Regional Community Development News - Training, Calls for Papers and Conferences - October 25, 2011



Conferences, calls for papers and training are presented in calendar order by date of action.


1. Chesapeake Bay Restoration Program - Commonwealth of Virginia Perspective - Free Webinar - November 2, 2011


The Chesapeake Bay Restoration program has been underway since the mid-1980’s.  A recent consent order directed the EPA to take a stronger role.  Initially, the states submitted their general strategies in the latter part of 2010 and early 2011 to implement the EPA directed program.  Now states are working with local and regional agencies in developing implementation steps.


On Wednesday, November 2, 2011 from 1:00 - 2:30 PM EDT, the APA Regional and Intergovernmental Planning Division, with support from the APA Latinos and Planning Division, will sponsor a second webinar on the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Program. The first webinar introduced the issue from the US EPA perspective and focused on Chesapeake Bay water quality activities of the State of Maryland. Presenters will be as follows:


John Carlock, AICP, Deputy Executive Director for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News area); 
Jeffrey Corbin, Senior Advisor to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River
Anthony Moore, Assistant Secretary of the Virginia Department of Natural Resources for Chesapeake Bay Restoration


The balance of the webinar (approximately 30 minutes) will be open to questions from the webinar audience. 1.5 AICP Certification Maintenance credits are available.  


To register for this webinar, go to the following link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/385649506


Other APA/AICP webinars are avaialble: http://www.utah-apa.org/webcasts


2.  Reinventing the Strip Mall Design Competition - Deadline November 30, 2011 - City-Region Studies Centre  - University of Alberta - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


Strip Appeal is an ideas design competition, and travelling exhibit, intended to stimulate and showcase creative design proposals for the adaptive reuse of small-scale strip-malls.

How might the small-scale strip be reinvented and redeveloped to local advantage? Simple and sturdy, what better adaptable typology than the small-scale strip. Any community can make the small-box their own.

We invite you to identify ailing strip-malls in your local neighborhoods to which you will apply your creative ideas for their aesthetic reinvention and adaptive reuse.  Go to:  http://www.strip-appeal.com/


3. Multinational Strategies, Networks and Regional Economic Development - A workshop on inter-regional trade, investments, knowledge transfer and their effect on regional economic development - 15-16 December 2011, Rotterdam, the Netherlands


The aim of this intensive two-day workshop is to bring together an international group of researchers with an interest in multinational strategies, trade and FDI, and regional economic development to: 


    a)    present and discuss research findings on the effect of trade, investments and labor mobility on the performance of urban systems; and, 


    b)    to explore opportunities for joint research by exploring a research agenda “Multinational Strategies, Networks and Regional Economic Development" by taking an interdisciplinary perspective combining insights from economic geography, international economics, and international business. 


Presented papers will be considered for publication in a volume by an international recognized journal and/or publisher.


Themes may include: FDI; trade and regional economic development; Location and multinational strategy; Internationalization of clusters; Entry strategy of multinationals; Trade, FDI and European integration; Offshoring of R&D and regional economic development; Urban and regional competition for foreign direct investment


 Prof. dr. Roberto Basile, Prof. dr. Philip McCann, and Prof. dr. Klaus Meyer will present keynote lectures. The venue of the workshop is the Woudestein campus of the Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands.


The workshop is organized by the RSA Research Network on Regional Urban Systems and their Performance. Organizers are Dr. Martijn Burger (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Prof. dr. Frank van Oort (Utrecht University), Dr. Evert Meijers (TU Delft), and Prof. dr. Enrico Pennings (Erasmus University Rotterdam). 


Places are limited to allow ample time for presentation and discussion of papers. To participate, send an e-mail with abstract to mburger@ese.eur.nl and/or f.g.vanoort@uu.nl before November 1st. Please note that all abstracts will be subject to review and the organizers will make the final decision regarding inclusion in the workshop program.


Thanks to the support of the Regional Studies Association and the Erasmus Research Institute for Management, participation in the workshop (including informal dinner) is free of charge. Moreover, we are able to offer some travel bursaries to assist eligible attendees with their travel and accommodation costs. 


Those wishing to apply for a travel bursary should indicate this when submitting their abstract. More details available at: 
http://www.regionalstudies.org/research-networks/current/rusp.asp 


4. Southern Regional Science Association 51st Annual Conference Call for Papers - deadline for submission of abstracts is January 15, 2012


We are pleased to issue the call for papers for the 2012 Southern Regional Science Association Conference in Charlotte, NC.  We will meet at the Charlotte Marriott City Center from Thursday, March 22 through Saturday March 24. 

To participate, please send an abstract to Program Chair Dan Rickman (Oklahoma State University) by going to the Association website.  After logging onto the site, click on 2012 Annual Meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association.  Then click on Proposal Submission to begin the submission process.  Unless the paper is part of a special session, submit the paper under the track General Papers.  The initial deadline for submission of abstracts is January 15, 2012.  We already have a number of organized sessions planned but we invite others to also propose sessions.  To propose a session, please e-mail Dan at dsrickman@gmail.com.  

Each paper accepted for presentation in the 2012 SRSA meeting will be assigned a discussant. Participants will be given their discussants’ contact information and will be responsible for delivering a complete paper to that person by March 14, 2012. 


5. Call for Papers - Sustaining Regional Futures - Beijing Conference Center, Beijing, China - Regional Studies Association Global Conference 2012 - Sun 24th -Tue 26th June 2012 (Field trip on 27th June 2012) Deadline for Abstract submission: 31st January 2012


The Regional Studies Association is concerned with the analysis of regions and sub-national issues and promotes interest and research on regional economies throughout the world. For the first time, the annual conference is being held outside Europe and is being organised with our partner, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, around the theme of ‘Sustaining Regional Futures’ in Beijing, China.


As well as the plenary sessions at the Beijing conference, where keynote speakers will address some of the biggest issues facing regions and sub-national areas around the world, gateways are being organised on the causes and implications of different patterns of regional development. The gateways are dedicated to assessing the forms and successes of regional policies in managing regional disparities; establishing basic public services; supporting endogenous growth and the comparative advantages of regions; promoting regional competitiveness and sustaining harmony between the economy, society and the environment.


Offers of papers on each of these themes are encouraged - on different countries’ and regions’ experiences, and on comparative studies. Papers on aspects of social justice, territorial politics, governance, and peripheral and marginal regions are also welcome to address what has been happening in these times of rapid national growth and global upheaval. Additional topics in which we particularly encourage contributions are city-regions, spatial planning and analysis which may look at the position in China but which may focus elsewhere. Debate and discussion, contrast and comparisons are essential to the success of Regional Studies Association conferences and to academic endeavour. Critical analyses and sharing of experiences in all these topic areas will ensure the Beijing conference achieves the aims that the Regional Studies Association and its partners have set out for it.


Gateway Themes
A. Environmental sustainability
B. Migration and labour markets
C. Social justice and civil society
D. Rural challenges
E. Territorial politics and policy
F. City-regions and urban transformations
G. Spatial econometrics
H. Borders, border regions and peripherality
I. Industries, entrepreneurship, and regional competitiveness
J. Innovation and knowledge economies
K. Creativity, identities, and branding
L. Spatial planning and practice
M. Banking, finance and financialisation


Organisers welcome proposals for special sessions, themed workshops and innovative forms of networking and collaboration. If you would like to organise or offer a session to the conference please contact Jimmy Ancheta Jr. at events@regionalstudies.org and we will assist you.


