1. Chamber rebrands Cornerstone: Welcome to JAXUSA - The Financial News & Daily Record - Jacksonville, Florida
Cornerstone is turning the corner to a new brand.
The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce will formally announce today that the Cornerstone name is being changed to “JAXUSA Partnership.”
“It was totally precipitated from the marketplace,” ...
The full name is JAXUSA Partnership For Regional Economic Development.
Cornerstone is the private, nonprofit division of the chamber. It is a regional partnership that markets the area for economic development.
“We kept hearing from site consultants and others that when we know you, Cornerstone is a great brand, but when you are trying to create awareness of who you are when you are communicating in this country or in other countries, ‘Cornerstone’ has no meaning,” he said.
“It could be any sort of organization and you are missing the opportunity of giving some indication of who are and where you are in your initial contact,” said Mallot.
He said people often disregard initial contacts if they do not recognize the name or location.
2. Changing visitors into homeowners | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC
Tourism alone won't fuel the Grand Strand's economic recovery, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce said last week.
That's why it's forming a partnership between itself, the Regional Economic Development Corporation and the Association of Realtors to capitalize on the number of new visitors to the area who might, at some point, want to buy homes or businesses here.
...
Franklin Daniels, speaking for the chamber, said the numbers "clearly show" an improvement in retail sales, average daily room rates, occupancy and enplanements at Myrtle Beach International Airport. For the first four months of this year, all those numbers are showing increases again, Daniels said.
Scott Schultz, the chamber's vice president of marketing, said promotional efforts have focused on new visitors, Internet and TV advertising, promoting the area's value and affordability and on growing air service.
...
3. Planner: Foot traffic key to smarter, healthier towns | Burlington Free Press
What's been the most significant development in transportation for the 21st century?
The Segway? How about electric-assisted bicycles? Levitating trains?
Renowned British Columbian author and planner Todd Litman nixed those candidates before a stymied audience ... in Burlington.
The flying car, ... lost out, too.
Litman's vote, projected on the big screen, drew polite laughter: wheeled luggage.
He wasn't joking.
Foot traffic, he said, ultimately will allow Chittenden County to roll more smoothly — and with better health, and with a stronger economy — into the ensuing decades.
... regional advocates for smarter, sustainable urban development.
He shifted between data sets (fewer car commutes generally correlate with lower obesity rates and more prudent investments in real estate) and sacred cows (do electric cars do anything to solve vehicular-propelled issues of safety, congestion, road and parking costs, sprawl, habitat destruction and the sedentary habits of drivers?).
...
4. Ron Dzwonkowski: What Detroit can learn from out-of-town visitors | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Detroit makes a strong impression.
"It was far more impactful than we expected," said Randy Miller, a businessman and civic leader in Portland, Ore., recounting the visit of a 55-member delegation from Portland to Detroit late last year. "You learn more from failure than you do from success, and in Detroit, there was so much to learn."
Ouch.
But that's why the people from the Rose City came to the Motor City -- "to learn what maybe we can avoid," Miller said.
Other than being the largest city in its state and situated on a river, Portland has little in common with Detroit. ...
The Detroit trip was probably the most instructive of any the group has taken, Miller, the group chairman, said in a telephone interview in late June.
"We loved it," he said. "It will guide our thinking in many areas. We could see the importance of keeping the central city vital to the region. We could see the value of regional cooperation, the metropolitan approach we have taken in Portland.
...
5. Editorial: Rigid labor shields put transit progress at risk | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Bills recently introduced in the state Senate would create a regional transit authority needed to improve bus service in southeast Michigan, create a light-rail line on Woodward and beyond, and position metro Detroit to compete for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal transportation grants.
But the bills also contain some rigid labor protections that would make them politically unpalatable. Sponsors must be willing to negotiate and compromise, or the bills will never get to the governor's desk.
... Regional leaders have tried to create such an authority for more than a decade. It would recommend how to pay for, run and operate a regional system.
Ultimately, the new authority would enable a merger of the strapped city and suburban bus systems. Over the last five years, the Detroit Department of Transportation has cut nearly half its service, as the city whittled DDOT's annual budget from $80 million to $53 million. ...
6. Douglas Rooks: Local land oversight needed | SeacoastOnline.com
Over the summer, a legislative study commission will begin composing a report recommending that the Land Use Regulation Commission be dismantled. LURC — known almost universally by its acronym — is effectively the local government for the state's vast 10.4 million acre unorganized territory, just over half of Maine's land area.
LURC was launched in 1971, and its 40th birthday has not been a happy occasion. Gov. Paul LePage took office pledging to abolish the agency, but the real energy behind this proposal comes from Senate President Kevin Raye, who intends to use his eighth and final year in the Senate getting rid of an agency his Washington County constituents love to hate.
The expectation about the study commission is based on its appointments under LD 1534, approved along party lines, which will be made exclusively by the governor, Senate president and House speaker — all publicly dedicated to dismantling LURC. ...
The real question is what would replace LURC. These are, after all, townships that have chosen not to create municipal governments, mostly because of sparse population. Raye and company say jurisdiction should be "returned" to the counties, which is a whopper. Maine counties have never done any planning worthy of the name, by design. The average town of 2,000 does more land use planning than any rural county, because counties have never been given that responsibility. When the federal government offered money for regional planning, Maine created councils of government and regional commissions. For whatever reasons, in Maine, counties have been confined to court, registry, corrections and law enforcement functions.
...
7. Time to graduate to higher degrees of collaboration | Richmond Times-Dispatch
For at least one night, all seven of Richmond's colleges and universities agreed that each is an economic catalyst with tremendous potential.
But no one articulated the next steps on how they could unite to play an even more prominent regional role in driving positive change and adding valuable jobs.
