A weekly compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.
Published on line since November 11, 2003.
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani called Tuesday for less federal control and more regional training to prepare U.S. communities for terrorist attacks and other disasters.
Visiting Mississippi, portions of which were devastated in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, Giuliani pledged to prepare every community for such a disaster. And for those caused by man, as well.
"When you're preparing for a natural disaster, you're preparing for a terrorist attack, " Giuliani said as he stood before a backdrop of firefighters' helmets and coats.
To be ready, states and cities need more regional training and coordination and less federal meddling, Giuliani said.
The former New York mayor proposes to make the federal Department of Homeland Security - created in response to the Sept. 11 attacks - more regional. He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is now part of the Homeland Security department, should have a regional structure instead of a central one.
"We are vulnerable in our smallest community (and) in our largest city, " Giuliani said.
He praised Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour for the state's response to Hurricane Katrina. Barbour was Republican National Committee chairman during the 1990s when Giuliani was elected mayor of New York.
...
2. Jail plan a bust with counties - Bangor Daily News - Bangor, ME, USA
County officials around the state are girding to battle Gov. John Baldacci over his plan to take over the county jails.
Peter Baldacci, the governor’s older brother and a Penobscot County commissioner, will be leading the charge.
"It’s a step in the wrong direction, " Peter Baldacci said Tuesday during the weekly county commissioners’ meeting. "It’s centralization in Augusta, not regionalization. The state is overly centralized when it should be regionalized."
Penobscot County tentatively set 6:30 p.m., Sept 27, for a meeting to tell legislators how they feel about the plan. Officials and legislators from surrounding counties are expected to be invited.
The governor’s plan would consolidate 15 county jail systems and the state corrections system into a statewide system managed by the Department of Corrections. It envisions closing four jails, in Piscataquis, Waldo, Oxford and Franklin counties, and setting up one or two special programs providing prisoners with mental health treatment.
The plan would free up 300 beds throughout the state and ease overcrowding in the state system, the governor claims.
Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross, who was briefed on the plan last week by DOC officials, told commissioners Tuesday that combining state and county facilities, in a sense, was mixing apples and oranges.
People convicted of felonies and sentenced to serve more than nine months are incarcerated at state facilities. People awaiting trial or sentenced to less than nine months on misdemeanor charges serve their time in county jails along with convicts who have been convicted of violating their probation and may have served their underlying sentences in state facilities.
"Our mission is different than the state’s, " Ross said. "The inmates that come through our doors are nothing like the Department of Corrections has ever had to deal with. ...
3. When it comes to resources, our strength is in numbers - Stockton Record - Stockton, CA, USA
San Joaquin County, despite its status as the San Joaquin Delta's freshwater hub, has been treated merely as a transfer point - important but ignored, involved but taken for granted.
That might be changing.
Taking a cue from the San Joaquin Council of Governments' "one-voice" approach to transportation issues, members of several government agencies are working to develop a similar regional approach to and flood-protection issues.
The Central Valley Resources Agency, though in a embryonic stage, is having some effect.
When Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, held a regional conference on flood-control and levee issues in August, members of the new agency participated.
"We need to make sure our elected officials have regional support when addressing the needs of our region, " said Steve Ding, once an aide to former Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy.
He cited three goals for the group, which will be trying to help:
» Those who live in flood zones and need to understand the implications.
» Government agencies and others who must work toward common goals.
» Identify and articulate regional needs.
The group's unique public-private partnership combines interests in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties.
State Department of Water Resources administrators soon will release grant funds. The new Valley agency's representatives are planning to make forceful requests.
In the past, Sacramento County officials, with better organization and priorities regarding levee and flood protection, have taken more advantage of similar funding opportunities.
The involvement of city and county officials will be vital for this new partnership to be effective. ...
4. Think Local, Act Regional - Metromode Media - metro detroit, MI, USA
Detroit is full of dividing lines. They range from the infamous 8 Mile Road to the serene Detroit River. But few people look at Dequindre Road as the border between regionalism and modern day feudalism.
...
"Regions that are doing well are looking at solving their problems as a region, " says Melanie Piana, associate director of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance. "They work together on economic, education and transportation issues."
To drive home this point, the Alliance is promoting its Creating Collaborative Communities program as a way to share and manage public resources more effectively through sharing more services. In the end, that usually means more tax dollars put to better use.