Academic Organising Committee: Co-chairs, Liu Yi: liuy@igsnrr.ac.cn , Andrew Beer: Andrew.Beer@adelaide.edu.au , Secretary, Weidong Liu: liuwd@igsnrr.ac.cn, Members, Henry Yeung: henryyeung@nus.edu.sg, He Can Fei: hecanfei@urban.pku.edu.cn, Anthony Yeh: hdxugoy@hkucc.hku.hk Mike Danson: michael.danson@uws.ac.uk, Pedro Marques: marques@geographie.uni-kiel.de


For the most up-to-date version of this call for papers visit: http://www.regionalstudies.org/events/future.asp


6. Call for papers  - Networked regions and cities in times of fragmentation: Developing smart, sustainable and inclusive places - Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands - Sunday 13th - Wednesday 16th May 2012 (Field trip on Sunday 13th May) Deadline for Abstract submission: 31st January 2012 - Regional Studies Association European Conference 2012


Regions and cities are increasingly interdependent; economically, socially and environmentally. They are, for example, becoming more reliant on interregional flows of trade, labour and resources. Patterns of interactions between regions are experiencing rapid changes as a result of dramatic shifts in production and consumption patterns, advances in communication technologies and the development of transport infrastructure. These changes pose many challenges for the analysis and management of regions. They are also leading to new patterns of activities and relationships and new forms of clustering and networking between regions.


At the same time, regions are becoming increasingly fragmented in many ways; economically, socially, environmentally and also politically. Classic forms of government based on clear cut arrangements between administrative levels, policy sectors and the public and private domain are no longer sufficient. The governance of regions faces multi-level, multi-actor and multi-sectoral challenges. New spatial interactions at new scales demand new approaches for consultation and coordination. More flexible (‘softer’) forms of governance are beginning to emerge which seek to work around traditional governmental arrangements. The result is a complex pattern of overlapping governance and fuzzy boundaries, not just in a territorial sense but also in terms of the role of both public and private actors. These new arrangements pose many as yet unresolved dilemmas concerning the transparency, accountability and legitimacy of decision-making. The 2012 RSA conference in Delft provides a timely opportunity for participants to come together and reflect on the various strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities of networked cities and regions within these different contexts of fragmentation.


Papers that consider these issues in relation to the development of smart, sustainable and inclusive places (the three dimensions of the Europe 2020 Strategy) are particularly encouraged.


Gateway Themes
A. EU Regional policy and practice
B. Climate change, energy and sustainability
C. Migration, housing and labour markets
D. Social and environmental justice and inclusive places
E. Rural and peripheral challenges
F. Territorial cohesion and cooperation
G. City-regions, networks and urban systems
H. Spatial analysis and regional economies
I. Borders, border regions and cross-border learning
J. Industries, entrepreneurship, and regional competitiveness
K. Innovation and knowledge economies
L. Creativity, identities and branding
M. Territorial governance: planning policy and practice
N. Infrastructure and development
O. Local and regional economic development


Organisers welcome proposals for special sessions, themed workshops and innovative forms of networking and collaboration. If you would like to organise or offer a session to the conference please contact: Elizabeth Mitchell at events@regionalstudies.org and we will assist you.


Academic organisers: Wil Zonneveld: W.A.M.Zonneveld@tudelft.nl, Evert Meijers: 
E.J.Meijers@tudelft.nl , Dominic Stead: D.Stead@tudelft.nl RSA Organiser: Elizabeth Mitchell: elizabeth.mitchell@regionalstudies.org


For the most up-to-date version of this call for papers visit: http://www.regionalstudies.org/events/future.asp 




7. WorldFuture 2012: Dream. Design. Develop. Deliver - July 27-29, Toronto - World Future Society - Call for papers for conference volume - submission deadline February 20, 2012


The 2012 program will follow up on the work we began in Vancouver at the 2011 conference, “Moving from Vision to Action.” Our goal will be to help break down that complex process: Each step in generating implementable solutions is necessary and important, but people may only specialize in one area—dreaming, designing, developing, or delivering.


This year, we will be incorporating these papers into one or two special issues of World Future Review, which will be available both electronically and in a print version for conference attendees.


The paper should be no more than about 7,000 words, double-spaced in a Word document (not PDF), and submitted to Timothy Mack by e-mail, tmack@wfs.org. The deadline is February 20, 2012, but we are strongly encouraging early submissions.


Note: The review processes for the essay collection and for the conference program are independent of each other. Attendance or participation on the conference program is neither a guarantee nor a requirement for inclusion in the conference essay collection, and vice versa.


Please refer to our Web site for further details on submitting a paper: www.wfs.org/content/essay-guidelines-worldfuture-2012.
---


Stories about those working across boundaries at various scales of regional community following the "community motive" for security, stability and sustainability of humanity. 


For daily top stories http://twitter.com/#!/tomchristoffel which appears as follows:



Tom Christoffel
Colliding cities: have our cities slipped their metro moorings?~challenge within-Australian urban context via
Tom Christoffel
Northeast, mid-Atlantic states form regional network to promote electric vehicles - The Washington Post via
Tom Christoffel
Is the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission about to die?~three things-improve regional planning-Dane via
Tom Christoffel
More than 1,000 Launch The Loop~a great example of “what happens when you have regional cooperation.” via
Tom Christoffel
Letter: "Regionalism would only reward irresponsible governing and lack of accountability, in my opinion." via
Tom Christoffel
Visitors guides offer varying takes on regionalism~We've always been regional in our approach-Visit Denver via
Tom Christoffel
NY:not provided-funding-Regional Councils develop-strategic plans-prohibited-using-own funding-consultants via
Tom Christoffel
Tri-State Water Resource Coalition~SW Missouri~NE Oklahoma~SE Kansas~Securing water for our future via
Tom Christoffel
Water conference on tap; coalition supports regional planning~Tri-State Water Resource Coalition~Joplin-MO via


More links: http://www.delicious.com/I.see.regions.work


Blog: http://ri-rc.com




Regional Community Development News - September 20 to October 17, 2011



Stories about those working across boundaries at various scales of regional community following the "community motive" for security, stability and sustainability of humanity. 


Note: Changes to the Delicious link website and travel in the past month interferred with newsletter production. The Twitter feed has worked and the delicious feed which follows is also an option. Ed.


For daily top stories: http://twitter.com/#!/tomchristoffel


For all items as bookmarked get reader feed:  http://www.delicious.com/I.see.regions.work


0000 - Earth


1. Public Intelligence


Public Intelligence is an international, collaborative research project aimed at aggregating the collective work of independent researchers around the globe who wish to defend the public’s right to access information. ...


This site is an attempt to compile and defend public information using software and methods which are open source and available to the public at large. ...


2. Integrating the econ outliers  The Japan Times Online


A rule of thumb in the realm of international economic cooperation goes like this: The more developed the partners, the more advanced the toolkit servicing industrial cooperation and the bigger the benefits from integration.


This notion applies both to "classic" regional integration and to newfangled "twinning" of economies, like that happening between the United States and China.


Among the best arranged integration systems are the European Union, NAFTA ... CER ... Mercosur ... Andean Pact ... Association of Southeast Asian Nations ...


As for the least-developed economies and whole regions, we find more or less real and normally working arrangements of an integrative nature only occasionally and in rather primitive forms —such as SAARC ... SAPTA ... Caricom ... ECOWAS
...
Though intraregional integration schemes, which are in abundance, are typically "skidding," the political dialogues have begun and are becoming more substantial. ...


3. OECD Extended Regional Typology: The Economic Performance of Remote Rural Regions - PoliEcon


To account for differences among rural and urban regions, the OECD s established a regional typology, classifying TL3 regions as predominantly urban (PU), intermediate (IN) or predominantly rural (PR) (OECD, 2009). This typology, based essentially on the percentage of regional population living in urban or rural communities, has proved to be meaningful to better explain regional differences in economic and labour market performance. However this typology does not take into account the presence of economic agglomerations if they happen to be in neighbouring regions. For example, a region is classified as rural or intermediate regardless its distance from a large urban centre where labour market, access to services, education opportunities and logistics for firms can be wider.


4. Green Map System


With unique global icons and adaptable tools, Green Map System has engaged communities worldwide in mapping green living, nature and cultural resources since 1995. Green Maps chart a sustainable future! Explore and get involved.


5. Population Reference Bureau - PRB


The PRB name stands for reliable information in the service of the health and well-being of the world's people. PRB believes that communication is a key tool in achieving its mission.


Population Bulletin


PRB's Population Bulletin, published since 1945, has successfully transitioned from a highly regarded print publication to an equally sought-after online resource. Each Bulletin provides in-depth coverage of either a major U.S. or international population issue. Bulletins are widely used by professors, students, policymakers, and the media.


