1.  Counties meet, talk of future planning: Commissioner says neighboring projects affect entire region - Bradenton Herald - Bradenton, FL, USA

When commissioners from Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte counties met to discuss growth management policies Monday, they discovered it was the first time each of the governments' planning directors had been in a room together.

Ever.

With the tremendous amount of growth in each of the counties, particularly along the borders, the elected officials were shocked.

"It would seem we should have a think tank that is regionally located, " said Sarasota County Commissioner Paul Mercier. "It could be where the planners could get together once a month with the municipalities and say, 'Hey, this is what we are looking at. How are we going to connect it all together?' Because right now we are all functioning with our own paper and pencil."

Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said it is vital for all of the counties to be informed of neighboring developments that will undoubtedly affect the entire region.

...

While Manatee County Planning Director Carol Clarke understood the commissioners' desire to have the governments working more closely together, she said it is not always practical.

"I think it sounds like a good idea, but I think you need to think about that pragmatically, " Clarke said. "Is this something we can spend the time actually doing? I'll be honest. I'm sitting here going, 'Oh my God, another meeting.' "

Sarasota County Planning Director Anne McClung presented commissioners with a regional map of development in all four counties that her office had recently created.

"It is our way of starting to look at the world not dropping off the minute you cross county lines, " McClung said, pointing out that Manatee and Sarasota counties have a lot in common with the village community proposed by ...

Counties                                 Regional Planning Council  

DeSoto                                   Central Florida VII

Manatee                                Tampa Bay VIII     

Charlotte, Sarasota             Southwest Florida IX

 

  2  Realign our governments - Buffalo News - Buffalo, NY, USA

Even the most ardent creationist would be hard-pressed to argue that the thousands of units of local government that overlap their way across New York State were, as a whole, intelligently designed. Clearly, the cities and villages, school districts and cemetery boards, libraries and emergency call centers — along with their governing boards, administrative staffs and separate property tax levies — evolved over time, springing up to fill a perceived need.

They all seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe a lot of them still are. That’s what Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer’s new Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness is supposed to determine.

That body is supposed to take just one year to figure out whether and how many of the various levels of local government could be consolidated, contracted or even dissolved. In theory, the result should be better government that provides more services and/or costs the taxpayers less. That will not only help the people who live here now, but encourage more people to move and set up businesses here.

That’s a tall order. And the report is going to have to be thorough, direct and include some easy-to-understand proposals for the Legislature to enact. Otherwise, it stands to be just another in a series of calls for regionalization and consolidation of government services.

In theory, all those local units of government and service providers — upwards of 10, 000 of them, depending on how you count — are arms of the state, existing at the pleasure of the state. In practice, many of them have built up a loyal constituency, or at least an entrenched slate of officials and employees, who would raise holy heck if the governor and/or the Legislature came along and ordered them to engage in a series of hostile takeovers of one another.

…

 

  3. Need Market Research? Check Your Local Economic Development Organization - Selling to Small Businesses Blog

I live in Northeast Ohio near Akron and Cleveland, and for years the area was engaged in self-flagellation over the loss of Big Steel and manufacturing jobs.  The local newspapers were in death-watch mode, highlighting every job layoff with big bold headlines.  Of course, they never seemed to place the same focus on the many small businesses that were growing and thriving — or for that matter even the large businesses that were growing and thriving.   (And some wonder why newspaper readership is declining.)

The good news is that the region has gotten smart.  Local economic development organizations got together and have taken a much more proactive approach.  The first thing they did was start emphasizing the positives.

By now you are probably wondering: what does this have to do with marketing to small businesses?  A lot.

The economic development organizations in my region launched a website, called ClevelandPlus.com, that provides a ton of helpful information about the local region.  It is obviously intended to inform outsiders about the local region, to convince business site planners to locate new facilities in the area. 

As I was exploring the site, I realized that it also is a valuable market research resource for those businesses that sell to small businesses inside their local area.  It contains general business demographics, such as number of businesses by size, industry and so on.  But it goes well past the big-picture statistics, all the way down to the individual business level, including small businesses, and shows the businesses by industry, name and street address.  You can download the data to an Excel spreadsheet  – you can even map it out:

...

 

  4. Regional alliance grapples with funding issues - Ontario Argus Observer - Ontario, OR, USA

Funding was a key issue Monday when the Southeast Regional Alliance Board met in Ontario.

Officials are still uncertain if the Oregon Legislature will provide enough funding to keep the grant and loan program going strong or elect to stop funding altogether.

Another issue boardmembers reviewed at the meeting was whether the Oregon Department of Transportation will provide any money to match funds that poorer counties put up to maintain their roads.

The regional alliance was formed to encourage and assist economic development in Malheur, Harney and Grant counties, and it provides grants and low interest loans to assist businesses with emphasis on creating jobs.