There is no question that if Metro Detroit's leaders created a new local governing system from scratch, it would not look like we have today. Common consensus points to a system that favors a countywide government, not the mishmash of municipalities created decades ago around farming centers committed to defending against annexation.
However, breaking those imaginary lines is a monumental task given the entrenched psyches of local officials and residents. There is hope that the next generation will leave those old battle lines behind, but the real key lies in the realization that all of this replication stands in the way of economic prosperity. The hope remains that local business leaders will stand up and demand change in order to stay relevant in our quickly globalizing world.
"Collaborative communities are competitive communities. That is what the governor has always said, " Berman says. "Any thing that we can do to conserve resources and money, especially in difficult economic times, while giving the best services possible, that is what we should be doing."
RC: Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
5. Log Shows Train Crew Followed Procedures – Forbes, USA
The crew of the Rail Runner Express did everything it could to avoid a fatal collision Aug. 24 near Los Lunas, according to an event recorder aboard the train, a spokeswoman for the commuter train said Friday.
The event recorder - like a black box for trains - shows how many times the horn was blown, how fast the train was going and when the engineer put on the brakes, said Augusta Meyers, a spokeswoman for the Mid-Region Council of Governments, which operates the state-owned rail service.
The engineer "did everything he could to avoid a collision, but in the end it was a tragic result, " she said.
A brother and sister died in the crash when their sports utility vehicle was hit and crushed by the train, which had just left the station in Los Lunas. ...
6. Cooperation is crucial - Arizona Republic, AZ, USA
The salient lesson Valley mayors should learn from their squabbling over funds for Interstate 10 is that in the face of sharp disagreements, it is always better to search for compromise.
Without the ability to engage in a give- and-take in the face of competing interests, regional cooperation could return to the contentious days of every community for itself.
It was Balkanization in the 1980s, when fragments of freeways sprouted hither and yon, that gave the Maricopa Association of Governments the jolt it needed. Phoenix believed it was not getting its fair share of sales tax money for freeways in congested areas. In 1992, then-Mayor Paul Johnson walked out of a MAG meeting of Valley mayors after they denied a plan that would have given cities voting power in proportion to their population.
Johnson's threat to secede raised concerns that MAG might lose its certification as the regional planning body for, among other things, transportation dollars. In the end, cooler heads prevailed. Mayors voted again. And the cities instituted a weighted vote that is effectively a mechanism to create a cooling-off period.
That authority has been used rarely. And thus the aftershocks continue from last week when Phoenix called for a weighted vote. ...
MAG has sustained a blow. The heat of the moment led to personal attacks that only time can heal. And if Avondale and Litchfield Park refuse to budge, there could be more scars, even a reexamination of the location of the proposed South Mountain Freeway, a matter of intense interest to Avondale.
We know that with 25 cities and towns, the county and the Indian communities there are bound to be disagreements. That's OK. Heated discussions can be the pressure valve that precedes the consensus.
MAG has achieved good things over the years. It's time to restore and preserve the spirit of regional cooperation that made that possible.
7. Regional alliance tackles funding issues - Ontario Argus Observer – Ontario, OR, USA
Southwest Regional Alliance board members continue to mark time as they wait to find out whether the alliance will receive further funding to funnel financial assistance for economic development in Eastern Oregon.
The funding used to fuel the regional alliance effort derived from lottery dollars targeted for local economic development and had been part of the state budget for each biennium for several sessions. However, the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee opted to shut off the funding pipeline and did not budget investment funds in the current biennium.
However, money was provided for alliance staff to continue to monitor grants and loans approved during the previous biennium. The alliance was also tasked by the Legislature to make reports on needs and roadblocks to economic development and do an infrastructure inventory list.
These lists will be used to prepare a report for the special session of the Legislature in February 2008 and to identify the amount of funding needed to address these projects, according to information provided by Sondra Lino, alliance staff member and economic development specialist for the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation.
The list, along with other funding criteria, will also be used to guide funding from the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. The reports are due to the state by December and the next few alliance meetings will focus on putting together the reports, Lino said.
There is no guarantee the investment funds will be restored to the alliance by the Legislature in February, Lino said Monday, following the alliance’s monthly meeting in Ontario. She and Rena Cusma, South Area manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Region 5, suggested the alliance board may not want to meet every month if its only function is to be the Southeast Advisory Commission on Transportation.
