness of all Chambers. “For this collaborative effort to be effective, we must organize, elevate, and focus the resources available to advocate our position, Busse said. “The Regional Chamber will not undertake the functions of local Chambers within the region. It is intended to complement their local efforts and serve as their collective advocate for all business issues that have a regional impact. It gives them a stronger voice.”
The Regional Chamber will augment and enhance the activities of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and its regional economic development mission. As the planning from Vision 2020 emerges and begins to take shape, the Regional Chamber will play a key role in advocating and promoting its strategies, and working to create a highly conducive environment for sustained regional economic growth.
...
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=41976
Vision for Northeast
RCs:
Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (3B) - Adams, Allen,
Region III-A Economic Development District & Regional Planning Commission (3A) - Huntington, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, Whitley - http://www.region3a.org/
Region 5 –
6. Challenges for Change - Thank You!
Thank you to all of the Commissioners, Selectboard members, Planning Commission members, Municipal Managers and Administrators, and Municipal Planners who contacted our legislators to support regional and municipal planning recently. Your efforts were highly effective in achieving a positive outcome in the legislative process.
As one of the last acts before adjourning, the Legislature passed Challenges for Change. This law sets expectations for a new way of providing government services that strive to achieve savings by focusing on performance and outcomes.
Funding for RPCs, though reduced, will continue to be allocated based upon a fair and transparent funding rule intended to increase accountability and foster efficiency. In addition, each RPC will be required to respond to regional needs and increase coordination with other regional groups.
The beginning of this process was frustrating as directives to merge and consolidate with regional development corporations were put forth as the only answer. This was done without input from the affected agencies and their constituents, or a recognition that our statutory responsibilities are very different. RPCs were consistent in our testimony that innovation in regional planning and community/ economic development can and should happen in a more deliberate and thoughtful manner. Your voices provided the perfect harmony to this chorus.
CVRPC also appreciates the leadership and involvement of many members of our region’s House and Senate during the process. It is through their thoughtful engagement that the legislative process evolved to consider a broader approach to this Challenge.
...
http://cvrpc.blogspot.com/2010/05/challenges-for-change-thank-you.html
7. More collaboration on regionalism is needed: Chagrin Solon Sun editorial
Chagrin Solon Sun -
Hudson Mayor William A. Currin made a bold statement to Shaker Heights City Council two weeks ago, a statement that needs to reverberate in every City Hall throughout the region. “Regions are the economic development engine of the 21st century — cities are irrelevant,” said Currin, who is a member of the Northeast Ohio Regional Prosperity Initiative.
Taken at face value, Currin’s statement would indicate all geographic boundaries between
Many things can be done now to push regionalism. We are seeing much of that either in place already or taking form. Several communities have joined purchasing consortiums that allow them to get better deals on road salt and municipal vehicles, among other things. Police departments in
What Currin is pushing goes even deeper, however. He is seeking large-scale collaboration among communities, such as through a “new-growth” tax base sharing initiative that would reward the entire region if an existing company expands its operations within the region or a new company decides to open up shop in the region. It makes sense in the fact that …
http://www.cleveland.com/chagrinsolonsun/index.ssf/2010/05/more_collaboration_on_regional.html
8. D/FW to test fly new marketing campaign
Fort Worth Business Press - Forth
Citing ‘changing times’ Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport planners are preparing to launch an international marketing program to boost the visibility and reputation of North Texas throughout the world.
A group made up of D/FW Airport staff, the mayors of
“One of our primary missions is to add and to retain international air service and to the degree we are successful in our tourism efforts,” he said. “That creates demand, which helps to support our services.”
Though in the early planning stages, Ritter said the group ultimately plans to work together with area convention and visitors bureaus in cities like Grapevine,
Ritter said the marketing campaign involves building a regional strategy – a unified presentation of North Texas versus the segregated
“We’re looking at things like ‘what should our regional brand look like? Are we D/FW? Are we the Metroplex?’” Ritter said. “We present a confused identity to the world of who we are and that’s what we’re trying to work on. For this region to be truly successful, everyone knows we have to pool our resources to successfully market ourselves and I feel like everyone is in agreement on that.”
