Multi-jurisdictional
intentional regional communities are, in all cases, “Greater Communities” where
“community motive” is at work at a more than a local scale. This newsletter
provides a scan of regional community, cooperation and collaboration activity
as reported in news media and blogs. More articles are at delicious.com.
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Top 10 Stories
"America's Metro Regions Take Center Stage."
That's the title of a new report…some people will immediately
retort:
"Metros? You can't be serious. …
And our reply: Flying almost undetected under the news
radar, America's metropolitan regions are becoming central to today's American
story — and future.
Why?
Our Citistates Group study, enhanced by … regional
experts … discovered eight top reasons.
1. Economics now reigns. Leaders in the
regional pack — New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area
…recognized…globe was their market.
2. "Smart growth — regions' new dollars
and sense." …
3. Lead regions are "getting it" —
grasping that with weakened state and federal governments, they have to figure
out their own futures.…
4. Regions are getting down to business, …
5. But regions' business success must go
beyond mere "business." Smart strategies encompass equity — for
example, infrastructure…
6. Some states are moving from paternalism to
partnership with their regions.
…
Mayor Michael Bloomberg told an audience of nearly 1,000
people at RPA's 2012 Regional Assembly… that New York's challenge is to
continually work to encourage people to come and thrive here.
In a keynote address before an audience of business,
civic and political leaders and planning experts, Bloomberg expressed optimism
about the city's prospects, noting that New York diversity and concentration of
talent is unparalleled anywhere in the world. He cited RPA's essential role in
transforming the region, helping to create more sustainable communities and
open spaces such as Governors Island to the public.
… In a wide-ranging discussion on city- and
region-building for the 21st century (audio), New York Deputy Mayor Bob Steel
said key pillars for making New York great included making the city livable for
young people and keeping it welcoming for business. … IBM vice president for
Smarter Cities, suggested that local governments need to be bold about making
data available to residents.
…
A regional approach to public safety? Why not? We have
it for water, roads, the environment, and many more areas of governance. As an
elected official, we are part of many regional initiatives and authorities.
Having served on a regional authority, the MPO, for over 22 years, I have seen
the benefits of regional collaboration first hand.
… Commissioners were given a presentation on the
challenges confronting our public safety radio network. The need for
improvements as well as synergies could take place, if we look to have an
Interlocal Agreement with Sarasota. …
Recently, I started writing down the list below of other
public safety issues that could benefit from a regional approach versus a
piece-meal approach.…
- Radio services
- Jail
…
Here are some examples of services that could be
undertaken by the “Sarasota-Manatee Public Safety Authority” if it was created:
- Provide radio communication for public safety
providers in the region and governmental units…
- Provide a regional 911 center…
The Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, after being on
the fence for months, is announcing its opposition to the July 31 vote for a
regional transportation sales tax (also called the T-SPLOST).
Colleen Kiernan, director of the Sierra Club’s Georgia
Chapter,… the $6.14 billion list of projects would primarily generate more
sprawl rather than encourage more sustainable development patterns in metro
Atlanta.
“This project list is primarily a business-as-usual
sprawl-inducing road program…We support Plan B — a fix-it-first road strategy
and a project list that emphasizes transit expansion and improvement.”
Her comment flies in the face of most people and
organizations who support the one-percent sales tax that would be levied in the
10 metro counties. Proponents have said this tax must pass because “there is no
Plan B.”
…
“We hope Atlanta can follow the example of Seattle,
defeat the current proposal and get right to work on Plan B, …
Building off the success of a 5-year-old economic
development plan that focused on branding the outdoors and creating jobs, the
Roanoke Regional Partnership…next five-year plan will expand on the same areas
-- and some new -- to further growth.
…
The partnership, an economic development driver for the
region, unveiled its new plan…
…partnership has been talking for several months with
business leaders who have already contributed $2.2 million toward the $3
million goal.
The counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin, and
Roanoke and the cities of Roanoke and Salem will match the private funds.
…employers who say the region's outdoor assets have
helped them lure new talent. They have also helped draw to the region
outdoor-related businesses, such as Backcountry.com, an online retailer of
outdoor gear that is building a distribution center in Montgomery County.