It remains a great opportunity to seize because education and workforce development are clearly among the Richmond region's red-hot priorities. No one is in a better position to lead - to create the foundations for a more dynamic local economy - than are our colleges and universities.
On June 16, the Capital Region Collaborative, working with Greater Richmond Partnership and Leadership Metro Richmond, presented a panel discussion to explore higher education's role in revving up economic development in the Richmond region. ...
What's missing is a broader concept or initiative that links all seven for the betterment of our entire region.
...
8. Moving To Greater Economic Strength And Competitiveness
One of the best examples of multimodal transportation is Chicago’s no-mode-left-behind approach. The WindyCity has demonstrated it’s open to multiple solutions and focuses on those that deliver goods and people to their destinations most efficiently
There are a few things required for population centers to succeed, including access to fresh water and transportation. Regions that develop a more sophisticated, multimodal transportation system will have a stronger economy because they will attract more businesses.
For outlying communities and small towns nearby, connecting to major metropolitan regions with alternative transportation is a brilliant self-preservation strategy.
All Together, Now
Creating a plan that integrates all modes of transportation begins with the transportation authorization bill being developed in Congress. By designating a new funding category especially for multimodal projects of regional or national significance, Congress can begin to encourage multimodalism.
9. Officials have few options | Amarillo Globe-News
The Texas drought has escalated into a significant natural disaster. Around the Panhandle, normally one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the state, acres of dry dirt fill would-be croplands. Lakes' levels are falling statewide. Cities are tightening water restrictions, amid the driest October-through-June stretch in Texas history.
So what can the government do to help those who are hit hardest?
Not much, at the state level, experts say.
Droughts are tricky to manage. Their effects vary significantly from place to place, so local authorities generally assume primary responsibility for drought management. ...
The 1950s drought also spurred the Texas Legislature to create the Texas Water Development Board, in 1957. ... , the current regional planning process put in place by the Legislature in 1997 was partly in response to a drought the previous year.
Kramer and other environmentalists wish that this drought would spur stronger conservation measures. ...
10. Golden Triangle key to prosperity | Editorial | Kentucky.com
I strongly support the recent announcement by Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington and Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville to study ways to encourage regional economic development and cooperation between Lexington and Louisville. The corridor between Lexington and Louisville is one of the most important in the state in terms of economic growth potential,...
However, any proposal that excludes Northern Kentucky will unnecessarily limit the vision of the full range of growth and economic development potential that is available within the triangle formed by Lexington, Louisville and Northern Kentucky.
Think outside the box by thinking within the triangle. Be bold. The sturdiest foundations are those supported by three legs. The two-legged approach currently under consideration would be made much stronger by including Northern Kentucky, and would provide a more stable foundation upon which to implement the study's recommendations.
...
11. U S budget impasses ultimately impact jobs - RN-T.com
If money really does make the world go around, the federal budget impasse in Washington has got planners around the region, and across the globe, on the edge of their seats.
The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, a 15-county quasi-governmental agency based in Rome, finds itself in a unique position as a result of what Executive Director William Steiner calls “the chaos in Washington.”
“I told our board when we presented the budget (for FY 12) this is based on current thinking, from this past year, but I may very well be back to you in October with a totally different budget,” Steiner said.
“We’re a planning agency trying to do planning but we can’t seem to know what our budget is going to be month-to-month. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s extremely challenging.”
Even when the agency knows money is available, the NWGRC is having a tough time finding takers because of financial challenges facing communities across Northwest Georgia.
Even grants require money.
...
12. The truth about Asian carp | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
...
While much attention has been focused on the electric barrier in Chicago that is keeping carp out of the lakes, the fish have steadily made their way up rivers such as the Wabash, White and Tippecanoe in Indiana; the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers in Tennessee; the Kansas and Verdigris rivers in Kansas; the Missouri River as it threads through Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota; and, lately, the St. Croix River in Minnesota. ...
Bighead carp now have been collected from waters in 26 states and silver carp from 16 states, becoming one of the nation's most difficult and expensive invasive species to combat.
Even now, as a dozen state and federal agencies armed with millions of dollars focus on keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, bighead and silver carp are spreading far and wide elsewhere. But a national strategy created several years ago to fight the carp has no money.
Starting in 2005, a task force created a ...national plan to stop the spread of Asian carp.
...
13. Six Towns Introduce Regional Affordable Housing Effort - Lexington, MA Patch
Six towns northwest of Boston are holding a kickoff planning meeting next week to launch the newly formed “Regional Housing Services Office,” which will support municipal affordable housing efforts across the region.
The meeting takes place Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Flynn Town Office building in Sudbury, located at 278 Old Sudbury Road.
Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Weston established this Regional Housing Services Office as an innovative approach to managing affordable housing from a municipal perspective. The six towns signed an Inter-Municipal Agreement in February which became effective on July 1 to formalize a regional approach to affordable housing, under a new agreement brokered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) that aims to increase efficiency in administering housing programs and services.
14. Pat Howard: Start of runway work illustrates sporadic progress on regionalism - GoErie.com/Erie Times-News
As I use this space week after week to offer my version of where the Erie region's at and where it needs to go, I frequently get pushback from sour or discouraged people that boils down to a simple question.
Why bother?
It wouldn't/shouldn't/couldn't happen here, whatever it is, even if it works in other places. This is Erie.
The day I give up on Erie is the day I'll stop typing. Doing otherwise would make me part of the problem.
... it's useful to pause now and then to consider things that have gone right. They encourage us to keep pushing.
... Erie International Airport's runway... the dogged persistence of airport officials and the civic and business groups that for many years pushed the plan and its potential. ... county's assumption of responsibility for the airport's future, and the related transformation of its governing board into a regional body, also illustrates how the county has been supplanting the city of Erie as the governmental steward of the regional big picture.