...
http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=12673
9.0 UMass study suggests regionalization of some services, in the interest of efficiency - The Martha
… report prepared for the Martha
"The
But, despite its six separate, sovereign governments — seven if you include the county — the researchers document ways in which the towns work together. "At the same time, the
… researchers found that delivery of these services has been under budget and staffing pressure during the economic downturn of the last three years, and that the health of the Vineyard economy will affect judgments about regional cooperation. "Based on interviews with municipal staff," the researchers write, "both appropriations and staff have realized continued reductions since these fiscal periods [FY08 and 09] and have been exacerbated by the recent economic recession. Any further analysis of service level optimization should consider the current and projected future economic conditions on
… researchers suggest attention should be paid to the possible "inter-municipal or regional" organization of financial, inspection, public safety, and elementary education services.
...
http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/article.php?id=993
9.1 At Large: Regionalization is a people to people business
Martha' s Vineyard Times - Vineyard Haven , MA , USA
Helping one another, at the family, social, and municipal levels, is understood and practiced, almost flawlessly, on Martha' s Vineyard . … Town boundaries do not hinder neighborly impulses. One cannot argue that all of this occurs with seamless, economic efficiency, but acting as one Island community in all these ways is something of which we are proud. We understand how cooperation works, we count on it, and we do it.
Watching since the early 1970s the repeated public debates over expanding the limited, informal, and ad hoc regional structure, this editor' s best judgment is that the attitude that has predominated among Islanders has been skepticism. …
Why is that? At its core, the antipathy for structural regional solutions to problems that cross town boundaries arises from pure, democratic common sense. Voters and taxpayers believe they have the best chance to control public agencies that are closest to them. ...
Town governments are also important economic forces. Their payrolls and benefits support families. …
As we reported last week, the six towns spend nearly $70 million to support municipal and regional services today, including education. The University of Massachusetts ' understanding of how government works best. They like having the last and most important say.
Plus, we know that roughly half of all the money spent at each spring town meeting will be paid by property owners who don' t live here year-round and contribute little demand for government services.
...
http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/article.php?id=1063
10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.
In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the
.01 IJIS Institute Partners with National Association of Regional Councils
PRLog Press Release -
he IJIS Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission-critical information sharing for justice, public safety, and homeland security, welcomes the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC.org) as its newest Alliance Partner. NARC serves as the national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve American communities - large and small, urban and rural. NARC membership includes: regional councils; region-wide associations of local governments -- councils of government; regional planning and development agencies; and metropolitan planning organizations. ... The IJIS Institute relies heavily on partnerships with key practitioner organizations, national associations, other nonprofit organizations, and universities in its effort to harness the expertise of industry in working toward improved information sharing between organizations involved in justice, public safety, and homeland security. The members of the IJIS Institute’s Alliance Partner program are organizations that share the belief that information sharing is a national priority and the conviction to work together in partnerships to address this national need.
...
.02 City gives initial OK to nixing impact fees
The Coloradoan -
New housing in
.03 Conference seeks solutions
The Observer -
To build healthy neighborhoods, a city needs more than federal or state funding, more than feasibility studies or urban design plans. A city needs proud residents who are confident their neighborhood
http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/540902.html?nav=5047
.04 Despite Recession, U.S. Entrepreneurial Activity Rises in 2009 to Highest Rate in 14 Years, Kauffman Study Shows
Kauffman.org - News Release
... "Entrepreneurial activity rates follow strong geographical patterns,"said Robert W. Fairlie, the study's author and director of the master's program in applied economics and finance at the
.05 Regional Well-Being Report ranks
Daily Freeman -
Ulster and Dutchess counties ranked highest in a Regional Well-Being Report issued on Wednesday by a brain trust of 43 academics, business leaders, environmentalists, government representatives and community activists, K.T. Tobin Flusser, assistant director of the group — known collectively as the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach —said the 70-page report was released to help communities in Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan and Orange counties measure how local residents are being affected by the economy, education, the environment, community programs, local government, health concerns, the arts, culture and safety. “The first goal was that we would be able to identify shared values for the region and then find a way to measure regional well-being,” Flusser said after the report was presented at SUNY New Paltz. Using a scale of 1 to 100, the report gave
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/06/03/news/doc4c0738cd1b5c0130478571.txt
.06 COPS To Revitalize Regional Community Policing Institutes
TheCrimeReport.org -
Bernard Melekian, director of the federal Community Oriented Policing Services office (COPS), is doing a lot of traveling in his first year on the job. “I will go to any place that wants me, and maybe some places that didn’t realize they wanted me,” he tells MainJustice.com. COPS is holding “emerging issues” forum. The first was on procedural justice, and others will include “values based policing, or about the development of our regional community policing institutes, which were very successful back in the 90s and then sort of dwindled over the years. One of my goals is to revitalize them and bring them back,” Melekian says. The COPS director will fund a series of workshops with the Police Executive Research Forum on the deployment of tasers by local law enforcement agencies. He also vows to ”build a stronger connection between law enforcement and academics to study best practices.”