6. Regional science - History and overview - Wikipedia


Regional science is a field of the social sciences concerned with analytical approaches to problems that are specifically urban, rural, or regional. Topics in regional science include, but are not limited to location theory or spatial economics, location modeling, transportation, migration analysis, land use and urban development, interindustry analysis, environmental and ecological analysis, resource management, urban and regional policy analysis, geographical information systems, and spatial data analysis. In the broadest sense, any social science analysis that has a spatial dimension is embraced by regional scientists.


0900 - Arctic Ocean


1000 - Europe


1000.EU.European.Union


1. Recipes for successful Regional Policy - EU and China, Japan, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia share experiences 


Investing in growth and jobs via the European structural funds is a policy which increasingly receives international acclaim, with China, Japan, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia showing interest in the functioning of EU regional policy. During the European Week of Regions and Cities (OPEN DAYS 2011), from 11 to 13 October (IP/11/1161) delegations from China, Japan, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will meet with Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn to share experiences and hear about the Commission's recently presented proposals for a sweeping change of cohesion policy for the period from 2014 until 2020. The OPEN DAYS week will provide an occasion for European regions and cities present in Brussels to deepen the dialogue engaged with these countries. The purpose is to share experience on how to reduce regional disparities and how to implement efficient regional investment policies in a global context.


2. EU to link regional funds to strict deficit rules - Regions & Cities


The EU commission on Thursday (6 October) proposed that from 2014 onwards, the bloc's structural funds for poorer regions be linked to strict budget deficit rules under the new economic governance legislation.


In line with the austerity-driven 'fiscal discipline' promoted by the EU's net contributors, the commission wants to be given the power to suspend the funding if a country pursues "unsound macro-economic policies" or has weak administrative capacity.


At the same time, the proposed €336 billion in the structural funds for 2014-2020 will be made more "flexible", allowing the commission to intervene and change priorities if the country is seen as getting them wrong. ...


3. Income inequality, decentralisation, and regional development in Western Europe


Devolution can have incongruous effects on equality. Decentralisation of powers and resources to lower tiers of government can either increase or reduce interpersonal inequalities, depending on characteristics of the devolved region. This column uses data from regions of Western Europe to show that greater fiscal decentralisation is associated with lower income inequality.


Devolution is a global trend, advocated by international organisations, including both the World Bank and the OECD, as a mechanism for achieving local prosperity. Decentralisation of powers and resources to lower tiers of government can – under different circumstances and in different contexts – contribute to both an increase and a reduction interpersonal inequalities.
Decentralisation can reduce interpersonal inequalities by: ...


1000.Balkans


Declaration on regional cooperation in modernising public administration signed


Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic and his counterparts from Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia signed a Declaration on regional cooperation in the process to modernise public administration in Belgrade …Speaking at a conference “Services, skills and capacity – key challenges in building a modern public administration in Europe,” Markovic underlined that by signing this document, Serbia made a commitment to cooperation that will ensure better lives of citizens in the future.


The Minister stressed that modernisation of public administration aims at building adequate administrative capacity to harmonise national legislation with EU law. …Djelic said that he will endorse all regional initiatives for the preservation and strengthening of the administrative capacity – an important element of EU accession.


1116 England


Exclusive: Regional Growth Fund still hasn’t invested any money | Liberal Conspiracy


Some fifteen months after the Coalition announced the establishment Regional Growth fund, aimed at stimulating the economy in “areas and communities at risk of being particularly affected by public spending cuts”, not a single penny of the Fund has been released by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), it emerged today.


The failure to release any funds was acknowledged by Philippa Lloyd, Director of Economic Development at BIS in a reply to a Freedom of Informatio request seeking copies of all bids approved for funding under the scheme to date.


In the letter, Ms Lloyd admitted:


The successful bids are currently undergoing due diligence (apart from one which has completed the due diligence and has been provided with a final offer letter) before a final offer of funds can be made.


...


The failure to spend any of the £1.4bn Growth Fund ...


first announced on 29 June 2010, ...


1240 Germany


Local currencies the German way: the chiemgauer | The Guardian


The chiemgauer has managed to bring on board local co-operative banks and credit organisations, and it's even possible to pay in chiemgauer using a debit card, run by Regios, an association of co-operative banks.


"The aim of a regional currency is to promote the local economy, which also benefits the environment because the carbon footprint of local logistics is clearly much lower. It is far healthier economically and environmentally to have several small high street businesses rather than one megastore."


What makes the chiemgauer different to conventional currency is that it automatically loses value if you don't spend it. Unlike traditional money that can be saved, the chiemgauer is only valid for three months – the idea being that it must be spent, thereby boosting the local economy. If the notes aren't spent, they can be renewed by buying a stamp that costs 2% of the note's face value – so over a year, the currency depreciates 8%. Notes can be renewed up to seven times.
...


2000 - Africa


Instability in Somalia affecting regional tourism – Balala ~ Boocame Online.


Tourism minister Najib Balala has called for intervention from the international community in war-torn Somalia as its conflict was affecting neighbouring countries.


Balala told an international tourism conference in South Korea on Tuesday that instability in Somalia was impacting negatively on countries such as Kenya by posing security risks.


He told a ministerial roundtable meeting†that the problem in Somalia requires an international solution that will permanently restore regional peace and security.


He said the recent kidnappings and killings of tourists in Kenya’s Coast Province were some of the threats†that insecurity in Somali was causing to Kenya.


3000 - Atlantic Ocean


4000 - Antarctica


5000 - Americas


5000.CARICOM-Carribean.Community


Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan to be Validated 


... representatives from 15 CARICOM nations are meeting ... to validate the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan, according to published reports.


Regional administrators from the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Education, Trade, Finance, and Economic Development and Planning, as well as representatives from Regional Inter-governmental Organizations, development partners, donors, research institutions, the private sector and civil societies are participating.


...establish linkages between the plan and other key policy documents and intervention strategies, such as the Community Agricultural Policy, Common Fisheries Policy and Risk Management Strategies.


Methodologies to strengthen regional agricultural production, institutional capacity, the establishment of a better production infrastructure, as well as improving the processes critical to enable agro-food enterprises ... Action Plan to incorporate Right to Food issues in the Regional Food and Nutrition Agenda.


5130 - Canada


Taking Windsor-Essex from good to great


On Feb. 9 2011, our community adopted a Five Year Regional Economic Roadmap. During that process, we asked more than 400 stakeholders to identify the top two priorities for the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation for 2011.


Almost unanimously, the message was to: No.1, enhance regional collaboration; and No. 2, promote Windsor-Essex.


However, the second priority had a caveat that it could not be successfully implemented without a new level of collaboration being achieved within our region.


With collaboration as our main focus, we hosted our first industry strategic planning day ...


In the past eight months, our region was named one of the Top Seven Most Intelligent Communities in the world and the No. 2 Large City in which to invest in North America, by fDi Magazine.


To attribute these successes to any one organization is impossible, as it is our collective efforts that made the difference. ...


5140 - United States


1. Statewide Approaches to Regional Development | KnowYourRegion.org


This presentation describes statewide approaches to regional development, including the federal policy landscape and seven significant issues facing regional councils. The presentation outlines national trends and innovations and model practices of state associations of regional councils, including case studies of exemplary practices and projects in Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Maine, New Mexico, and Texas.


2. 2011 Urban Mobility Report and Appendices — Urban Mobility Information - Texas Transportation Institute


You may view the 2011 Urban Mobility Report (5.1MB) and the supporting information below. Or you may view the report with appendices (6.2MB) which includes the report and all supporting information.


3. New Urbanists: No Economic Recovery Without Smart Growth - StreetsBlog


In its new booklet Curbside Chat, Strong Towns asserts that since the 1970s, the suburban growth that powered America’s economy operated much like a Ponzi scheme. In towns across the country, politicians traded the short-term payoffs of sprawling development — namely increased taxes — for long-term maintenance obligations that are just now coming due. And they’re coming up short.


Is America's infrastructure policy our ticket to the poor house?


As evidence, the group holds up the fact that the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates the cost of necessary infrastructure maintenance at $2.2 trillion.