15. A call for economic regionalism - Decaturdaily.com
When Audi announced recently it was considering building a U.S. assembly plant, wheels began turning in North Alabama.
While it is far too early to know whether Audi will build anything, much less a plant in North Alabama, the speculation has some justification. Audi's sister company, Volkswagen, recently completed construction of a huge assembly plant near Chattanooga. Its final choice was between Chattanooga and the Greenbrier Road area of Limestone County. ...
While there is room for the Audi plant to join VW at the Chattanooga site, auto assemblers typically space themselves far enough apart so they are drawing from different labor pools. They like to be close enough together, however, that they can rely on the same circle of suppliers.
Whether or not Audi ends up coming to North Alabama, the speculation is healthy. It forces the region to begin making sure that infrastructure is in place at sites that would facilitate a large employer.
....
16. Development authority receives award | Great Falls Tribune
The Great Falls Development Authority received a 2011 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation for the Great Falls Montana Regional Diversification Project.
The Diversification Project included competitive market assessments of the region's work force, agri-processing and energy industries, and potential for entrepreneurial growth. It also included an analysis of the impact of the loss of the 564th Missile Squadron.
GFDA led the effort in partnership with Cascade County and Sweetgrass Development. The findings are being used by GFDA to pursue market-driven opportunities to grow and diversify the region's economy and support the creation of high-wage jobs. The project was funded by the Office of Economic Adjustment of the U.S. Department of Defense with support from the Montana Department of Commerce through a Community Development Block Grant to Cascade County and GFDA.
...
17. Government, business community gearing up for regional growth plan | Nooga.com
While a request for $500,000 to help fund development of a 40-year regional plan sailed through Chattanooga City Council Tuesday night, Hamilton County Commissioners were not so eager to commit an equal amount for what one termed a possible "blue sky," project.
"I agree we need infrastructure planning, I agree we need smart growth," Commissioner Joe Graham said ... "But considering what we have just gone through, the deep cuts in the budget and the laying off of people, I need to make sure I understand this. If one of those people we laid off calls me and says, 'I lost my job and you had one-half a million to blue sky,' I need to be able to explain what this is."
Chattanooga City Council members on Tuesday voted to commit $500,000 for the regional planning process that aims to map out how and where growth and development will occur in the greater Chattanooga area.
"This is a very aggressive plan," Beth Jones, executive director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District ...
18. Jump-starting the local economy - Northwest Indiana
JumpStart, a program in Ohio funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration to create jobs and investments in that state, is developing a regional entrepreneurship action plan in Northwest Indiana.
An initiative was presented to the Northwest Indiana Economic Development District in January.
At the EDD's quarterly meeting on Friday, JumpStart representatives presented the district with a summary of the research JumpStart has done on Northwest Indiana by way of leadership and entrepreneur interviews and online surveys. It concluded in part that there is limited deal flow across a range of technologies, industries and markets. The study also found the region has a limited number of experienced entrepreneurs to mentor startups, but will create an action plan to address that.
Northwest Indiana's EDD was formed in late 2009, mainly in response to the situation in 2008 when Northwest Indiana missed out on $40 million in federal flood aid directed to Indiana. The region missed out because it did not have a local economic development district eligible for funding from the federal Economic Development Administration, which requires a public-private partnership. This requirement necessitated a new organization be formed, despite the existence of several groups and agencies already involved in regional economic development.
...
19. RI.gov: Secretary of State Mollis' Bill Creating Regional Presidential Primary Signed into Law
Legislation from Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis that moves Rhode Island's 2012 presidential primary from March 6 to April 24 has been signed into law by Governor Chafee.
The change creates a regional primary that will see Rhode Islanders go to the polls on the same day as voters in Pennsylvania as well as New York and Connecticut, which last month also approved legislation moving their 2012 presidential primaries to April 24.
"I've been calling for a national system of regional primaries since I first took office. They can make small states like ours more relevant," said Mollis. "Candidates are much more likely to stop here if they can combine it with a swing through Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut."
20. A Discussion On Chinese Regional Debt: People Are Only Examining A Slice Of The Problem
... concerns over local government debt in China — how serious of a problem is it? ... guest on the show was Professor He Ping, a colleague from Tsinghua University.
One point that I think is very important, but only had the chance to mention once, and very briefly, during the program, is that despite all the attention they are getting, LGFV (Local Government Financing Vehicle) loans are only one of many categories of risky loans that have the potential to impose serious losses on China’s financial system. In fact, in the early days of China’s stimulus-inspired lending boom, in Spring 2009, China’s bank regulators clearly considered loans to local government-sponsored infrastructure projects among the least risky loans taking place, arguing that it made little sense to set aside loan loss reserves against them since they were virtually certain to be paid back. The fact that the least risky category of lending is now generating such concern is itself a reason for real concern.
21. Bankruptcy on the table for Alabama County: Governor - KDAF
Bankruptcy is still a "very strong possibility" for Alabama's Jefferson County, Governor Robert Bentley said on Saturday -- a move that could make for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
A $3.2 billion bond debt related to Jefferson County's sewer system has pushed the county toward the brink, and a rare Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy could have ripple effects in the $2.9 trillion U.S. municipal bond market.
...
The county is observing a "standstill period" to allow settlement talks with creditors, and this week it finalized a plan aimed at settling the debt to present to creditors.
The debt situation escalated in the mid-2000s when interest on variable- and auction-rate swaps from a refinancing of an upgrade to its sewer system spiraled in 2008.
...
"If there's any way that we can negotiate a settlement short of bankruptcy, that is our position."
Bentley said he is not open to sending money to the county. ...