http://thecrimereport.org/2010/06/05/cops-to-revitalize-regional-community-policing-institutes/
.07 Monongahela rejects regional initiative after much debate
Monessen Valley Independent - Monessen, PA, USA
Monongahela Council rejected a resolution in support of the Smart Government Initiative out of fears of potential financial burdens to the city. But the decision did not come without some debate. At a Wednesday meeting, council was asked to support the initiative, which is a cooperative study of local municipalities into possible regionalization of services. Those services include police protection, garbage collection, sewerage, code enforcement and zoning. The initiative, supported by Mon Valley Progress Council in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the consultant firm PA Fortunes, is in its early stages. The resolution the city was asked to support merely called for the city to appoint a representative to the Smart Government Initiative Municipal Services Cooperative Committee and to participate in meetings.
...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_685389.html
.08 Officials heading to capital for STAR bill
Mt. Vernon Register-News - Mt. Veron, IL, USA
... Mayor Mary Jane Chesley said from the city’s point of view, no one wants to deny Marion the destination development, but instead, wants to promote “true regionalism” when it comes to hotels/motels, restaurants and retail development. “It’s about competitive business and it’s regionalism,” Chesley explained. “That will be good for both communities and the counties they reside in for the creation of jobs. This is about retail, hotels, motels and restaurants, because we have 600 acres out there for potential growth and development. I don’t have a problem with
http://register-news.com/local/x2023219148/Officials-heading-to-capital-for-STAR-bill
.09 Greater
With another tumultuous year in
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/100603/story2.shtml
.10 Making The Case For Regionalism
WCPN -
What if one day
http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/31047
.11 Research investment may boost high-wage jobs
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100613/NEWS/6130301/1001/news
.12 RDA and airport zero in on project manager
nwi.com,
The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority may consider hiring a project manager as early as Thursday to oversee its $90 million expansion project, after construction consultants were quietly solicited two weeks ago.
http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/article_69908ee5-d3c2-5395-8ec1-7d0d70af814e.html
.13
The Times -
If the helicopter Sheriff Tom Templeton wants to bring to
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=405840
.14
Georgia Tech’s Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) won a $143,747 grant to investigate the health impact of the planned Aerotropolis Atlanta in Hapeville. The grant comes from the Health Impact Project, which is a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. CQGRD researchers will evaluate the potential health consequences of the plans to convert the 122-acre site of the former Ford Assembly Plant into a 6.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development that will include office, hotel, shopping, and an airport parking business center. … The final report is expected to be ready in June 2011.
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/06/07/daily13.html
.15 New Elevation Inventory for the Great Lakes
Geo Community Spatial News - Niceville, FL, USA
A comprehensive inventory of elevation data sets for the Great Lakes is now available from the NOAA Coastal Services Center. This /Topographic and Bathymetric Data Inventory/ is focused on best-available datasets and is accessed through an online, interactive viewer that displays the extent of data, helpful information about data set quality, and a link to download the data or a Point of Contact to access the data. The inventory can be used to identify existing data sets or strategically target areas for collection to fill data gaps. The inventory includes publicly available data from states, counties, cities, regional governance, NOAA, USGS, USACE, and FEMA and was funded by the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Explore the site at www.csc.noaa.gov/topobathy/
http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/dailynews/2010/jun/09/news6.html
11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 Coalition announces plans to abolish Regional Development Agencies
Telegraph.co.uk
The scrapping of the controversial quangos set up by Labour is expected to save up to £2.3 billion a year. Eric Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, will say that all nine RDAs will go as part of Coalition plans to streamline government and find big efficiency savings. The measure comes ahead of an emergency Budget statement by the Chancellor later this month in which more spending cuts are to be unveiled. RDAs were set up in 1999 to improve the economic competitiveness of nine English regions and were intended to replace the much derided Regional Assemblies set up by John Prescott. ... Dozens of other quangos with remits from housing to the arts are also earmarked for the scrap-heap with announcements planned over the coming weeks. ... Instead of RDAs, ministers will say they are creating Local Enterprise Partnerships using facilities at existing councils instead to promote local economic development. In its manifesto, the Conservative Party said that it would give councils and firms the power to form business-led enterprise partnerships. In March, the then shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said of the agencies: "As they stand (now), they will go. If, in the unlikely event that some localities want something on that regional scale, they can have it, because we are going to allow local leadership to say what structure they