...
8. Momentum to expand to new areas - Chippewa Herald – WI, USA
The Board of Directors of Momentum Chippewa Valley, a regional economic development organization, has decided to expand its membership beyond the four counties it currently serves.
...
The board was given a letter signed by University of Wisconsin-Stout Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen, UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich, UW-River Falls Chancellor Don Betz, and Chippewa Valley Technical College President Bill Ihlenfeldt, which urged the board to consider expansion. The four education leaders met July 25 at UW-River Falls to sign the letter.
“You must have regional cooperation to drive the economy and to make a healthy state, ” said Sorensen, a member of the Momentum board. “You must have cooperation between the four (higher-education) schools in this region to make that happen.
“If you talk to anyone knowledgeable about economic development, it has to be on a regional basis, ” Sorensen added.
“West central Wisconsin is economically and strongly tied to the Twin Cities. What a great asset, ” said Ihlenfeldt, a former Momentum board member. “If we better recognize that as a region, we will profit from it.”
“We do have it all here, ” Betz said. “This reconfigured economic development structure will ensure that everyone realizes it and knows how to take advantage of the best our region has to offer.”
Counties on or near the Interstate-94 corridor from Hudson to Eau Claire, Betz said, “have the capacity to propel Wisconsin forward through our exceptional educational institutions, a committed workforce, solid business leadership and an outstanding quality of life.
“By consolidating our remarkable intellectual, entrepreneurial and financial resources, we can make our region the place to be for any employer or potential employee who is seeking an ideal place to succeed both in their professional and personal lives, ” Betz added.
...
9. County considers other development-group options - Washington Daily News – NC, USA
Commissioners decided Wednesday night to shop around and see if there’s a “better fit” for Beaufort County than the regional economic-development group it has been a part of for more than a decade.
During a called meeting, they heard from leaders of the Northeastern North Carolina Regional Development Commission, which also refers to itself as North Carolina’s Northeast Commission. The group was created by the General Assembly in 1993 to facilitate economic development and growth in 16 counties in the state’s northeast corner. But Beaufort County commissioners believe that interests here may be better served by an alignment with neighboring Pitt or Craven County.
“We’re sort of down here on the tip end, ” Commissioners’ Chairman Jay McRoy said. “In some ways, we’re different. We should get the county manager (Paul Spruill) to take a look at this. Maybe we’re in the wrong region.”
County commissioners want the economic-development group to put a chunk of money toward helping Beaufort County and its northeast neighbors in constructing “industry ready” buildings. But Northeast Commission leader Vann Rogerson said the group spends about half its budget on marketing.
McRoy said the county’s allotment of the group’s $1.3 million budget ought to be $172, 700, and that Beaufort County had not seen appropriate results from that amount of money. Rogerson said there’s no such thing as a pot of money for each spot.
“The commission’s mission is to use its funds to try to secure additional funds to advance ... the region, ” he said. “There is no county allotment.”
He said the group has several areas of emphasis, or “clusters, ” that could be good matches for the region. They include automotive, aviation, marine and life sciences clusters, tapping into opportunities in southeast Virginia and working on Inner Banks development.
...
10. U.S. regional communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles. Highlighted words are Google search terms. In this and the following section, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the
.10 Pima needs good companies and high-paying jobs
Arizona Daily Star - Tucson, AZ, USA
The economic-development experts at Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc., or TREO, have said repeatedly that companies looking to relocate or create new facilities look for areas where there are well-educated workers and good school systems. After all, smart workers want their children to receive a good education, as well....
.11 Mega fire department mulled
The Flint Journal - MLive.com - Flint, MI, USA
Fire chiefs from 14 area departments met this month to discuss the pros and cons of regionalized fire departments. "The pros were far outleading the cons, " ...
.12 Rail panel meets, elects officers
Orlando Business Journal – FL. USA
Hailed as an important sign of regionalism, the newly-formed Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission met for the first time today, electing Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer as chairman and Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty as vice chairman.
.13 Officials discuss preview rides for commuter rail
The Chronicle-Telegram – Avon Lake, OH, USA
Local officials hope a preview ride aboard a commuter train could give the regional project the local and federal push it needs to make it a reality. … from Cleveland to Vermilion. …
.14 Studying high-risk hospital surgeries
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Newark, NJ, USA
"High-tech, high-risk surgeries should be more regionalized, " he said. "There's no reason for small hospitals to do high-risk cases on a rare basis. ...