“Over a life cycle, a city frequently receives just a dime or two of revenue for each dollar of liability,” says Marohn in the report. “In the near term, revenue grows, while the corresponding maintenance obligations —- which are not counted on the public balance sheet —- are a generation away.”


The suburban sprawl bubble has now burst, he said.


4. The important difference between a road and a street - YouTube


Chuck Marohn, the executive director of Strong Towns, explains the difference between a road, which is a connection to two place and a street, which is a network of activity. He stresses the importance of returning roads to towns for community and economic development.


From: Curbside Chat Companion Booklet at Strong Towns


"Our problem was not, and is not, a lack of growth. Our problem is sixty years of unproductive growth. The American pattern of development does not create real wealth; it creates the illusion of wealth. Today we are in the process of seeing that illusion destroyed and with it the prosperity we have come to take for granted."


5. Sprawl Repair: From Sprawl to Complete Communities, by Galina Tachieva


...Author's Note: On IMAGE: The Sprawl Repair Manual makes a clear distinction between sprawl and suburb. Sprawl represents auto-dependent, single-use patterns that occur at every level of urban intensity, from the rural edge all the way into the heart of urban cores. On the other hand, not all suburbs are sprawl. …


Sprawl is a pattern of growth characterized by an abundance of congested highways, strip shopping centers, big boxes, office parks, and gated cul-de-sac subdivisions—all separated from each other in isolated, single-use pods. This land-use pattern is typically found in suburban areas, but also affects our cities, and is central to our wasteful use of water, energy, land, and time spent in traffic. Sprawl has been linked to increased air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of open space and natural habitat, and the exponential increase in new infrastructure costs. Social problems related to …


6. States with Largest Presence of STEM-Related Jobs | Newgeography


Few would argue that STEM-educated workers are vital to advancing innovative ideas and new products. But here’s another fact borne out by labor market data: The regions with the strongest presence of STEM-related employment are heavily dependent on government funding.


Washington, D.C. has more than two times the concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs than the national average, according to EMSI’s latest employment estimates. Fairfax and Arlington counties — whose economies are interconnected to D.C.’s — have helped Virginia expand its presence of STEM-related workers, on a per-capita basis, more than any other state in the last decade. ...


7. What Boomers Are Choosing | Newgeography.com


…firm began working with small towns and rural communities utilizing our insight and knowledge of the retiree market and desired community amenities to create or enhance their position as a retirement destination. … assisted them in establishing programs to recruit retirees as an economic development strategy that taps into economic, social, educational and professional attributes of the boomers. Through my work with both the active adult and rural/small town communities I have observed changing trends in the retiree market as the Eisenhower generation gave way to the boomers. 


The following are some of the patterns and behaviors which are vital to the boomer home buyer as they make decisions on their retirement living. Trend 1 – When making a decision regarding retirement housing, boomers are savvy consumers, typically having purchased between 3 – 9 homes in their lifetime. These are buyers who know what they want and are reluctant to compromise their selection criteria. …




8. Parks and the Economy - National Park Service


It can be easy these days to get caught up in the negativity of our sluggish economy. Everywhere it seems people are cutting back on spending. In such a climate, it becomes tempting for municipalities and states to look at their parks and say, "sorry, but maybe next year. "


However, some folks would offer different opinions. Anne Schwartz in the Gotham Gazette argues that parks should not be ignored during economic downturns. Parks raise property values (hence property tax revenues too), offer free or inexpensive recreation, and provide public health benefits from exercise. Additionally, State park attendance has had a noticeable bump up during the recent downturn, which means visitors were putting money back into local economies by spending on food and gear.


A State of Tennessee study finds that every $1 in its parks budget creates $17 dollars in direct expenditures.


9. Region VIII Federal Interagency Collaboration Continues | blog.aids.gov


… National HIV/AIDS Strategy(NHAS)-our region (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah & Wyoming)-September 29-special meeting of the Region VIII NHAS Federal Interagency Work Group to reflect on our progress & identify opportunities & priorities for the months ahead. … launch of our work group-last spring-regional representatives from the U.S. Departments of Housing & Urban Development, Justice (Federal Bureau of Prisons), Labor, Veterans Affairs (Veterans Health Administration), & the Social Security Administration, along with regional representatives of several operating divisions within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services including the Administration on Aging, Health Resources & Services Administration, Office for Civil Rights, Office of Minority Health, Office on Women’s Health, Office of Population Affairs & the Office of the Regional Health Administrator. Colleagues from the U.S. Dept of Agriculture & the U.S. Dept of Education have also participated


10. Importance of regional innovation systems to foster the growth of digital medicine


... digital medicine is an immature market with more capital invested than revenue dollars generated, probably by several times, and we are still more than a few years from realizing robust and sustainable business activity from it.


One key element which could accelerate the growth of this market would be the concentrated investment in regional innovation systems. As production becomes more science-based, advantages such as a developed research infrastructure, a highly qualified workforce and an innovative culture are becoming more important than natural resources, so there are obvious investments made and policy measures taken which can increase regional competitiveness.
...
California is home to three of the five, in my totally subjective opinion, leading mobile health regional innovation systems in the US and arguably the world.


11. National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP)


The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) is a collaborative effort by the Urban Institute and local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood information systems in local policymaking and community building.


5140-00.Power.of.32.Pittsburgh.PA.OH.MD.WV


Our Region | Power of 32 - 32 Counties, 4 States, 1 Vision


The Power of 32 region shares a common history and industrial past, along with a common workforce that travels across the 32 counties for work - a quarter of our workforce lives in one county and works in another. We also share common assets, such as our universities, our natural resources, our heath care system, and cultural institutions. Together we are competing against other regions around the world for jobs and opportunities, and together, we can work toward a future of prosperity!


5140-00.OKI-OH-KY-IN-Cincinnati


Trends point to need for alternative energy


2 of five-part series about ideas that will Transform the Region.
As resources deplete and costs rise, alternative energy sources will be a transformative issue in the next decade and beyond, experts and industry professionals say.


Connector Manufacturing’s wind turbine is the first of its kind in the area, although many other businesses and electric companies are planning and implementing forays into alternative ways of producing electricity and energy.


“The writing is on the wall that we need to rethink energy,” said David Prytherch, professor of geography at Miami University where he studies urban planning and sustainability issues. “All the trends point towards greater demands in energy even as the most common forms of producing energy diminish.”


Coal remains king for producing energy in Southwest Ohio because of its relative inexpensiveness, high efficiency and already existing infrastructures equipped to handle coal burning.
However, the supply of coal will run out, ...


Seamless regional transit, freight system decades off


3 of 5 ... ideas that will 
transform the region.
Improving the transportation infrastructure is at the center of various economic and political agendas nationwide.
From President Barack Obama’s $447 billion American Jobs Act, which would set aside money for transportation infrastructure projects, to the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2040 transportation plan, improving the infrastructure is important for the region to grow and prosper, leaders say.


Local leaders say as the eventual merge of the Cincinnati-Dayton metropolitan area continues, improving transportation needs along the main road arteries is something that needs to be done to transform the region.


But, the option to create a transportation system, which would include mass transit buses, passenger and freight trains working hand-in-hand existing highway infrastructure, is decades away.
Costs and the public perception are keeping projects ...


Northeast


5140-01 Maine


Mobilize Maine: Asset-Based Regional Economic Development 


The NADO Research Foundation has released a new report, Mobilize Maine: Asset-Based Regional Economic Development. Led by the state’s Economic Development Districts, Mobilize Maine is a proactive approach to revitalizing the state economy by drawing on regional assets. This report highlights the efforts of the Northern Maine Development Commission and the Eastern Maine Development Corporation to collaborate with public- and private-sector stakeholders to leverage and align their resources to shape regional economic development. This report was produced in partnership with the EDA Know Your Region project. View the report here (PDF).


5140-06 Connecticut


1. Municipal officials call for more regional disaster planning in wake of Irene - New Haven




Officials testifying on the second day of hearings on Tropical Storm Irene said more robust regional planning was needed going forward, as well as better coordination to meet the needs of the disabled.