22. Alberta highlights energy and environment with Pacific Northwest neighbours | Canada Views
Energy, the environment, innovation and regional collaboration will be key areas of discussion for an Alberta delegation participating in the 21st Annual Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Summit in Portland, Oregon, July 19-22.
“Alberta is bringing a strong voice to this year’s summit,” said Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development and current PNWER president. “Our province has taken a leadership role on issues such as clean energy and climate change, and we have a keen interest in cross-border issues. Our heightened presence at this summit will be reinforced by the many opportunities we have to showcase our province and the work Alberta is doing.”
The annual summit brings together approximately 550 key business leaders, legislators and government leaders from Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. ...
23. United Nation’s Regional Economic Commissions And India - CJNEWS INDIA
...
While discussing the regional initiatives of United Nations regarding economic development, i asked myself about the true nature of such regional initiatives. Are these regional initiatives truly regional in nature or can they cooperate and collaborate among themselves or with other individuals and organisations residing beyond their regions?
For instance, recently I came across the activities of United Nation’s Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regarding intellectual property rights (IPRs). I found this initiative really impressive. However, can India be a part of UNECE directly or indirectly?
...
It seems, although many UN initiatives have been launched as regional, their public private partnership (PPP) model may help in expanding their expertise and scope. At the end of the day, any regional initiative that helps in achieving a global objective is always welcome irrespective of its mandate.
24. Regional Council invests to reduce poverty and homelessness « Poverty Free Waterloo Region
On March 23, Waterloo Regional Council voted to add nearly a quarter million dollars a year to the Regional budget for programs to help end persistent homelessness. The money is to fund programs that Regional staff had identified as very important but that were not originally included in the budget.
It required a Councillor to move a motion to add that money into the budget. That Councillor was Jane Brewer from Cambridge. The motion was seconded by Councillor Jane Mitchell from Waterloo. And it passed unanimously!
Councillor Brewer was actually surprised by the level of support around the table. How did it happen?
In short, it is because many people spoke up to say we want to create a community where everyone can live free from poverty. We want our taxes used to make sure everyone has a place that is home in our community.
...
25. Combating Desertification By Ranjani Kamala Murthy
...
Participants from African countries, suggested regional cooperation as a way out (and keep neo colonizing countries and companies out), perhaps South Asia should learn*. A paradigm shift from human development/unfettered rights towards human and environmental justice was suggested by participants with the bottom 25% claiming rights to resources, power and agency and top 25% losing. After all, the pie was limited. Security Councils at the regional level with representatives of poor countries dominating were seen as relevant (African participants), and non party social movements which challenge state, markets, community, institutionalized religion, colonial education, household, marriage and relationships towards justice (to all marginalized groups) were seen as crucial by participants from all countries. Only then will mother earth and human beings be left for generations to come, be able to live without fear.
26. The FINANCIAL - JESSICA Holding Fund Agreement paves the way for urban renewal in Poland’s Mazowieckie region
Urban renewal, energy efficiency, renewable energy and cluster development are the focus of the JESSICA Holding Fund being established in Poland’s Mazowieckie region. The Fund - which is managed by the EIB - will make use of the European Regional Development Fund.
An agreement signed on July 15, 2011 with the Mazowieckie region establishes a JESSICA Holding Fund for investment in economically deprived urban areas across the region. The fund will redevelop disused military bases and industrial areas, as well as regenerate town centres and residential districts. It will also support energy efficiency, renewable energy and cluster development projects in cities and towns of the region. EUR 40m will initially be invested by the Mazowieckie region, of which approximately EUR 34m is from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and EUR 6m from national matching funding.
...
27. 'Inadequate’ regional growth fund needs cash boost - LocalGov.co.uk
Government's local economic growth strategy has been labelled 'inadequate' following news the second and final round of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) has been oversubscribed by more than three times.
In response shadow business minister Gordon Marsden said the announcement demonstrates 'how inadequate this process is in satisfying the desires of hundreds of firms across the country who want to grow.' He also urged ministers top up the RGF by an additional £200m by repeating the bankers bonus tax.
...
Business secretary Vince Cable announced yesterday the £950m cash-pot available received 500 bids demanding some £3bn in total. Following the coalition's decision to abolish the English regional development agencies, the fund has been established to encourage private sector job creation, especially in areas whose economies are deemed overly dependent on public sector.
...
More links: http://www.delicious.com/I.see.regions.work
Regional Community Development News - Top Stories - July 11-14, 2011
1. Online index measures 'resilience' of U.S. metro areas - UB Reporter
Which U.S. metro region is most likely to come out of the next recession, natural disaster or other regional “shock” relatively unscathed? Rochester, Minn. A little more battered might be College Station-Bryan, Texas.
These two regions are ranked first and last, respectively, by a new online tool measuring more than 360 U.S. metros for their “regional resilience,” or capacity to weather acute and chronic stresses ranging from gradual economic decline to rapid population gains to earthquakes and floods.
The Resilience Capacity Index (RCI), developed by Kathryn A. Foster, director of the UB Regional Institute, produces a single statistic for each region based on its performance across 12 economic, socio-demographic and community connectivity indicators, ranging from income equality and business environment to voter participation and the population of health insured. A gauge for how well a region is positioned to adapt to stress, the index can help regional leaders identify strengths ...
2. Building Resilient Regions | Harnessing the power of metropolitan regions
The Network on Building Resilient Regions (BRR) examines the power of metropolitan regions to respond to local and national challenges. BRR brings together a group of experts to investigate why metro regions matter now, what constitutes resilience in the face of challenges, and what factors help to build and sustain strong metro regions.