.15 Mayor holds workshop on local tourism industry
Valley Morning Star – TX, USA
“It has to be a regional approach. The opportunities are here, ” Chase said. “We have to sell the next destination. A visitor isn’t going to stay at one location. They have to sell Harlingen for a three- or four-day stay, then go down to the beach, and come back and stay in Harlingen.” …
.16 Rockefeller development near airport will be huge
Arizona Republic – AZ, USA
"We are very excited about it and looking forward to having it as our inaugural project in Chandler with others to follow, " said Greg Korth, Rockefeller's regional development director in Irvine, Calif. Plans filed with the city last week show a ...
.17 Ruling to cut into water flow to region
San Diego Union Tribune – CA, USA
A federal judge yesterday ordered a dramatic slowdown in pumping water to Southern California – an unprecedented decision aimed at protecting a tiny fish in the Sacramento delta, but one that will have widespread economic and political repercussions across the state. ...
.18 Survey: Foreclosures in all regions, price ranges
Bizjournals.com – FL, USA
The spate of foreclosures across Florida is not limited to certain regions or income brackets, an Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund survey of Florida homeowners found.
.19 Water use falls in two key regions
Maui News, HI, USA
Average daily water use was down in two key regions of Maui where county water officials have called for cutbacks. ... concern that the prolonged drought will affect underground supplies of water, ...
.20 South Central Economic Development District Offers Opportunity for Public Input
Southwest Nebraska News - NE, USA
The South Central Economic Development District, Inc. (SCEDD), in partnership with the South Central Nebraska and Trailblazer Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Councils, is in the process of bringing together the public and private sectors in the creation of a plan to diversify and strengthen regional economies. ...
.21 Record Number of Participants for Fourth Annual National Preparedness Month
Government Technology, CA
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that more than 1, 700 national, regional, state, and local organizations will support the department by participating in National Preparedness Month 2007. …
.22 A bigger, better planning board?
Manhattan Mercury - Manhattan, KS, USA
To better address growth issues, city staff and commissioners say it might be wise to expand Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board representation to include Pottawatomie County....
11. Other in the news: Highlighted words are Google search terms.
.10 The big reveal: Model cities' secrets of governance
INQ7.net - Philippines
... cities that adopted the PGS system, which is an adaptation of a corporate governance tool called the “balance scorecard system, ” a strategic approach that directly connects the objectives of a company or local government to its operations. Introduced by the International Solidarity in Asia (ISA) in 2004, the PGS is also being practiced in 14 sectors and six national public institutions. The ISA is an independent, non-partisan and non-profit institution which seeks to improve public governance. ...
.11 Development hyprocrisy !
Southern Star - Skibereen, Co. Cork, Ireland
Governments cannot have it both ways where regional development is concerned. The Western and other underdeveloped regions, as also, for example, the South West, do need what was once described as ‘positive discrimination’ and this is not done by publishing hypocritical and image-building documents like the Spatial Strategy and decentralisation plan and then consigning them to the rubbish bin. ...
.12 Countryside under 'greatest threat'
Herts 24 - United Kingdom
The council leaders said: "The fundamental infrastructure requirements of the region and Herts specifically cannot be divorced from the growth or that growth can be accepted without the infrastructure. ...
.13 GLOBAL WARMING threatens world's great vineyards
The San Francisco Sentinel
Rising temperatures are forcing unprecedented early harvests, changing the tastes of the best-known varieties of wine and threatening the survival of centuries-old wine-growing regions. In the hot Mediterranean vineyards - the first to ...
.14 Brian Rudman: Roll on royal commission as rugby players spill ball
New Zealand Herald - New Zealand
On Saturday it leaked out that Auckland City has developed a secret funding plan for the 2011 Rugby World Cup which makes the city's support conditional on a compulsory contribution from the Auckland Regional Council. ...
.15 Public can 'peep' at new art work
BBC News - UK
The project was commissioned by New East Manchester and funded by North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and European Regional Development Fund ...
.16 Symmonds wants to see a Regional Development Agency
Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation – Barbados
... agency such as this should be created for the region to know what it needs to do in order to become more competitive in the global market. ...