Town leaders who spoke, however, were complimentary of Connecticut Light & Power’s response, which was in contrast to mayors and first selectmen who were highly critical of the utility in the initial hearing last week.


First Selectman Tim Griswold, R-Old Lyme, said he is part of a consortium that does regular planning around potential nuclear disasters from the Millstone Plant.


“We should spend more time planning for natural disasters,” Griswold told lawmakers and it should include representatives of land line and cell phone providers, as well as electric utilities. He said the planning statewide could be done along regions served by the Department of Emergency Management and Public Safety.


2. Blueprint drawn for area's economic growth - The Day


The draft of a new regional economic plan calls for a better transportation system in southeastern Connecticut and new incubator space to encourage possible spinoff companies resulting from layoffs at Pfizer Inc.


The 2011 Comprehensive Development Strategy, developed by the New London-based economic booster organization Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, also supports the idea for a kitchen incubator in Ledyard. The incubator would lease out space to entrepreneurs who want to jump-start new businesses but can't afford the expensive equipment needed initially to create their products.


The latest economic plan, a 99-page document available for public comment in draft form at www.secter.org, is the first for southeastern Connecticut since 2004, when the possible closure of the U.S. Naval Submarine Base weighed most heavily on the region but both pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the area's two Indian-run casinos were in a hiring mode. …


South


5140-12-01-Metropolitan.Washington-DC-MD-VA


1. Regional officials back airports authority in Dulles feud 


The Metropolitan Council of Governments overcame the bitter complaints of Virginia representatives Wednesday and voted to oppose the state's attempt to restructure the board that oversees the Dulles Rail project.
The council, on a 16-3 vote, approved a resolution opposing legislation that would give Virginia a majority on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the board in charge of the $6 billion project whose members are actively fighting the membership change.
...
"There's been an arrogance toward local governments, but an expansion of the board would not change that," said Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross, who joined Bulova in siding with MWAA to oppose the bill.


D.C. and Maryland officials oppose changing the authority's membership, saying their jurisdictions would suffer with less representation.


"To pack the board is anti-regional," D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson said.


2. Post Board Wants Regional Authority To Handle Emergencies


Looks like "sit tight during an emergency" wasn't good enough advice for the Post's editorial board, who criticized emergency preparedness in the Washington region and called for a regional emergency authority body.


The mayor has the authority to order an evacuation from the city, but beyond that there is no single entity with authority to advise the public in a fast-moving emergency. Instead, there are 17 local jurisdictions and the federal government sharing information (to be sure, a good thing) but each able to call its own shots. A more sensible system, as we’ve pointed out before, is one in which there are designated, trained staff people to collect information, make decisions and inform the public. New York City has such a system. So does London.


The hesitation of Washington’s jurisdictions to cede turf in decision making to a proper regional authority is shortsighted and could someday exact a terrible price. …


5140-13 Virginia


1. Connolly and elected leaders to discuss Metro extension to Woodbridge 


Local and elected officials have toyed with the idea of bringing Metro to Woodbridge for several years. In January, Connolly reintroduced a bill that would authorize an analysis on and preliminary engineering for the extension of Metro both south of the beltway to Woodbridge and west toward Centreville. The bill has been referred to the subcommittee on highways and transit, according to Connolly’s Web site.


“As our residents confront volatile gas prices and declining home values, particularly in suburbs beyond the Metrorail system, it is vital that we extend Metrorail in the busiest commuting corridors,” Connolly said in a letter to his colleagues in Congress. “ This action is critical to reduce transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions while giving commuters more transportation choices.”


2. Richmond transit among the weakest in the nation - RVANews


Mayor Dwight C. Jones held a meeting of the Anti-Poverty Commission to discuss the state of public transportation in the region.


... At the meeting’s commencement Mayor Jones announced, “We need to expand our thinking and our discussion…in order to have a truly regional transportation.”


Although public transportation is highly accessible within city limits, only 18% of individuals living in Richmond’s suburbs have transit coverage. Most bus routes end just outside the city, even though over a quarter of jobs are located in Richmond’s counties. Significantly, many employment opportunities in these areas are low and mid-level skill jobs with high turnover rates.


An expanded and improved bus system “could stitch the city together in a meaningful way,” said Berube. He continued, “Inevitably the region has to tackle the issue as a region…it requires regional vision.”


Several County Administrators from surrounding areas were personally invited to this meeting by Mayor Jones, ...


3. The word for the day (decade) is 'Diversify' - Daily Press


…12th Annual State of the Region report, telling us that — in the short term —we cannot affect our economy very much. The long term is a different story, and the Hampton Roads Partnership has a very good plan in place, according to Koch who says, "the region would be wise to support this regional approach to economic development and real job growth," i.e., Vision Hampton Roads*.


Koch further said that the region's best bet is to deal with its econumdrum** — ours is an economy dependent on military spending (close to 46 percent) – and we must adjust our job creation philosophies for the long term and "grow our way out of it." 


Vision, the first region-wide economic development strategy, brought community, business and political leaders together to focus on how the economy works in Hampton Roads, identifying: Strengths — an educated and skilled workforce, healthcare access, the port/harbor, … Weaknesses — brain drain and decision-making rarely at the regional level; Opportunities ...


4. Virginia grant pushes Southwest Regional Recreation Authority forward


A $70,000 state grant announced by Gov. Bob McDonnell recently marks a milestone for the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority (SRRA) in Virginia and the authority’s Spearhead Trails initiative.


The Building Collaborative Communities grant announced by McDonnell was one of four programs included in a $280,000 total funding package. The Building Collaborative Communities program was created by a recommendation of the Governor’s Commission on Job Creation and is designed to assist regions in creating and sustaining new economic opportunities in Virginia’s economically distressed areas.


“This first year initiative is supporting projects that create the regional collaboration that is needed to spark growth and development in these economically distressed areas,” McDonnell said. “This initial commitment is expected to leverage significant local and private resources within the communities, and stimulate job creation and economic development in these regions.”


5140-14 West.Virginia


Regional truancy meeting Huntington | West Virginia Record


Some circuit judges in West Virginia already have initiated truancy programs. At the regional meetings, Davis and Moats are discussing those programs as examples of ideas that work. The purpose of the regional meetings is to encourage communities to design similar programs tailored to their local assets and needs.


5140-16 South Carolina


Regional Economic Scorecard : Greenville Chamber of Commerce


Regional Economic Scorecard - 2011


The Greenville Chamber's vision is to build one of the premier business communities in the world.


Our missions to achieve this vision are to:


Lead Through Collaboration: We will connect our members and work with strategic partners to build a globally recognized business community – driven by our commitment to be Greater Greenville’s unifying institution of collaboration.


Build Community Prosperity: We will focus on entrepreneurial growth, existing business and targeted initiatives – fostering an innovative business environment, which strengthens Greater Greenville’s economy.


Be the Voice of Business: We will influence vital business, education and legislative issues, which are crucial for a prosperous business environment.


Enhance Quality of Life: ... in Greater Greenville.


Strive for Organizational Excellence: ...


5140-15  North Carolina 


Reaction to regional effort surprising and disappointing - Mount Airy News


McNeil made his presentation on the need for local governments in the region to work together under the banner the Piedmont Triad Regional Council as a means to help facilitate that growth in a manner that has the least effect on the environment and living conditions in communities.


Unfortunately for him, the term “sustainable community” was used, and that has become, at least locally, a lightning rod. For some reason people have equated that term with the dreaded “s” word — socialism.


The truth is the term sustainable community means just what it says, building a community in a manner that can be sustained over the long term. Take a look at some communities in China today, or some industrial communities in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s and you will see examples of rivers and water supplies poisoned by hazardous waste openly dumped into waterways, so much so that a few of those communities have been shut down or moved. Albeit extreme, that is a real-world example


5140-18 Florida 


1. SW Florida gets used to idea of regionalism | The News-Press 


On paper, Lee and Collier counties are joined in an intricate web of chambers of commerce, tourist bureaus and development committees.


But when it comes to economic development, they're more like Facebook "friends."


That is beginning to change.