The site is organized by topic area
* Economic Insecurities focuses on the impact of poverty and foreclosures
* Economic Resilience examines those factors that allow a region to respond to challenges
* Infrastructure focuses on challenges of infrastructure, particularly transportation
* Governance examines policymaking and the role of government in creating strong regions
* Immigration focuses on the benefits and challenges of immigration in regions
BRR is affiliated with the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
3. Going it alone - Baton Rouge Business Report
Marketing gurus and economic development wonks have been spinning out terms like "clusters" and "regionalism" and "corridors" for more than two decades. Call it whatever you want, each buzzword essentially has the same meaning: a group of individual somethings [companies or industries, cities or parishes] joining forces to leverage resources to achieve a greater good.
... A diverse group coming together to build upon strengths, collaborate on problems and seek out new opportunities invariably produces far better and more innovative results than simply going it alone. The trick, of course, is that everyone must give up a little something for the greater good. Doing so, in theory, makes life better for everyone.
When it comes to geography there's an even more practical positive: Banding together creates greater population numbers, which leads to greater federal dollars.
This, of course, is one of the reasons why metropolitan forms of government get created. ...
4. Green jobs flourish in Sacramento area - Sacramento Bee
The green economy accounts for about one of every 22 jobs in the Sacramento area, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.
In a nationwide study of more than 100 metropolitan areas, the Washington, D.C.-based institution said local solar installers, government agencies, recyclers, organic farms and other clean companies employed a total of 37,319 people, or about 4.5 percent of the capital region's workforce.
Sacramento's high concentration of green jobs ranked third in the nation behind the Albany, N.Y., area, where the green sector accounts for about 6.3 percent of employment, and Knoxville, Tenn., where green jobs are 4.9 percent of its workforce.
"This shows that the green sector is a big part of our overall economy," said Bill Mueller, chief executive officer of Valley Vision, a local nonprofit organization that's dedicated to regional planning.
... bright spots in a region hard hit by the real estate downturn, state budget cutbacks and double-digit unemployment.
5. So much for California’s anti-sprawl law, continued « The Berkeley Blog
My post on the shortcomings of SB 375, California’s anti-sprawl law, generated a swift response from ... two smart growth advocates for whom I hold a lot of admiration and respect. In their detailed post, which is largely a critique of the San Diego Association of Government’s (SANDAG) sustainable community strategy (SCS) plan and less about the arguments I made, they describe my post as “poorly informed.” Yet nowhere do they contradict the points I raise about the inherent weaknesses of SB 375 or the problems with the SANDAG SCS (with which they seem to wholeheartedly agree).
They do cite some examples to counter my claim that SB 375 may just result in a lot of ineffectual regional planning. They point out that SB 375 has served as a rhetorical weapon against sprawl that may help fight I-5 widening in San Diego and force changes to planned highway projects in the region, all while galvanizing new interest groups to fight for strong SCSs in the long term. ...
6. Government & Private Business Begin Work on a 40 Year Growth Plan For Area | WDEF News 12 | Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley
Industrial development in the tri-state region is on a roll.
Big employers like Volkswagen, Amazon, Wacker and Gestamp can bring prosperity, but poor long range planning can cause plenty of headaches.
Leaders here in the tri-state area are beginning to look 40 years into the future.
Beth Jones, director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District made the presentation before the Hamilton County Commission, asking for half a million dollars total over a 3 year period to develop a regional long-range plan. A similar proposal was made to the Chattanooga city council Tuesday.
The goal is to raise a total of 3-million dollars in seed money, and then asking for full funding from HUD in Washington.
BETH JONES,DIR. S-E DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT "Unless we take a very focused effort on trying to perhaps guide that growth over the next 40 years, this region could go backwards.
...
7. Planning begins for Wisconsin Point | Superior Telegram | Superior, Wisconsin
Councilor Tom Bridge has long fought for a Wisconsin Point free of illegal dumping and signs that some people just don’t care.
That ideal led him to contemplate the notion of having the state take over the site for a park.
But short of that idea — planning how to manage the pristine dune that separates Lake Superior and Allouez Bay gets underway Friday.
People representing the city of Superior, Douglas County, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Lake Superior Natural Estuarine Research Reserve, Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources come together with Northwest Regional Planning Commission to develop a management plan for Wisconsin Point.
The goal of the plan is to establish a long-range vision for Wisconsin Point, said Jason Laumann, a planner with Northwest Regional Planning Commission.
...
8. Are States an Anachronism? - The Urbanophile
Today and Thursday I’ll give a point-counterpoint on the relevancy and importance of states in the modern era.
Obviously states aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but a number of folks have suggested that state’s aren’t just obsolete, they are downright pernicious in their effects on local economies.
One principal exponent of this point of view is Richard Longworth, who has written about it extensively in his book “Caught in the Middle” and elsewhere. Here’s what he has to say on the topic:
In the global era, states are simply too weak and too divided to provide for the welfare of their citizens…The reason is a deep, intractable problem. Midwestern states make no sense as units of government. Most Midwestern states don’t really hang together – politically, economically, or socially. In truth, these states and their governments are incompetent to deal with twenty-first century problems because of their history, rooted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
...
9. New ECD regional directors, project managers named | Business & Heritage Clarksville
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner (ECD) Bill Hagerty announced June 8, the selection of eight new regional directors as part of the reorganization of ECD resulting from the Jobs4TN initiative. The new regional directors will serve as the primary point-of-contact for Tennessee companies seeking state assistance with expansion or with accessing state services. In addition, Haslam and Hagerty also announced members of ECD’s national project management team, the division within ECD responsible for the recruitment of new companies to the state.
ECD’s regional directors will reside in each of the nine regions outlined in the Jobs4TN plan and will have primary responsibility for working with existing companies, aligning workforce development strategies and developing a regional strategic plan.
... professionals to implement our Jobs4TN program. ... move to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs, ...