.17 Cities score in sustainability
London Free Press – Canada
An environmental institute ranks four regional municipalities in top 10 of new index. Southwestern Ontario nailed down four top-10 finishes in a new report card on the provincial centres by an Alberta-based think-tank. ...
.18 Regionalism is the Canadian curse
Montreal Gazette - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
… Canadian national teams will never get anywhere, … because the CSA's board is made up of representatives of provincial and territorial soccer organizations, and most of them take local views rather than thinking in a pan-Canadian way. …
.19 China to give P90 million grant to Philippine military
INQ7.net - Philippines
"We agreed to continue dialogue, which is mutual exchange of views regarding regional concerns... "[Having] closer ties regionally with all our neighbors is for the military, "...
.20 SAARC finalises paper on regional trade corridor
Daily Times – Pakistan
Senior officials of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries here on Thursday finalised a "status paper" to connect the region through an ambitious multi-mode regional transport corridor.
.21 Regional Development Council 8 endorses rapid geohazard assessment
By Janice
The Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas, during its August 24 meeting, favorably endorsed the proposed Rapid Geological Hazards Assessment of Samar and Northern Samar for ODA funding. ...
.22 Bolivia Insists on Talks with Regions
Prensa Latina
The Bolivian government insisted Wednesday on an unconditioned dialogue with the central Chuquisaca department about concentration of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers. ... issue should be dealt with among authorities of that region and representatives of La Paz, the current government and parliament headquarters. ...
.23 Health risks mount as governments fail to regulate: United States and China at fault
American Chronicle – USA
... result of governments allowing industry to regulate itself. We have case after case of documented proof where this has caused life long injury as well as death. This is a downward spiral that has become more common as time goes on. ...
.24 Geographic study leads to understanding
Winston-Salem Journal - Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Maps. Maps. Maps. Students should be able to select a new place, area or region to study, find it on a map or the globe, analyze the physical and cultural ...
12. Blogs: Highlighted words are Google search terms.
.10 Cheaper Government, But Not Better
By Harold D. Miller
Surprisingly, we spend less per capita on local government than the average region. In 2002 (the year of the most recent Census of Governments), the Pittsburgh MSA ranked 22nd among the top 40 regions on total local government revenues ...
.11 Pittsburgh, Third Bloggiest City
By John Morris http://www.metroblogging.com/
I think recording blogs by geographic area is pretty recent, but the stats ring true. Pittsburgh clearly has a lot of serious, smart bloggers and I think they are starting to have an impact on the city's culture. ...
.12 Tying issues together: Quality of Life, Environment, Regionalism, Crime
By Dan
Leading off, is an editorial in today's Inquirer about air pollution that makes this unfortunate point about the Greater Philadelphia region: … American Lung Association awarded the five-county Philadelphia region an F for ozone pollution …
.13 Will and development and transit and transit oriented development
By Richard Layman(Richard Layman)
There isn'ta solid regional understanding about the links between compact development, mixed use development, density, and successful transit--even within DC proper, which is the most compactly developed community within the region. ...
.14 Erie Blogs Talks with Dan Bensur of CheaperCleanerWater.com
By Josh
So, Millcreek changing the entire township to Erie Water Works is the best thing at present that does work towards regionalization. Case in point: Harborcreek having done this years ago and they are very, very happy direct Erie Water ...
.15 A Vote Against Regionalism
Cleveland Scene Weekly – OH, USA
If you think all the talk about regionalism is because it's a good idea, you need to think about the appeal of "one size fits all" clothing. ...
.16 The Shannon-Heathrow controversy 31.08.07
By Squid
I want to commend the Shannon Action Group who have re-energised the struggle for the Mid Western region which has been suffering due to Government failure to create proper balanced regional development - Maurice Quinlivan Limerick Sinn ...
.17 Scottish Crofting Foundation review Charter for Rural Communities
By The Newsroom
The Carnegie Commission concludes: "We call upon all regional development agencies to support community asset transfer and ownership building upon the model of Highlands and Islands Enterprise." Here is powerful acknowledgement that ...
.18 Bad for the environment?
By G Hansson(G Hansson)
Here is where regionalism can be interesting as part of a solution. Reading the review, it all circles around the state as both part of the problem and part of the solution. The author appears not aware of the development of the EU ...