Collier's Economic Development Council went extinct earlier this month, but the county commission will have a public hearing Friday to discuss a report from James McGraw of KMK consulting that pushes a multicounty partnership of business and government leaders.


Community leaders in both Lee and Collier are wondering how the whole thing will work, but they are poised to move beyond conversations to results.


Cape Coral earlier this week hired an economic development director... regional partnerships will factor in the city's future.


Plenty of cross-pollination happens among Southwest Florida's 19 chambers of commerce. In addition, Lee's economic development office has for years counted Collier as a partner in marketing the region,


2. TPO seeks information about Planning Council 


Bay County Transportation Planning Organization members launched an investigation into the workings of the West Florida Regional Planning Council … 


TPO Chairman Mike Nelson began his tenure at the helm of the multi-jurisdictional agency with questions & concerns about the operation of the Bay Town Trolley. The Planning Council’s primary task is long-range planning, he said, which does not seem compatible with the management needs of the burgeoning trolley system. 


...committee members received a presentation on the way other public transportation systems are operated in Florida that revealed Bay Town Trolley is one of only two systems operated by a regional planning council. Committee members also composed a data request that will be sent to the Planning Council, including a comprehensive list of grants that come into the agency, a detailed report of how the money is spent, a list of the number of employees involved with the trolley and their salary & benefit plans


5140-19 Tennessee


Five-county regional planning project launches - Knoxville News


A group of East Tennessee planning officials are launching a project called PlanET to define a shared vision for the region's future.


The project began today with a kickoff event at the East Tennessee History Center in downtown Knoxville. PlanET, a regional partnership of local governments, economic development agencies and non-profit organizations working toward the shared vision for East Tennessee's future, is funded through federal and local sources. ...


PlanET's strength will be its focus on specific topics affecting quality of life in the five-country region,


5140-21 Alabama


Birmingham city, regional planners and transit officials meet, seeking long term answers


William Bell along with officials from the transit authority and the Regional Planning Commission this morning are gathered to discuss long-term goals and improvements for public transportation.


The work session comes a day after a tense exchange during the City Council meeting where Bell, Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority officials and the council discussed funding the system that's set to make route cuts and layoffs in less than two weeks.


It will be at least another week before Birmingham officials decide whether to allocate money for mass transit to avoid route cuts and layoffs scheduled for October.


Tuesday's heated debate included Bell and council members again assigning blame to each other for the funding crisis and accused each other of skewing facts for political purposes.


In the end, the council agreed to discuss funding details, a proposed contract with the BJCTA and additional money the city may owe to the system in a committee meeting. ...


5140-26 Texas


Hill County Part Of Regional-Planning Grant Application


Hill County commissioners recently agreed to be a part of a regional-planning grant application that could provide services to the county and local cities as well.


A presentation on the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant was made by Megan Henderson, regional services director with the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG).
The grant encompasses the five rural HOTCOG counties of Hill, Bosque, Falls, Limestone and Freestone.


“This grant would give counties and communities more tools to make better local decisions,” Mrs. Henderson said.


Among those tools would be mapping services, measurements and data, public-involvement process and recommendations.


Midwest


5140-27 Michigan


1. MSU to lead pioneering economic development effort | MSU News


As Michigan attempts to transform its manufacturing-based economy, Michigan State University will create a pioneering economic development center that focuses on new ways of generating businesses and jobs.


The project, funded by a $915,000 grant over five years from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, involves partnering with other colleges, local and regional governments, private businesses and other groups to produce or identify innovative ideas and practices that can be shared.


Rex LaMore will oversee the MSU University Center for Regional Economic Innovation, which is the first university-based center in Michigan to support research in economic development innovation in a collaborative manner.
...
“Essentially, the economic development profession is still using a 20th-century toolbox,” LaMore said. “What we’re trying to do is produce a 21st-century toolbox that will help it create jobs in our communities.”


2. Shining Light awards: Metro Detroit visionaries, heroes, leaders


They bring people together, care about the region, believe in partnership, inspire others, don't give up and work across party lines.


That's how community leaders described the winners of this year's Shining Light Regional Cooperation Awards.

This year's winners have contributed to feeding people who are hungry, helping keep talented young people in the state, connecting corporations and minority business leaders and transforming downtown Detroit.


"The kind of work our honorees are doing is critically important to our success as a region," Detroit Free Press Editor and Publisher Paul Anger said.


The Free Press and Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, a group that works for regional change, sponsored the awards named after late Free Press Publisher Neal Shine



5140-28 Ohio


Regional Development: Communities collaborate without losing identities - Subscription Story - Headline says a lot. Ed.




The communities along Interstate 75 between Cincinnati and Dayton see themselves as great assets to one another and their larger metropolitan brothers – even if they don’t have a cohesive way to brand themselves.


“We’re not looking for one image unless it all fits together in a positive growth pattern,” said Bill Triick, who leads the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton.


Counted as one, the 19-county Cincinnati-Dayton metropolitan area is home to more than 3 million people, making it the 15th largest in the nation.


5140-29 Indiana


1. Area art organizations will answer to Vanderburgh Community Foundation


Area arts organizations will soon have a new, yet very familiar agency to deal with when they apply for funding through the Indiana Arts Commission.


This month the Vanderburgh Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that already handles trusts and other accounts for most of the nonprofit arts groups in this corner of the state, will become the Indiana Arts Commission's regional partner, regranting state money for arts planning, technical assistance, organizational and project grants for the seven counties in Region 10.


As soon as the community foundation signs a contract with the IAC, the agency will take over the regional partnership role dropped this year by the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, said Scott Wylie, the community foundation's director.


Community foundations have stepped forward to pick up IAC Regional Partnerships in several regions after arts agencies decided not to renew the partnerships.
...


2. Hundreds of tinkerers turn out for FW Regional Maker Faire


Hundreds of self-proclaimed do-it-your-selfers and tinkerers are putting their imagination to work.


They're creating things you've probably never heard of. It’s all apart of TekVentures Fort Wayne Regional Maker Faire .




Maker Faire is the premier event for grassroots American innovation. As the World's Largest DIY Festival, this two-day family friendly Faire has something for everyone - a showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness and a celebration of the Maker mindset. So You Want to Make a Maker Faire?


5140-30 Illinois


GREDA looks north of the border - Galesburg, IL - The Register


The Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association is the first entity in Illinois to enter into an agreement with a Canadian firm that will generate leads. ROI Research, founded in 2003 in Montreal, will research GREDA and the area, then use its database to put officials in contact with companies that have an interest in locating here.


GREDA President Tom Schmidt said ROI has the manpower to do research that would not be possible for GREDA, given the size of its staff.


“They try to qualify the lead,” Schmidt said. “By the time they present it to us, there’s a higher degree of confidence that the lead is actually” interested in the west-central Illinois area.


“They’re somewhat of a matchmaker, if you will,” he said. “They’re going to be doing research on companies.”


5140-31 Wisconsin


1. Collaboration key as Wisconsin school boards, educators deal with changes


Wisconsin's educators and boards of education have endured a painful period in state politics this year, says Wisconsin Association of School Boards Executive Director John Ashley.


But he is confident school boards can "lead us through a rough, divisive experience."


In an interview Wednesday before speaking to members of 30 northeast Wisconsin school boards at their fall regional meeting in Neenah, Ashley noted that the session included a refresher on the legal requirements of the state's open meetings law.


The refresher was much needed, he said, in light of the deep polarization of views that emerged as the state budget battle reached a boiling point in Madison this spring.


Members of the association, which represents 424 school districts, also were divided and "all were vocal," Ashley said.


"With all the changes in collective bargaining and the partisan rancor that's been taking the state by storm, this is an opportunity to reinforce collaboration," he said.
...


2. Capital Region Sustainable Communities Partnership: Conference focuses on collaboration to foster sustainability


The 2nd Annual Capital Area Planning Conference on October 27 and 28 at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall will bring in new ideas to advance discussion and actions toward a more sustainable region. Over 30 organizations, governments, and businesses have formed Capital Region Sustainable Communities Partnership in order to forge new collaborations for economic opportunity, healthy environments, and stronger communities for all. The Capital Region Sustainable Communities Partnership and the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission will host the event with sponsorship by the Dane County Cities and Villages Association and the Dane County Towns Association.