The primary funding mechanisms are the rural investment funds and regional investment funds, both of which receive revenue from the Oregon Lottery.

Those funds are allocated every biennium by the Legislature.

Since the Southeast Regional Alliance was formed, funds have been provided to several businesses in Malheur County, as well as to cities for community ...

2005-07 Regional Investment Strategy Document of: Southeast Regional Alliance

 

   5. Wellington Regional Strategy mediated settlement

Scoop-co-nz

Joint media statement from:

Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council

Greater Wellington Regional Council

A mediated settlement regarding the proposed implementation of the Wellington Regional Strategy was reached on Friday 20 April 2007 between Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council. This settlement will be considered by Greater Wellington’s Wellington Regional Strategy Committee at its next scheduled meeting on Wednesday 2 May.

The Wellington Regional Strategy (WRS) is the culmination of two-and-a-half years intensive effort involving all of the region’s Councils, and is the beginning of what all the region’s leaders believe should be a significant next step in economic development activities for the region as a whole.

Under the agreement it is proposed to limit the economic development activities of Greater Wellington to a fixed date of 30 June 2012, It is also proposed to cap Greater Wellington’s WRS rate funding at $5 million, plus CPI adjustment, until 2012.

It was agreed that by 30 June 2011, a full and independent review of the effectiveness of the entire WRS will be completed and reported to Greater Wellington’s WRS Committee. If the outcome of the review is a desire to continue with the Greater Wellington governance and funding arrangements, then a full consultative process must be undertaken by Greater Wellington before 30 June 2012.

…

 

   6. 20th East Kentucky Leadership Conference Underway In Pikeville - WYMT - Hazard, KY, USA

The 20th Annual East Kentucky Leadership Conference kicked off in Pikeville Thursday night. Leaders started the conference with plenty of ideas for Eastern Kentucky's future.

The conference kicked off with a vision of the future. Local and state leaders say they believe Pike County can lead the nation in producing energy even calling Pike County the energy capital of the world.

"We have it all, the whole package, " said Pike County Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford.

A six month study by the Southern States Energy Board shows Pike County has what it takes to solve or even prevent a future energy crisis in the country. Water for hydro-electric power, wind for energy turbines, oil and natural gas, and of course coal.

"By 2030, every study that we looked at says this country is turning to coal, " Rutherford said.

County leaders unveiled a comprehensive long-term development plan, something they claim no other county in the United States has. The plan calls for developing all of the resources and creating new clean energy such as bio-fuel and building coal to liquid fuel plants.

"We've got billions of dollars of investment that's gonna occur and will go some place in this region, " said Governor Ernie Fletcher.

…

RC: Kentucky River ADD

 

  7. Communities join forces to secure high-tech TV - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Some Southeastern Pennsylvania communities will get Verizon's new fiber-optic television service in the next few years only because they banded together to negotiate a franchise as a block instead of individually, said an attorney who represented the group.

Dan Cohen, of Cohen Law Group in O'Hara, said there's strength in numbers when it comes to franchise talks.

"The more potential customers you bring to the table, the more leverage you have, " he said.

Verizon is installing its fiber-optic network in 83 communities in Allegheny and Washington counties and building its video hub office in the Strip District in preparation for offering television service in the Pittsburgh areas.

At least three groups of municipalities in Allegheny County are preparing to negotiate franchises with the company.

Nine of the 20 members of the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments have agreed to a joint negotiation, and others are considering it.

…

RC: Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation

 

  8. China confirms precise altitude of 19 famous mountains - People's Daily Online - Beijing, China

China has confirmed and published the altitude of 19 of its most famous mountains, as a step in cleaning up the country's still messy geographical data. … statistics released jointly by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM) and the Ministry of Construction on Friday. …

"Elevation data for many mountains in China are currently inconsistent and inaccurate, sometimes the difference can be as much as 100 meters, " said Li Weisen, SBSM's deputy director, at a press conference in Beijing.

Li attributed the inaccuracy mainly to technological and equipment limits, saying the demand for accurate, standardized geographical data has increased in recent years.

…

Li also said that no organization or individual should publish "significant geographic information and data" without authorization.

…

He stressed that random release of important geographic information, which is against related laws and regulations, may not only distort the figures and confuse the public, but also pose a threat to national security and territorial integrity.

…

"Organizations or individuals that want to publish important geographic information must apply in writing for approval from the SBSM , " he noted.

Unauthorized publication and incorrect use of important geographic information and data will be subject to harsh punishments, he added, without elaborating.

China has intensified its crackdown on illegal surveying and mapping to prevent the leaking of state secrets in recent years.

A total of 759 cases of illegal surveying and mapping were found in 2006, and many of the cases involved foreign organizations and individuals.