.19 East African leaders go into slow motion
Tajudeen Abdul Raheem comments on African leaders' apparent contradictions between regionalism and contintenal unity, and how their quest for regional integration is becoming a smoke-screen for slowing political union. ...
.20 Boston's Urban Flight: Isn't this our problem?
By Chuck
I wonder if the answer may be in thinking regionally rather than city-by-city. On one level that means Newton helping Boston to better its own school system. Though, that's no easy task. The article makes no bones about the fact that ...
.21 Eating Locally or Eating Regionally?????
By Terry(Terry)
The Eat-Local Backlash I agree with Josh and Ellen from Charlotte who posted this link on their blog about eating locally in Charlotte. The article The Eat-Local Backlash is worth reading from beginning to end. ...
.22 San Juan National Forest: Aspen die-off
"Because of fire suppression, coupled with lack of aspen management until recently, the age structure regionally is strongly skewed to old stands, " Worrall wrote. "Unless aspen stands are managed or subjected to natural disturbance ...
.23 Ontario Public vs Separate Schools - All Regions
By democraticspace
As you can see, separate schools have a higher average school and more consistency (a smaller standard deviation) than public schools across all regions. There is little difference in some cases, and more noticeable differences in ...
.24 Recuiting Regional is a Huge Mistake
If you want to be extremely successful you can recruit regionally if you region is very talented. Well the midwest is not lucrative in talent. If you look at Appalachian State's roster they recruit regionally as well but their region is ...
.25 The Role Of Corporations In Making Public Space
By robert@readingcities-com
Look at the checkered history of governments for example. Given that context, when a corporation - General Mills for example - offers the city a donation to improve an important public space, how should informed citizens react? ...
.26 Why is patriotism different from regionalism?
By Harish(Harish)
Suddenly a thought flashed in my mind, "Why is patriotism respected, honored, and treated with high regard, while regionalism, casteism or any other -isms of that sort despised, scorned and disdained by many?"
.27 News from the Regional Assembly
By nicnewman
All regional bodies support this principle and it is vital that we work towards our shared aim in a joined up and transparent fashion. The Regional Sustainability Framework (RSF) will help achieve this. ...
.28 Four Hire! - Season 2 Now Accepting Applications
The Greater Des Moines Partnership's Young Professionals Connection (YPC) is now accepting applications for its annual competition, Four Hire!. Now in its second season, Four Hire! is designed to attract and retain Iowa college graduates to the Des Moines area for job opportunities offered by four metro employers. ...
.29 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' ECONOMIC OUTLOOK POSITIVE FOR FIRST TIME IN THREE DECADES
By Stevie Wonder(Stevie Wonder)
Additionally, the Report called for intensified regional cooperation in exchange rate arrangements as a means to reduce the vulnerability of developing countries. The absence of appropriate global exchange rate arrangements could lead ...
.30 Detroit News Roundup for Thursday, August 30, 2007
By technician
... of what local government in Metro Detroit can become - Warren. 130+ municipalities in three counties, we need to start setting precedents for regional cooperation and, most importantly, stop the in-fighting. [via Metromode Media] ...
By Peter Cherbi(Peter Cherbi)
A good thing for Scotland - finally we have our own Government, rather than a glorified Regional Council which has since 1997 until May of this year, kept its own party political allies in well paid unaccountable positions up and down ...
.32 One Way Cooperation
By owen@bootsandsabers-co)
"I write today to urge leaders in Germantown and Cedarburg to drop consideration of withdrawing from the Milwaukee Area Technical College District, and to maintain a commitment to regional cooperation under the MATC umbrella, "
13. Announcements and Regional Links
.10 Regional Studies Association – Conference Listings
CFP IS TOURISM ENOUGH FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT? High expectations and real impact in the periphery of Europe - 25th - 27th October 2007, Cluj, Romania. Organised by Mediterranean and Balkan Regional Development Working Group (MedBReD)of the Regional Studies Association.
Traditionally, the third sector, and particularly the hospitality industry, has been regarded as the silver bullet with which to achieve rapid access to prosperity in less developed communities. Many strategies and plans were drafted in the past decades, either by national governments or the regional and local authorities, which relied on tourism, especially in the Mediterranean Sea area. Officials have gone to great lengths to invest public resources and promote their natural and cultural assets in order to attract the global traveller. More recently, the admission into the EU of the relatively poorer Central and East European states has created a new wave of enthusiasm, as most local and regional governments in these countries are frantically preparing tourist-friendly development strategies.