And the creation
of the RoanokeOutside website has helped the community better enjoy and spread
the word about the region, …
This year, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s
annual update on central Ohio’s economy extended beyond the region’s 12
counties and touched on dozens of foreign countries.
The commission presented its 2012 State of the Region
yesterday, emphasizing the area’s global connections.
The region “is becoming more competitive on a global
scale and securing a more vibrant, sustainable future for all of us,” said
Marilyn Brown, incoming chairwoman of MORPC’s board. In 2011, 129,089 people
living in the 12-county region were foreign-born — 6 percent of the total, according to MORPC. The largest
numbers came from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Franklin County had the highest foreign-born population
in the area, 9.3 percent. In the greater Columbus area, the largest percentages
came from Mexico and India, according to the agency. MORPC incorporated into
its presentation the Columbus Council on World Affairs’ global report.
…comparing Columbus’ economy…15 U.S. cities…15 foreign
cities
…
Rifle citizens have already balked at the idea of
joining RFTA, but if they want expanded transit service, partnering with the
regional agency may be far cheaper than building a system from the ground up.
That was a central message of transportation planner Jim
Charlier's presentation… at the first event of the Downtown Development and
Design Academy (3DA).
The academy is a six-week public outreach effort by the
city to garner feedback on transit and economic revitalization opportunities in
Rifle.
“If we want transit in Rifle we have to think
regionally, about Glenwood Springs, Silt, New Castle and Grand Junction,” he
said.
…teaming up with a regional transit agency is likely to
be cheaper for Rifle than founding its own local service, since the city's
small population likely wouldn't yield the ridership necessary to support an
independent bus system.
…funded by a 2011 federal grant for $806,000…
The CEOs of Yale-New Haven Hospital and St. Raphael
Healthcare System addressed the area’s mayors …on the proposed merger between
the two institutions — and came out of it with the officials’ support.
…CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital, and … president and CEO
of St. Raphael Healthcare System, pitched the merger as “an opportunity” born
out of necessity.
The necessity in this case was that St. Raphael’s was
$36 million in the red and was being told by its credit advisers “that
independence wasn’t an option,” O’Connor told the South Central Regional
Council of Governments.
“The healthcare industry …
“Why is there so much integration, merger and
acquisition activity? ... The simple answer is because healthcare is
unaffordable the way it is provided right now,” …
…Medicaid patients account for “about 12½ percent of our
revenue,” yet the state pays just 62 percent on the dollar for the cost of
health care…
Private insurers…saying they are not going to pay the
hidden cost…
Top of Regional Cities Victoria’s state budget wishlist
is a planning study for each of its 10 member cities.
RCV has asked for $1 million to be distributed between
its members — including Ballarat — to help prepare for projected population
growth.
Its other priorities include $1 million over three years
for an Industry Broker Program for regional cities, $1 million to match federal
government funding for a regional cities marketing campaign and $500,000 over
two years for a Digital Economy Plan.
…Councillor…88
per cent of Victorians live in Melbourne and the RCV’s member cities of
Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta,
Warrnambool and Wodonga.
“I don’t think there is any more important time for
Regional Cities Victoria to play an advocacy role…
“There has been a lot of debate of late over population
growth and its effect on the regions.
“We have to understand there will be challenges in
putting infrastructure in place ahead of development and growth.”
…
Councils around the Greater Wellington region are
consulting with rate payers on whether to merge into a supercity.
With a total of 3000 employees, there are nine councils
in the region representing just under half a million people.
Central Government is pushing for local body reforms,
and the Regional Council has responded by establishing a panel of independent
experts to investigate merger models.
Greater Wellington Regional Council is looking at
"something that gives us really strong community input…
And then that we get good regional decision-making on
the big issues,"…
The region is considering a variety of options,
including keeping the councils as they are and sharing more services and
amenities, dividing the region into three authorities, or merging them all into
one.
But while the Regional Council has invited local
councils to participate in the discussion, most local bodies have opted for
their own consultation process, out of a fear of losing independence. ...
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0900 - Arctic Ocean
1000 - Europe
2000 - Africa
3000 - Atlantic Ocean
4000 - Antarctica
5000 - Americas
6000 - Pacific Ocean
7000 - Oceana
8000 - Asia
9000 - Indian Ocean
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