5140-32 Minnesota


1. MAC director: Regionalization could help regain air service | St. Cloud Times


Forming a regional authority to oversee St. Cloud Regional Airport could elevate the area’s efforts to regain air service, the director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission said this morning in St. Cloud.


The MAC oversees Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and small airports in the Twin Cities. Its director, Jeffrey Hamiel, spoke ... to the Central Minnesota Transportation Alliance.


The regional authority concept that Hamiel endorsed is being explored by St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, who says he’s talking to leaders in Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties about creating such an entity.


Some have suggested bringing St. Cloud Regional Airport under MAC oversight. That would require an act of the Legislature to expand the commission’s geographic jurisdiction beyond the Twin Cities.


Hamiel said it’s unlikely ...


Hamiel also recommended that St. Cloud-area leaders focus on landing airline service to Chicago and Denver, instead of to Minneapolis-St. Paul.


2. Affluent suburbs challenge Twin Cities' unique tax-base sharing law


In the 40 years since the Fiscal Disparities Act was passed by the Minnesota Legislature, the Twin Cities' unique tax-base sharing law has survived multiple court challenges and repeal efforts. Evidently some people don't like to share!


The law is undergoing scrutiny once again, as a result of a legislative directive approved at the request of the curiously named Municipal Legislative Commission, a coalition of 16 of the region's more affluent suburbs.


The Fiscal Disparities Act, which took effect in 1975 after being upheld by the courts, requires all communities in seven-county area to share 40 percent of the annual growth in their commercial-industrial tax base. ...


...


"The essence of Fiscal Disparities was that as a region, we're all in this together and that regional decisions about where highways go, where airports go, where shopping centers go — they all influence where growth [and therefore tax base] goes,"


3. A stronger voice for job creation in our region - TwinCities.com


There's no doubt where our Pioneer Press loyalties lie: in St. Paul and the east metro.


But a region that by some measures is among the nation's best-kept secrets needs to get the word out, in a coordinated way. As Gov. Mark Dayton suggested Tuesday at a gathering to present a vision for unified economic development in the region, it's time to set rivalries aside to "come together for Minnesota."


The governor was among business and political leaders on hand to present the brand and marketing campaign for Greater MSP, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership. For the first time, the region - 11 metro counties in Minnesota and two in western Wisconsin - will have one economic development group, a public-private partnership, carrying the message about our area's assets across the country and around the world.


5140-37 Missouri


Ashland: Goodbye to the ‘Regional’ part - Columbia, Missouri




Back when I was an officer on the board of Regional Economic Development Inc., the first word in the name of the organization was taken seriously. Neighboring local governments were members and had representatives at our meetings. We had a serious effort to develop a regional plan. We talked often about the value to Columbia of job development in Ashland or Centralia and vice versa.


That was then.


Now even small cities and counties believe they are in competition with every other community, even those within easy commuting distance — towns like Ashland, for instance.


The little town halfway between Columbia and Jefferson City has grown steadily as a bedroom community. It now numbers some 3,700 residents, but relatively little of this economic base is commercial. ... 


Recently Ashland dropped out as a member of REDI and now is trying to build its own economic development organization. The city has hired a consultant and hopes to create an office with paid staff.


... 


Centralia recently took a similar path developing its own economic development operation, but Centralia remains a member of REDI and is a community with a manufacturing plant heritage.


An overlapping, interlocking labyrinth of officially sponsored economic development activity grows everywhere. Out of all this frenzy in the aggregate, no new jobs are created except on the taxpayer-funded staffs of a thousand economic development offices that try to outbid each other with bribes to prospective companies paid for by the same taxpayers.


You can understand this frantic race to the bottom by cities, counties and states hoping to beat the odds, but by joining the zero-sum contest, Ashland might ensure a loss by denying its civic culture and heritage. ...




West


5140-42 Nevada


Gov. Sandoval Announces Economic Development Staff Changes - Nevada


Gov. Brian Sandoval has appointed Steve Hill as interim executive director of the newly created Office of Economic Development, a cabinet level position in his administration.


...


During Governor-elect Sandoval’s transition, Hill served as chairman of the Economic Development Policy Committee and advised Sandoval, Assembly Speaker John Oceguera and Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford on economic development issues in preparation for the 2011 legislative session. Hill is also a current member of the Commission on Economic Development.


In his position as interim executive director, Hill will be responsible for developing a State Plan for Economic Development and criteria for the designation of regional development authorities. Hill will also work to establish procedures for entering into contracts with regional development authorities to provide services to aid, promote, and encourage the economic development of this state.


...


5140-44 Colorado


Northwest Colorado organization awarded for collaboration, community impact


The Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership has won the first Colorado Collaboration Award for its work to develop a regional network of care for the underinsured and uninsured in Moffat, Routt, Rio Blanco and Jackson counties, according to a news release.


“We are so thrilled to be recognized by Colorado Nonprofit Association and its partnering foundations. This is a wonderful affirmation of five years of work as a community partnership.


“The award will go a long way in helping us continue the work of improving the lives of residents in Northwest Colorado,” said Diane Miller, director of clinical and quality services at the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association.


5140-47 Alaska


Student Solutions to Environmental Problems Save Governments Money


Last year, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell signed a bill allowing municipalities to offer tax exemptions on residential renewable energy upgrades. The new law wasn’t a legislator’s idea, though. It came from a high school freshman. The legislation, an amendment that will make it more affordable for Alaskans to install solar panels or erect wind turbines, was crafted by a 15-year-old student named Freya Chay.


Chay’s idea was the result of a student competition called Caring for the Kenai (CFK), which encourages young people to come up with ways to improve their local environment and better prepare their community for a natural disaster. CFK is more than a contest. It’s a cooperative effort among schools, governments, businesses and environmental groups to use young minds to solve some of the region’s most pressing environmental problems. It’s also part of the high school curriculum. 


… this fall, the CFK model will be expanded nationwide. ...


5140-48 Washington 


1. Opinion | Brightwater is latest milestone in environmental leadership that stretches to 1950s


BRIGHTWATER'S grand opening Saturday is an extraordinary accomplishment as well as an opportunity to take stock of why we're celebrating its success.


Completion of the sewage-treatment plant in Woodinville fulfills a promise that clean water and a healthy environment will be here for the next generation. Wastewater treatment is the No. 1 pollution-prevention system in our region, essential for our quality of life.


The project put people to work during one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression. From 2006 to 2011, Brightwater created more than 3,000 direct construction jobs with an annual payroll of $88 million. These workers built infrastructure needed to support future economic growth and vibrant communities that attract skilled workers and business investment.
...


2. KEDA hosting Decision Makers II: "Regionalism Boeing's 737 MAX"


Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) hosts “Decision Makers II: “Regionalism Boeing’s 737 MAX”- Community, business and government leaders interested in learning how the Aerospace industry impacts our regional and local economy are invited.


The Puget Sound, both East and West sound, is home to many successful global companies, creating a magnet for innovative and successful companies-Decision Makers II is a forum to learn about and embrace the regional opportunities created by companies like Boeing, Amazon, Vigor, and Watson Furniture. ...


Tayloe Washburn, co-chair of the Washington Aerospace Partnership-has extensive experience bringing together people and groups to accomplish complex projects. Project Pegasus is the Washington Aerospace Partnership’s effort to position Washington State as the premier and preferred site for the re-engined Boeing 737 or MAX. Washburn will highlight findings from the Project Pegasus competiveness study, scheduled for completion in late October 2011....


5140-50 California


1. Regional plan to combat pollution gets more scrutiny | SignOnSanDiego


San Diego County has the state’s first regional long-range transportation plan that seeks to reduce pollution over the next 40 years.


Being first isn’t always easy. State air regulators in Sacramento on Thursday heard from nearly two dozen people who, while offering some praise for the San Diego effort, concluded it did not go far enough and would fall short in reducing pollution.