This is probably the right time to look back and learn a number of lessons from the past decades of "growth through tourism" in the periphery of Europe. Papers are invited that reflect on the ups and downs of such experiences and propose tentative conclusions. We welcome a broad range of contributions, ranging from theory-building articles, to more policy- oriented papers and case studies. In terms of geographic location, the papers submitted should focus on the broader Mediterranean, Balkan and Black Sear area, but other contributions especially presenting situations from new EU member states will be accepted if relevant to the topic. We encourage particularly PhD students in the final stages of their program and a number of travel bursaries are available
Abstracts should be submitted to Sorin Ionita at sorin@ionita.eu
or Vasilis Avdikos at medred@googlemail.com by 30th September 2007
.11 The Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Local and Regional Services
Maine Development Foundation
.12 Regional Development Council
The Regional Development Council (RDC) is the Ministerial Council responsible for regional development issues in Australia. It comprises Federal, State and Territory Ministers responsible for regional development and a representative from the Australian Local Government Association....
.13 RegionalForums.co.uk - Home
Regional Forums is here to help you in your quest to create a local forum for your community that doesn't break the bank, is easy to administrate and doesn't cost you the earth.
.14 IGOs
International Inter-governmental Organization Web Page Finder. 2003
.15 BorderSafe: Cross-Jurisdictional Information Sharing, Analysis, and Visualization
Information sharing and knowledge management have become a major focus in Digital Government research. The "COPLINK BorderSafe Research and Testbed" project funded by NSF KDD program and the BorderSafe project funded by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI) aim to develop, foster, and leverage inter-agency information sharing.
14. Subscription
.10 Editorial: It's a regional problem - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription) - Milwaukee, WI, USA
A few suburban United Way officials expressed concern the other day over the plan by United Way of Greater Milwaukee to extend its reach for donations into Waukesha and northern Ozaukee counties. Those officials are worried that the very real needs in their counties may not get the attention they deserve. But Jayne Thoma of the United Way in Waukesha County had the best answer: "We share a common purpose: to serve our communities. We're both on the same page."
If the Milwaukee group is extending its reach a little, that shouldn't detract from any other efforts. And given the importance of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee's campaign to break the cycle of poverty in the city, a little wider reach is warranted as long as the needy in other counties aren't neglected.
New poverty figures show that Milwaukee is eighth-worst among the nation's big cities, with one in four people in the city below the poverty line. That's a regional crisis requiring a regional response by United Way and other groups.
The Waukesha United Way has been a leader in such cooperative efforts, ... That's the kind of attitude the region needs.
15. Google News for “Regional Community”
Other menu sections available from this link include: Regional Development; Regional Council; Regional Commission; Regional America; Regional Asia; Regional Europe; Regional Competition; Regionalism; Intergovernmental and other search terms. They can be sorted by date or relevance. These are among the 50 search terms I use to produce this newsletter.
My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work." Regional Community Development News is published weekly based on news reports as of Wednesday.
Making visible analysis and actions at multi-jurisdictional regional scales is its purpose. "Think globally, act locally" was innovative in its time. Today the local scale is often too small to address today's needs and opportunities. "Think local planet, act regionally, " is my candidate paradigm. (No one said we're only allowed one paradigm.)
We can see that “regional communities” are organized locally and now act both to avoid tragedy in the commons and gain benefits. An effective multi-jurisdictional regional community has DNA: it is geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will be able to see the regional communities that already exist.
News references are found using the Google News search service. Media article links are “fair use” to transform globally scattered reports to make regional approaches visible. Links go to the publisher and do not compete with it. Such publishers are likely to have related stories and thus be seen by new customers. “Regional” is an emerging news category. There is no charge for this service and no profit is made from its use, though any user can become more aware of the topic itself.
To read and search previous issues go to: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/regions_work/
The term “Development” was added to the name in January, 2006.
For a free subscription use this email link – no additional information required:
regions_work-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
For the Google Groups version go to:
http://groups.google.com/group/regional-community-development-news
Editions since April 11, 2007 can also be found at: http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/
Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development News?
Please e-mail the editor: Tom.Christoffel@comcast.net or Tom.Christoffel@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP Making regions visible for Leaders and Problem-solvers. www.regionalintelligence.com or www.regions.ws