.02 Scrapping regional development targets is bad for South West
ThisIsSomerset.co.uk
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has written to all local planning authorities stating that the coalition will abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), which set out regional targets for all types of development including housing across the
.03 City and rural Tories divided over future of regional government
The
Conservatives are split over the future of
.04
BBC News -
Ian McIntosh, chairman of Hull Forward, said it had been hit by public sector spending cuts and was planning to close operations on 30 September. The regional development company was set up in April 2008. Mr McIntosh said he was disappointed but "proud of the significant achievements made by our dedicated, professional and passionate team". In a statement, the company said: "Yorkshire Forward and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have reluctantly confirmed that there will be no funding towards the running of Hull Forward beyond 30 September following significant public sector funding cuts across the country. "Hull City Council has indicated that a similar position is likely. This means that without funding, the company will be obliged to cease operations at this time with a full closure expected by the end of the calendar year." ... Mr McIntosh said he hoped some of Hull Forward
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/humberside/10271632.stm
.05 Grants levered in six times as much private money, says NWDA
Crain
The Northwest Regional Development Agency claims that every £1 handed out under the Grants for Business Investment (GBI) scheme has levered in more than £6 in private capital investment. In the 2009/10 financial year, the agency gave grants of £12.9m to 61
http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/article/20100609/FREE/100609892/1053
.06 Two interconnected summits in
The Baltic Times -
For the first time, the summit of members of the Council of the
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/26385/
.07 Presidential panel suggests electoral system reform to ease regionalism
Yonhap News Agency -
A presidential advisory panel on Tuesday proposed a change in
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/06/08/81/0301000000AEN20100608003700315F.HTML
.08 Remarks by State Councilor Dai Bingguo at the Third
MFA
It is a great pleasure to join you at the Third Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) [http://www.s-cica.org/page.php?lang=1 ] in the beautiful city of
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t707236.htm
.09
UPI.com
.10 Di Buchan to stand for regional council; urges young people to vote
Wellington.Scoop -
Resource management and community consultant specialist Dianne Buchan has decided to seek election to Greater Wellington regional council and she is urging every resident, especially young people to get out there and vote this election. “Young people have the most to lose from poor environmental choices and have the most to gain from electing a council with strong environmental credentials. The future is theirs. I want to make sure that future is worth having.” ... Given the level of responsibility that regional councils have – the general lack of interest among so many residents in this region about the elections, about who gets elected to look after their interests is a real concern. Despite pressing environmental issues in the
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=25451
.11 Regionalism Becoming a Greater Threat to
The Georgian Daily -
Ethno-nationalism continues to attract more attention from analysts in both
http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18887&Itemid=72
.12
TheChronicleHerald.ca –
All staff members of the South West Shore Development Authority have left the building. The regional development authority stopped operating at 5 p.m. Thursday, said Phil LeBlanc, the board chairman. Seven employees, including executive director Frank Anderson, are no longer working, LeBlanc said Friday. The authority was investigated by
http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1186866.html
.13 No European Heritage Label without the regions and cities, stresses the CoR
Press Release - Committee of the Regions -
.14
Ola Rosling co-founded the Gapminder Foundation and led the development of Trendalyzer, a software that converts time series statistics into animated, interactive and comprehensible graphics. The aim of his work is to promote a fact-based world view through increased use and understanding of freely accessible public data. In March 2007, Google acquired the Trendalyzer software, where Rosling and his team are now scaling up their tools and making them freely available for any individual or organization to use for analyzing and visualizing data.