10. Enhance disaster preparedness-Gatsinzi tells regional states - In2EastAfrica
The Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs, Gen Marcel Gatsinzi has urged regional countries to enhance their disaster preparedness capacity as well as build appropriate capacity to mitigate the impact of dsasters.
... Disaster Response Tabletop Exercise (TTX), organised by the ministry in conjunction with various US organs.
Gatsinzi said that the readiness of countries and the entire region to manage a highly disruptive pandemic is of prime concern.
The specialised training workshop that brings together 100 participants aims at enhancing disaster management, humanitarian assistance and counteracting pandemic diseases.
“We are here because we all realise that the occurrence of a devastating pandemic is not science fiction. Preparedness for a potential pandemic is of utmost importance and requires the coordinated action of all segments of government and society.”
...
It is partly organised by the US Africa Command, USAFRICOM.
...
11. Building Pax Asia-Pacifica - Fidel V. Ramos - Project Syndicate
One of the main sources of tension in Asia nowadays are the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and others have conflicting claims. In Chinese media reports, the heightened “unfriendliness” in the region has allegedly arisen from “bad rumors and speculations” on the part of Filipino commentators. But the reality is starker: the intrusions by Chinese aircraft into Filipino airspace in May; Chinese patrol boats ...; and, most serious of all, a Chinese missile frigate firing at Filipino fishing boats in February near Palawan’s Quirino atoll.
Will armed conflict result from these recurring – and, it seems, escalating – disputes between the Philippines and Vietnam on one side, and China on the other? War, of course, is in no one’s interest. But the risk posed by these disputes is growing, because China’s relations with both the Philippines and Vietnam are at their lowest point in decades.
...
12. 2011 PIC/Partners: Fostering Partnerships for Development | Regional | Solomon Islands News
The Pacific Plan
"At the regional level, the Pacific Plan remains the center of regional development and the platform for regional cooperation and integration to support collective responses in addressing regional development priorities," said Mr Slade.
"The role of development partners in the development of the region, in collaboration with island countries, is at the heart of the Pacific Plan. This is an acknowledgement of the significant contribution that development partners contribute to the sustainable development of the region."
The Pacific Plan was adopted by Forum Leaders in 2005 as the master strategy for strengthening regional cooperation and integration. The Pacific Plan is based on the concept of regionalism: that is, countries working together for their joint and individual benefit.
...
13. North Adams sets out to build first master plan in 40 years - Berkshire Eagle Online
The city has taken a step toward creating its first master plan in 40 years.
Monday night, more than 40 residents and some facilitators from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission spent two hours "visioning" the city’s future. Once completed, the master plan’s strategy will help guide decisions -- from development to green technologies -- in North Adams for years to come.
...
"We’re starting with the most basic vision -- the goals and strategies -- over the next few months," said Amy Kacala, a senior planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Kacala is working with the city on its plan.
She said the city’s three-year planning process is designed to coincide with "Sustainable Berkshires," the Regional Planning Commission’s master plan for the Berkshires. Great Barrington is also crafting a master plan that
coincides with the regional plan’s timeline.
...
14. Duke's Cathy Davidson Has A Bold Plan for Change | Fast Company
...
It's a bracing perspective: Jettison the old criteria and stop comparing the future only with the past. Fifteen years into the commercialization of the Internet, with people coming of age who don't remember anything different, Davidson argues that we're at the perfect moment to begin reimagining our institutions and developing practices to deal with the onslaught of information, the reality of constant connectedness, and the challenges of global collaboration. We need to scrap the legacies of industrialism, everything from clock punching and rigid rules to SATs and HR departments. Instead, start celebrating "collaboration by difference" -- every team needs some people to count the passes and others to spot the gorilla. Manage your relationship with technology by scheduling offline "planned interruptions." And be mindful of which conversations need to take place in person or over the phone versus on email or text.
...
15. GOVERNANCE, UNCERTAINTY AND COMPASSION with DONALD MICHAEL, Ph.D. - Interview
Donald Michael, is a professor emeritus in planning and public policy - books - The Next Generation, The Unprepared Society, Learning to Plan and Planning to Learn.
MISHLOVE: ... One of the things I think you point out -- correct me if I'm wrong -- is that really to date there's been virtually no long-range social planning in government at all.
MICHAEL: Well, I think that's generally true, and that has resulted in very serious consequences, an accumulated pile-up of problems and possibilities both, that to be dealt with are going to require long-range planning. We're really in an ironic dilemma in this society, and you put it very well in your introduction -- that we've got to do it, whether we're talking about education or health or use of natural resources or many other areas, building cities and the like. We've got to do long-range planning in order to use our resources effectively and to have them available in the form we need in the future.
...
16. Register for the National Rural Transportation Conference by July 25 - Below
17. So how should we measure regional excellence in homeland security? Your suggestions are critical. -
Request for input. Measuring Regional Excellence by Bill Dodge - Below
Which U.S. metro region is most likely to come out of the next recession, natural disaster or other regional “shock” relatively unscathed? Rochester, Minn. A little more battered might be College Station-Bryan, Texas.
These two regions are ranked first and last, respectively, by a new online tool measuring more than 360 U.S. metros for their “regional resilience,” or capacity to weather acute and chronic stresses ranging from gradual economic decline to rapid population gains to earthquakes and floods.
The Resilience Capacity Index (RCI), developed by Kathryn A. Foster, director of the UB Regional Institute, produces a single statistic for each region based on its performance across 12 economic, socio-demographic and community connectivity indicators, ranging from income equality and business environment to voter participation and the population of health insured. A gauge for how well a region is positioned to adapt to stress, the index can help regional leaders identify strengths ...
2. Building Resilient Regions | Harnessing the power of metropolitan regions
The Network on Building Resilient Regions (BRR) examines the power of metropolitan regions to respond to local and national challenges. BRR brings together a group of experts to investigate why metro regions matter now, what constitutes resilience in the face of challenges, and what factors help to build and sustain strong metro regions.