…

 

  9. Essay: Notes on a Divided World
TIME – USA

The theme of early April's meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, a political and economic forum for eight South Asian countries, was "connectivity." Despite the fact that this talkfest slogan was so obvious as to be meaningless, regional leaders took it seriously enough. During the meeting they agreed to work toward a South Asian community that has a "smooth flow of goods, services, peoples, technologies, knowledge, capital, culture and ideas ..." Yet even as the agreement was being drafted, bureaucrat underlings back home were contemplating new ways to separate themselves from neighboring countries—not through trade barriers or diplomatic hurdles, but with actual, physical walls.

Pakistan, for example, has recently talked about putting up a fence or burying mines along its mountainous border with Afghanistan. This would hardly be a regional first. India began building a wall along its border with Pakistan in the late 1980s to stop the infiltration of militants and terrorists. The barrier, which is mud in places and a tangle of razor wire in others, now extends along more than half the border. India is also constructing a fene along its eastern frontier with Bangladesh to block the passage of political and economic malcontents from its impoverished neighbor.

Nor is this kind of activity confined to the subcontinent. All around the world, countries are busy throwing up walls. Iran is building a bulwark along its border with Pakistan to stop illegal crossings. Botswana erected a 480-km electric fence along its boundary with Zimbabwe.  …

Good fences make good neighbors, the saying goes. But at a time when the world is supposed to be more interconnected than ever, isn't there something a little odd about the rush to fortification? …

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 U.S. in a news story.  In most cases, where a full name is present a Google search will quickly get one to that organization. 

    .10  Legislature Adopts Framework for Regional Growth

WNYmedia-NET

The Erie County Legislature unanimously adopted the Framework for Regional Growth as the primary Erie County document to address the planning of development in Western New York …

 

    .11  A better way to pay for roads
Oakland Press - Pontiac, MI, USA
"Cars that drive the most should pay the most, " says Carmine Palombo, director of transportation programs for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. ...

 

    .12  County, cities agree on SPLOST
Northeast Georgian - Cornelia, GA, USA
It's official - the cities will receive $9.235 million of the estimated $54.9 million to be generated by Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) V and an additional 17.5 percent of any excess proceeds. County and city officials met Tuesday to finalize intergovernmental agreements concerning the cities' share of SPLOST V funds. ... 

Georgia Department of Education - Office of Finance: Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)

 

    .13  NKU and NKY Judges Consider Forming a Regional Mental Heath Court
WCPO - Cincinnati, OH, USA
She tells 9News, "When you have people in jail, you are using community money, community assets. You're using police officers to deal with situations on the ...

 

    .14  DC Area Sees Spike In Rate of Emissions
Washington Post - Washington, DC, USA

Environmentalists say that these numbers illustrate an unwanted legacy of Washington's recent economic boom: Population grew, but emissions grew faster. As exurbs have crept out to farms and forests, the region has required more energy for home air conditioners and long-distance commutes. …

 

    .15  After 27 Years, Knight Says It's Time To Make Tracks
Tyler Morning Telegraph - Tyler, TX, USA

Glynn Knight said at first he had second thoughts about his decision to leave the East Texas Council of Governments after 27 years as executive director, but he is comfortable with the decision. …

 

    .16  Reyes introduces regional border authority
El Paso Times - El Paso, TX, USA

The Southwest Regional Border Authority would be a mechanism for border areas to receive federal funding for economic development plants, ... The joint federal-state agency would be modeled after other economic development commissions, including the Appalachian Regional Commission. ...

 

    .17  Tucson leaders set for regional town hall
Tucson Citizen - Tucson, AZ, USA
"We will have some ideas we can act on, " said Ron Shoopman, president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, which is coordinating the town hall. ...

 

    .18  The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Deploys Key Software for Emergency Managers

DirectionsMag.com (press release) - Glencoe, IL, USA

... Severe Weather Awareness, Response and Mitigation (SWARM), will provide emergency managers and first responders in the Kansas City metropolitan area with time-sensitive, severe weather alert and assessment information linked to specific geographic locations. ...

 

    .19  County lands big fish
The Eureka Reporter - Eureka, CA, USA
Sharing ideas and opening a dialogue between the state and Northern California counties on funding opportunities was the goal of the all-day Regional Community Development Funding Workshop …

 

    .20  Region 14 Concerned Parents Plan Reconfiguration Petition Signing
Voices - Woodbury, CT, USA
The heart of the organization's argument stems from two recommendations in the "Final Report of the Temporary Regional School Study Committee, " which was adopted by referendum in both towns in 1968, and established Region 14 as a school district. …

 

    .21  A map is not a place, and a border is not a line
Ahwatukee Foothills - Ahwatukee, AZ, USA

... Sonoran Desert, meanwhile, is groaning under the tons of trash and thousands of abandoned vehicles that litter the desert, springs and wash beds in the region. ... Measures to protect borderland ecosystems must be fully integrated with immigration enforcement ... EPA’s Good Neighbor Environmental Board agrees (see www.epa.gov/ocem/gneb). ...