http://fora.tv/2010/04/18/Logan_Symposium_Google_Public_Data_Explorer#fullprogram
12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents
.01 Anchors or Drivers: Institutions in Regional Development
Eco.nomic Architecture
On May 26, 2010 the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City convened a roundtable on Anchor Institutions to help shape the agenda for the 2010
.02 What Makes Cities Fit
Creative Class
Earlier this week, the
http://www.creativeclass.com/creative_class/2010/06/11/what-makes-cities-fit/
.03 Book Talk and Panel Discussion--Housing Policy and Community Development Corporations
Regional Network -
The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at
the way we deliver affordable housing has evolved over the past 40 years, from a centralized to a highly decentralized networked system of providers. How will this network continue to evolve to deal with the foreclosure crisis, the bursting of the housing bubble, the restructuring of financial markets, and the “new HUD?” … This is a free forum. …
.04 A Special Month
Orange Regional CEO Blog
Last month was special for our organization. It was filled with honors and recognitions, celebrations and festivities. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who supported all the activities and took time to honor those who we spotlighted for excellence in quality care, length of service, dedication to their profession, outstanding leadership and commitment to the healthcare field. ... These acknowledgements highlight some of our proudest moments because it means that members of our hospital family are committed to delivering excellent healthcare to our community. Dedicated to and passionate about the delivery of quality care to our patients means that
http://orangeregionalceo.blogspot.com/2010/06/special-month.html
.05 Would someone with a major in ” City, Community, and Regional Planning” be able to get a job in Architecture?
Greener Living Online
this is what it says about City, Community, and Regional Planning at collegeboard.com; You may have heard of the term urban sprawl. Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled growth of cities and suburbs. The typical results: traffic congestion, a lack of green or open spaces, poorly designed or nonexistent public transportation, and unhappy residents. City, community, and regional planners address urban sprawl and other problems that communities face, such as pollution. Planning majors learn about the principles of architectural design and how to use them to create communities in which people are proud to work and live. They explore such topics as affordable housing, public transportation, land use and zoning, economics, ะฐnd environmentally friendly buildings.
.06 Community Updates from the Regional Planning Commission of Greater
Your Town
The RPCGB and the Fountain Heights Neighborhood Association presented the
http://www.yourtownalabama.org/blog/2010/06/community-updates-from-the-reg-3.html
.07 Challenges in multi-regional modelling projects
ARIS BPM Community
... Dr. Jung of Deutsche Post DHL presents his experiences of multi-regional modelling projects. DHL is a big German logistics company. It doesn
http://www.ariscommunity.com/users/sstein/2010-06-09-challenges-multi-regional-modelling-projects
.08
GlobalVoicesonline.org
The Russian regional blogosphere as well as discussion boards are often ignored. Authors from
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/06/04/russia-mapping-top-bloggers-and-regional-communities/
.09 Posting for Community Housing Association of DuPage: Executive Director
Bridgestar.org
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director has overall strategic and operational responsibility for
http://www.bridgestar.org/MyCareerCenter/PositionDetails.aspx?jobId=7032
.10 Cooperation
Goodosphere - Good Things Happen
... the underpinning of any good cooperative effort is the principle that two or more partners can achieve greater results together than they could alone. Normally, it’s rare that government agencies or corporate giants engage in this sort of thing. But recently, they’ve been doing just that. ... Today, there are many reasons to cooperate. With a tough economic climate and increasingly entrenched political divisions, cooperation might be a necessity for institutions hoping to weather the storm. At the end of the day though, cooperation carries emotional benefits too- at the intersection of teamwork and togetherness is a powerful force of good.
http://blog.goodosphere.com/?p=1410
13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
.01 Transform Government by Consolidating and Delivering Services More Efficiently for Taxpayers - LGI Issues Report –
The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin (LGI), a collaboration of the associations representing the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Alliance of Cities, released the results of the study today, A Roadmap for Government Transformation.
The study is intended to build upon the work of and take to implementation the results of other commissions and task forces organized over the past decades to make recommendations for streamlining local government.
Key findings include:
Reducing the units of government may not be as effective or practical for reducing the cost of government as cooperation to consolidate delivery of services and pool capital investments across a multi-jurisdictional service area;
Successfully changing the way in which services are delivered within an area requires an approach that is unique to the local governments involved. A “one-size-fits-all” approach will not work given the wide range of local situations that exist across the state;
There are six factors that clearly contribute to the success of efforts to transform the delivery of public services within an area, notably:
* Trust between leaders
* Shared perception of need
* Clear fiscal benefit
* Improved service quality
* Collaborative leadership
* Community support
http://www.localgovinstitute.org/?q=node/92
.02 57th North American Regional Science Association International (RSAI) Conference sponsored by the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) - November 10 - 13, 2010.
Conference organizers welcome individual papers and organized sessions relating to a wide variety of topics inclusive within the diverse realm of regional science. We are an international scholarly organization that focuses on regional analysis, ranging from urban and spatial theory to applied problems in regional development, sustainability, environmental management, and rural land use. We are an interdisciplinary association, with members representing fields as diverse as economics, agricultural economics, public policy, urban planning, civil engineering, geography, finance, sociology and demography. The annual North American RSAI conference is the premier regional science meeting in
You can learn more about the conference, submit an abstract, and register at the NARSC Website at: http://www.narsc.org/ Visit the Conference section of the Website and click the User Area link to register or sign in. Individual papers and sessions must be submitted online in the abstract submission section of the Website between now and August 1, 2010. The conference registration section will allow secure electronic financial transactions.