The site is organized by topic area
* Economic Insecurities focuses on the impact of poverty and foreclosures
* Economic Resilience examines those factors that allow a region to respond to challenges
* Infrastructure focuses on challenges of infrastructure, particularly transportation
* Governance examines policymaking and the role of government in creating strong regions
* Immigration focuses on the benefits and challenges of immigration in regions
BRR is affiliated with the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
3. Going it alone - Baton Rouge Business Report
Marketing gurus and economic development wonks have been spinning out terms like "clusters" and "regionalism" and "corridors" for more than two decades. Call it whatever you want, each buzzword essentially has the same meaning: a group of individual somethings [companies or industries, cities or parishes] joining forces to leverage resources to achieve a greater good.
... A diverse group coming together to build upon strengths, collaborate on problems and seek out new opportunities invariably produces far better and more innovative results than simply going it alone. The trick, of course, is that everyone must give up a little something for the greater good. Doing so, in theory, makes life better for everyone.
When it comes to geography there's an even more practical positive: Banding together creates greater population numbers, which leads to greater federal dollars.
This, of course, is one of the reasons why metropolitan forms of government get created. ...
4. Green jobs flourish in Sacramento area - Sacramento Bee
The green economy accounts for about one of every 22 jobs in the Sacramento area, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.
In a nationwide study of more than 100 metropolitan areas, the Washington, D.C.-based institution said local solar installers, government agencies, recyclers, organic farms and other clean companies employed a total of 37,319 people, or about 4.5 percent of the capital region's workforce.
Sacramento's high concentration of green jobs ranked third in the nation behind the Albany, N.Y., area, where the green sector accounts for about 6.3 percent of employment, and Knoxville, Tenn., where green jobs are 4.9 percent of its workforce.
"This shows that the green sector is a big part of our overall economy," said Bill Mueller, chief executive officer of Valley Vision, a local nonprofit organization that's dedicated to regional planning.
... bright spots in a region hard hit by the real estate downturn, state budget cutbacks and double-digit unemployment.
5. So much for California’s anti-sprawl law, continued « The Berkeley Blog
My post on the shortcomings of SB 375, California’s anti-sprawl law, generated a swift response from ... two smart growth advocates for whom I hold a lot of admiration and respect. In their detailed post, which is largely a critique of the San Diego Association of Government’s (SANDAG) sustainable community strategy (SCS) plan and less about the arguments I made, they describe my post as “poorly informed.” Yet nowhere do they contradict the points I raise about the inherent weaknesses of SB 375 or the problems with the SANDAG SCS (with which they seem to wholeheartedly agree).
They do cite some examples to counter my claim that SB 375 may just result in a lot of ineffectual regional planning. They point out that SB 375 has served as a rhetorical weapon against sprawl that may help fight I-5 widening in San Diego and force changes to planned highway projects in the region, all while galvanizing new interest groups to fight for strong SCSs in the long term. ...
6. Government & Private Business Begin Work on a 40 Year Growth Plan For Area | WDEF News 12 | Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley
Industrial development in the tri-state region is on a roll.
Big employers like Volkswagen, Amazon, Wacker and Gestamp can bring prosperity, but poor long range planning can cause plenty of headaches.
Leaders here in the tri-state area are beginning to look 40 years into the future.
Beth Jones, director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District made the presentation before the Hamilton County Commission, asking for half a million dollars total over a 3 year period to develop a regional long-range plan. A similar proposal was made to the Chattanooga city council Tuesday.
The goal is to raise a total of 3-million dollars in seed money, and then asking for full funding from HUD in Washington.
BETH JONES,DIR. S-E DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT "Unless we take a very focused effort on trying to perhaps guide that growth over the next 40 years, this region could go backwards.
...
7. Planning begins for Wisconsin Point | Superior Telegram | Superior, Wisconsin
Councilor Tom Bridge has long fought for a Wisconsin Point free of illegal dumping and signs that some people just don’t care.
That ideal led him to contemplate the notion of having the state take over the site for a park.
But short of that idea — planning how to manage the pristine dune that separates Lake Superior and Allouez Bay gets underway Friday.
People representing the city of Superior, Douglas County, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Lake Superior Natural Estuarine Research Reserve, Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources come together with Northwest Regional Planning Commission to develop a management plan for Wisconsin Point.
The goal of the plan is to establish a long-range vision for Wisconsin Point, said Jason Laumann, a planner with Northwest Regional Planning Commission.
...
8. Are States an Anachronism? - The Urbanophile
Today and Thursday I’ll give a point-counterpoint on the relevancy and importance of states in the modern era.
Obviously states aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but a number of folks have suggested that state’s aren’t just obsolete, they are downright pernicious in their effects on local economies.
One principal exponent of this point of view is Richard Longworth, who has written about it extensively in his book “Caught in the Middle” and elsewhere. Here’s what he has to say on the topic:
In the global era, states are simply too weak and too divided to provide for the welfare of their citizens…The reason is a deep, intractable problem. Midwestern states make no sense as units of government. Most Midwestern states don’t really hang together – politically, economically, or socially. In truth, these states and their governments are incompetent to deal with twenty-first century problems because of their history, rooted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
...
9. New ECD regional directors, project managers named | Business & Heritage Clarksville
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner (ECD) Bill Hagerty announced June 8, the selection of eight new regional directors as part of the reorganization of ECD resulting from the Jobs4TN initiative. The new regional directors will serve as the primary point-of-contact for Tennessee companies seeking state assistance with expansion or with accessing state services. In addition, Haslam and Hagerty also announced members of ECD’s national project management team, the division within ECD responsible for the recruitment of new companies to the state.