“This plan sets the vision for the next 40 years and has consequences far beyond San Diego,” Sierra Club California’s Amanda Wallner told the California Air Resources Board. “It sets a precedent for all future plans of the 17 other (regions). It should be treated with heightened scrutiny.”


And it was.


Autumn Bernstein of the coalition ClimatePlan was among many pointing out that the plan’s gains in air pollution reduction erode over time to become negligible by 2050. The pejorative term used Bernstein and others was “backsliding.”


...


2. Metropolitan Transportation Commission approves move to SF Building - inShare


The on-again, off-again move of the Bay Area's transportation commission from Oakland to San Francisco is on again -- even as a state audit proceeds into the legality of its funding.


The Metropolitan Transportation Commission reaffirmed plans Wednesday to use toll proceeds to buy and move into a new regional government headquarters in San Francisco, despite strenuous objections from Oakland city leaders and several state lawmakers.


3. Governor Signs SB 244, Creating Unfunded Mandate Requiring Cities to Plan for Unincorporated Communities 


The League is not opposed to crafting a solution to a real problem that exists, but SB 244 only gives the illusion that lives in these communities located in county territory, outside of city borders, will be improved. In reality, cities will have to bear the costs to produce more paper plans without the resources to either pay for the plans or any tools to improve actual infrastructure and services. Moreover, the requirement for a second application will politicize and hamper other annexation proposals that are otherwise agreed to by affected landowners and developers and thereby retard local economic development and growth.


6000 - Pacific Ocean


7000 - Oceana


7420 New Zealand


1. Regional Councils in the Creation of Social Capital


Regional Councils are primarily responsible for environmental management, as specified in the Resource Management Act (RMA), 1991. The Local Government Act 2002 has an integrative component, requiring consideration of social, economic, environmental & cultural well-being of their communities. These two Acts are interesting, as their combination is shaping new governance structures within New Zealand. Different types of policy instruments are available to Regional Councils while carrying out their functions: regulatory, economic & voluntary. The 1990s are characterized by “first generation Plans” of the RMA, which were highly rule focused. In the 2000s a marked shift occurred, mainstreaming community & participative approaches to policy. This increased levels of trust between communities & the Regional Councils, & can be seen as building blocks in the formation of social capital. … The paper traces the emergence of partnerships as a collective form of action, & analyses them …


2. Funding approved for council efficiency study|Voxy.co.nz


Hawke's Bay Regional Council's has today approved the use of $40,000 to fund studies into the efficiency and effectiveness of the Council's activities.


The funding will be used in three areas. It will be used to further scope opportunities for inter-regional council and central government collaboration, and to look at where the Regional Council can increase collaboration with local city and district councils, iwi and key business and community interests to explore the diversification of the regional economy.


The study will also include an assessment of the role local government in Hawke's Bay plays in enabling or hindering socio-economic development, and whether any changes to local government strategies and processes would add further value to the economy.


...


7430 Australia


Simplistic LEP template may need 'fine tuning' - ABC Newcastle NSW


The Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Planning, Craig Baumann, says he will meet Lake Macquarie Council next month to discuss concerns over a template used to create local environment plans.


The template was introduced by the previous Labor Government in a bid to simplify the planning process.


Lake Macquarie is refusing to exhibit its 2011 LEP until the Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, addresses several concerns about zoning.


Mr Baumann says he has already met more than a dozen concerned councils around the state.


"The standard LEP as the previous Government was running it was far too inflexible," he said.


"There's no room to move and this is what Lake Macquarie Council were talking about.


"The Local Environment Plan is meant to be the Council's vision for the future.


"We're handing power back to Council.


...


Lake Macquarie Mayor, Greg Piper, has described the template as ill-conceived and crude.


Craig Baumann says it is not a bad idea but it may need more fine tuning


8000 - Asia


Stepping up from regional influence to a global role | East Asia Forum


Asia is in a strong position to assert itself in global financial governance.


The remarkable growth of the economies in the region and their integration in global trade and finance bestow upon Asian states considerable potential clout in international forums and institutions. However, Asia’s current influence is not yet commensurate with its economic weight in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), arguably the premier institution in global finance.


Asia’s relationship with the IMF before the Asian financial crisis of 1997–1998 can be best characterised as cool, but not hostile. The main interaction between them was in the context of annual Article IV Consultations and the IMF’s advice on economic policies was broadly considered useful by Asian countries, although there was no imperative to follow it.


8248 Afghanistan
8000.Silk.Road


Silk Road revival vital to regional stability: Rassoul | Pajhwok Afghan News


The Afghan government is working to regain its historic role as a land bridge connecting South and Central Asia with the Middle East, Foreign Minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul has said.


Convinced that the idea of a New Silk Road holds the promise of achieving an economically vibrant regional order, spanning across borders and continents, ... "Afghanistan is pursuing this vision with urgency."


In this connection, together with its regional partners, Afghans were making important headway on a number of important projects, each of which would serve to benefit their common goals, he added.


...inaugural ministerial meeting on the New Silk Route in New York being co-hosted by Germany and the United States the projects included the TAPI pipeline and the CASA 1000 energy-trading scheme.


Noting the region was full of vast amounts of untapped natural resources, he said mineral deposits were among the largest supply in the world, and had the potential to become the backbone of the Afghan economy.


8272 India


MMRDA invites bids for Taloja dumping ground - Hindustan Times


Residents living in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region may soon get a scientifically managed dumping ground at Taloja. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now invited bids to develop the Regional Solid Waste Management Project at Taloja on a Public-Private Partnership module.


The 117-hectare regional solid waste management project is expected to clear about 2,000 metric tonnes of solid waste daily from the four municipal corporations of Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar and Bhiwandi-Nizampur, and two municipal councils of Ambernath and Kulgaon-Badlapur.


The MMRDA will provide the selected developer with a viability gap funding for the Rs1,000 crore project, which he will run for 25 years.


The dumping ground will not only be stench-free, but also generate electricity and have organic farms producing compost. The developer will be allowed to commercially exploit the compost manure created.
...


8288 Nepal
8000.SAARC


Make the region a business hub: Prez Yadav - Nepal


President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has urged international investors to invest in Nepal and assured them of all possible cooperation.


"Nepal is not only a country of pleasant climate but also an appropriate place for vibrant business. As the head of state and on behalf of the government of Nepal, I would extend full cooperation to you business people in doing business in a favorable climate in Nepal," the president said ...


Stating that the rule of law is crucial for the growth of business sector, the president said know-how, skill, capacity and entrepreneurship are needed for successful business operation.


"Future of the SAARC region is linked to the success of the business sector. We have high potentials to develop this region where economic growth is highest in the world as global business hub," he said.
...


The first conclave of its kind organized in Nepal, the 4th SBLC has the slogan of ´Peace and Prosperity Through Regional Connectivity´.
...


8316 Phillipines 


RDC XII launches Regional Development Plan 2011-2016 - Philippines 


Soccsksargen’s Regional Development Council-Regional Development Plan (RDP) from 2011–16 ~ theme “Establishing its Role as the Sustainable Food Center in the South.” 


RDP envisions Soccsksargen or Region 12 to be the “home of God-centered & empowered, culturally diverse people, provider of world class high value crops, fishery, mineral & tourism products & services, propelled by dynamic & dedicated leaders, & living in a green & healthy environment.” 


In attaining its vision, the following are the strategic outcomes that the council will undertake for the next six years: increased & sustained growth in agriculture, fishery, & industry; equal access to basic services; effective infrastructure support; adequate & reliable energy supply; improved ecological integrity; good governance; & sustained peace, development, & security. Soccsksargen Region-provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, & North Cotabato & cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal & General Santos


9000 - Indian Ocean


Basic Geocodes - 
0000 - Earth
0900 - Arctic Ocean
1000 - Europe
2000 - Africa
3000 - Atlantic Ocean
4000 - Antarctica
5000 - Americas
6000 - Pacific Ocean
7000 - Oceana
8000 - Asia
9000 - Indian Ocean


Information on the "Global Region-builder Geo-Code Prototype" © is at:


http://www.slideshare.net/regional/global-region-builder-geocodesaagrsarsai


and on the blog: http://ri-rc.com