If you have questions about the program or submitting a paper or session proposal, or experience any difficulties, contact the 2010 Program Chair, Neil Reid, phone: 419-530-3593; e-mail: neil.reid@utoledo.edu . All other questions about the conference can be directed to the 2010 Local Arrangements Chair: John Leatherman, phone: 785-532-4492; e-mail: jleather@k-state.edu . For sponsorship, exhibitor spaces, and overall arrangements, contact Jean-Claude Thill at NARSCouncil@uncc.edu
.03 Resilient places: The future for local economic development - 13th and 14th July 2010 -
Local economic development is changing as the policy context and the on-the-ground challenges evolve and intensify. This CLES Summit is about unpacking and exploring what these changes will mean for your work, your organisation and for the future of economic development. If you are interested in the future of our local economies and communities, want to know how we can do economic development better in the future, keen to meet new people, hear new ideas and have fun, then the CLES Summit is for you.
http://www.cles.org.uk/information/100246/104778/summit_2010/
.04 Leadership in Urban and Regional Development: Exploring the Debates and Challenges - 23rd - 24th November, 2010 - Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) organised in association with the Centre for Leadership at the University of Birmingham (CLUB) - UK
Call for Papers – Deadline to submit your abstract: 1 September 2010
http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/research-networks/current/plurd/cfp-Nov2010.pdf
Organisers:
John Gibney - Centre for Urban and Regional Studies.
Markku Sotarauta - Department of Regional Studies.
Andrew Beer -
.05 Regional Studies Association Best International Conference Paper Award Winners in 2010:
- Marc-Hubert Depret & Abdelillah Hamdouch
Multiscalar Clusters and Networks as the Foundations of Innovation Dynamics In the Biopharmaceutical Industry
- Andreas Faludi
The Process Architecture of EU Territorial Cohesion Policy - Daniel Baumgartner and Tobias Schulz
Volunteer Organisations: Odds or Obstacle for Small Business formation in rural areas? Evidence from Swiss municipalities
Best International Conference Paper in the Early Career Category in 2010:
Spinning the Threads: Hybrid Organisations as Creative Intermediaries Negotiating Public, Private and Cultural Values!
.06 Nils Gilman: Deviant Globalization - The Long Now Foundation
Nils Gilman describes deviant globalization as "the unpleasant underside of transnational integration." There's nice tourism, and then sex tourism, such as in
http://fora.tv/2010/05/10/Nils_Gilman_Deviant_Globalization#fullprogram
14. Financial Crisis. Contents
.01 Financial reform needs
The Gazette -
Major economies need to “rally” around the pending
The approach championed by Canada, to get agreement among Group of 20 countries on higher capital levels and stricter leverage limits, has merit, but he suggested it lacks the required teeth to ensure market stability.
“We need some guideposts, some structure and we need legislative direction,” he told a luncheon crowd of roughly 800 at the International Economic Forum of the
…
.02 AIG
McClatchydc.com -
At the peak of the 2008 financial crisis, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and top Federal Reserve officials told the nation that there was an urgent need for the government to lend $85 billion to the American International Group so the giant insurer
Nearly two years later, taxpayers are on the hook for twice that amount, and it now appears that Paulson and senior Federal Reserve officials either plunged ahead without understanding AIG
AIG reported combined total losses of $110 billion in 2008 and 2009, erasing any doubt that the government stepped into a colossal mess.
AIG was at the epicenter of all the government bailouts of financial institutions in 2008, a company through which more than $90 billion in federal money flowed out the back door to some of the same Wall Street banks whose risky behavior fueled the crisis. Among the leading beneficiaries of the AIG bailout was investment banking giant Goldman Sachs, which Paulson headed until June 2006.
Explanations of the bailout from current and former top government officials have never fully jibed, fueling allegations that most of the money was always intended for Wall Street rather than
Elizabeth Warren, the chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel that
...
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/06/08/95534/aigs-problems-far-greater.html
15. Custom search: region, regions, regional communities Contents
To search on topics like those in Regional Community Development News use this custom search engine which utilizes over 1,200 regional related sites.
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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.
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