ECD’s regional directors will reside in each of the nine regions outlined in the Jobs4TN plan and will have primary responsibility for working with existing companies, aligning workforce development strategies and developing a regional strategic plan.
... professionals to implement our Jobs4TN program. ... move to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs, ...
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is optimistic the New England states can reaffirm their commitment to renewable energy sources and reducing greenhouse gases.
Speaking on a Monday conference call from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Shumlin said a regional collaboration of New England states and eastern Canadian provinces has taken steps to develop a more complete renewable energy portfolio and strengthen the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
The development of reliable, "green" energy will have a special focus in Vermont regarding hydropower generated in Canada.
"We're going to leave here with a commitment to work together with the ambassadors here and with the New England governors and Eastern premiers to really push the envelope on the question of how we get green, reliable hydro as an able source of power for New England," Shumlin said.
10. Enhance disaster preparedness-Gatsinzi tells regional states - In2EastAfrica
The Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs, Gen Marcel Gatsinzi has urged regional countries to enhance their disaster preparedness capacity as well as build appropriate capacity to mitigate the impact of dsasters.
... Disaster Response Tabletop Exercise (TTX), organised by the ministry in conjunction with various US organs.
Gatsinzi said that the readiness of countries and the entire region to manage a highly disruptive pandemic is of prime concern.
The specialised training workshop that brings together 100 participants aims at enhancing disaster management, humanitarian assistance and counteracting pandemic diseases.
“We are here because we all realise that the occurrence of a devastating pandemic is not science fiction. Preparedness for a potential pandemic is of utmost importance and requires the coordinated action of all segments of government and society.”
...
It is partly organised by the US Africa Command, USAFRICOM.
...
11. Building Pax Asia-Pacifica - Fidel V. Ramos - Project Syndicate
One of the main sources of tension in Asia nowadays are the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and others have conflicting claims. In Chinese media reports, the heightened “unfriendliness” in the region has allegedly arisen from “bad rumors and speculations” on the part of Filipino commentators. But the reality is starker: the intrusions by Chinese aircraft into Filipino airspace in May; Chinese patrol boats ...; and, most serious of all, a Chinese missile frigate firing at Filipino fishing boats in February near Palawan’s Quirino atoll.
Will armed conflict result from these recurring – and, it seems, escalating – disputes between the Philippines and Vietnam on one side, and China on the other? War, of course, is in no one’s interest. But the risk posed by these disputes is growing, because China’s relations with both the Philippines and Vietnam are at their lowest point in decades.
...
12. 2011 PIC/Partners: Fostering Partnerships for Development | Regional | Solomon Islands News
The Pacific Plan
"At the regional level, the Pacific Plan remains the center of regional development and the platform for regional cooperation and integration to support collective responses in addressing regional development priorities," said Mr Slade.
"The role of development partners in the development of the region, in collaboration with island countries, is at the heart of the Pacific Plan. This is an acknowledgement of the significant contribution that development partners contribute to the sustainable development of the region."
The Pacific Plan was adopted by Forum Leaders in 2005 as the master strategy for strengthening regional cooperation and integration. The Pacific Plan is based on the concept of regionalism: that is, countries working together for their joint and individual benefit.
...
13. North Adams sets out to build first master plan in 40 years - Berkshire Eagle Online
The city has taken a step toward creating its first master plan in 40 years.
Monday night, more than 40 residents and some facilitators from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission spent two hours "visioning" the city’s future. Once completed, the master plan’s strategy will help guide decisions -- from development to green technologies -- in North Adams for years to come.
...
"We’re starting with the most basic vision -- the goals and strategies -- over the next few months," said Amy Kacala, a senior planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Kacala is working with the city on its plan.
She said the city’s three-year planning process is designed to coincide with "Sustainable Berkshires," the Regional Planning Commission’s master plan for the Berkshires. Great Barrington is also crafting a master plan that
coincides with the regional plan’s timeline.
...
14. Duke's Cathy Davidson Has A Bold Plan for Change | Fast Company
...
It's a bracing perspective: Jettison the old criteria and stop comparing the future only with the past. Fifteen years into the commercialization of the Internet, with people coming of age who don't remember anything different, Davidson argues that we're at the perfect moment to begin reimagining our institutions and developing practices to deal with the onslaught of information, the reality of constant connectedness, and the challenges of global collaboration. We need to scrap the legacies of industrialism, everything from clock punching and rigid rules to SATs and HR departments. Instead, start celebrating "collaboration by difference" -- every team needs some people to count the passes and others to spot the gorilla. Manage your relationship with technology by scheduling offline "planned interruptions." And be mindful of which conversations need to take place in person or over the phone versus on email or text.
...
15. GOVERNANCE, UNCERTAINTY AND COMPASSION with DONALD MICHAEL, Ph.D. - Interview
Donald Michael, is a professor emeritus in planning and public policy - books - The Next Generation, The Unprepared Society, Learning to Plan and Planning to Learn.
MISHLOVE: ... One of the things I think you point out -- correct me if I'm wrong -- is that really to date there's been virtually no long-range social planning in government at all.
MICHAEL: Well, I think that's generally true, and that has resulted in very serious consequences, an accumulated pile-up of problems and possibilities both, that to be dealt with are going to require long-range planning. We're really in an ironic dilemma in this society, and you put it very well in your introduction -- that we've got to do it, whether we're talking about education or health or use of natural resources or many other areas, building cities and the like. We've got to do long-range planning in order to use our resources effectively and to have them available in the form we need in the future.
...
16. Register for the National Rural Transportation Conference by July 25 - Below
17. So how should we measure regional excellence in homeland security? Your suggestions are critical. -
Request for input. Measuring Regional Excellence by Bill Dodge - Below