 

    .22  Regional effort making strides
Rutland Herald - Rutland, VT, USA
Regionalization was the result of an inability of small individual towns to maintain the funding and management of events and marketing. ...

 

    .23  House votes to reauthorize anti-gang grant
SouthCoastToday.com - New Bedford, MA, USA
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which represents 101 communities, also lobbied for the money, along with groups like United Interfaith Action of ...

 

    .24  Harvard to study government response to crises
FCW.com - Falls Church, VA, USA
Harvard officials say the program, called Acting in Time, will generate research, discussion and ideas to overcome the incapacity of governments to react quickly to catastrophic events....

 

    .25  Hospitals join to form regional medical center
Dallas Business Journal - Dallas, TX, USA

Medical Center of Mesquite and Mesquite Community Hospital have announced they will join together to form Dallas Regional Medical Center, effective …

 

    .26  Governors unite to protect Appalachian Highland
Rappahannock News - Washington, VA, USA
... programs to revitalize the region's ecosystem and create long-term employment opportunities for people who live in and visit the four-state region. ...

 

    .27  Substance Abuse Community Forum
KFDM-TV News - Beaumont, Texas, USA
The Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission invited parents, people who work with government agencies, as well as medical and school personnel to offer ...

 

    .28  River communities vote on regional council
Munster Times - Munster, IN, USA
A new regional council could boost the flow of development and tourism dollars along the Calumet River Corridor and Calumet-Sag Channel. ...

 

    .29  Think tank seeks reform of municipal governance
Williamsport Sun-Gazette - Williamsport, PA, USA
The fiscal health of Pennsylvania’s municipalities is on the decline and the trend will continue unless legislation and codes that are out in step with the budget needs of the state’s cities, boroughs and townships are changed. Pennsylvania Economy League director of research. ...

 

    .30  Regional Leadership Council gets rolling
Sun Valley Online-com (press release) - Hailey, ID, USA
"The big federal pots of money –transportation, clean water, clean air- give extra points in scoring your applications for regional cooperation, " LeBlanc ...

 

    .31  Bay Area Council teaming with Shanghai firms
Contra Costa Times - CA, USA

… agreement between the Bay Area Council, which represents more than 250 of the region's largest employers, and the Shanghai-Hong Kong Council for the Promotion and Development of Yangtze, … first of its kind between American and Chinese business groups, according to Bay Area Council …

 

    .32  RailAmerica reorganizes; five smaller regions
Boca Raton News - Boca Raton, FL, USA
... RailAmerica, Inc., has announced it will reorganize from three business units into five operating regions, led by Regional Vice Presidents. ...

 

    .33  Landfill going on the grid
MaineToday.com - Portland, ME, USA
Looking ahead, a pending multi-state agreement to fight global warming is expected to include additional financial incentives for removing greenhouse gases ...

 

    .34  center's future may be decided
Central Maine Morning Sentinel - Augusta, ME, USA
He says regionalization is supposed to save money, but everyone agrees that eliminating the PSAP in Waterville will cost taxpayers more money. ...

 

    .35  Northampton County catches up on COG dues
The Express Times - Easton, PA, USA
Northampton County Executive John Stoffa said checks for the county's Council of Governments dues are in the mail, but he doesn't know if county representatives will make it to meetings. ... The county owed the Nazareth Council of Governments its $250 annual dues for this year and the Two Rivers Council of Governments' annual $250 dues since 2004. ...

 

11. Other in the news: Highlighted words are Google search terms.

    .10  Report says raise the weir
Cowichan Valley News Leader - Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
“Regionally raising the weir makes sense, locally (at Cowichan Lake) it doesn’t. We do have to look at water regionally. “If we send water to Crofton, ...

 

    .11  Interview: Making transport in Malta sustainable
Malta Independent Online - Malta
... future transport policy in Malta and the way forward for transport in such a small country ... community initiative financed under the European Regional Development Fund ... to stimulate interregional cooperation in the EU. ...

 

    .12  Full text of king's address to 7th Tourism Conference
Maghreb Arabe Presse - Rabat, Morocco
In parallel, a number of cities and traditional tourist destinations are being upgraded. Building on the contract-based model used in Regional Tourist Development Plans, those tourist destinations are actively expanding bed capacity and developing cultural and artistic events. …

 

    .13  Regions need a new approach and genuine empowerment
On Line opinion - Australia
What is crucial for government to recognise is that different regions face different challenges. They also offer our nation a range of opportunities. ...

 

    .14  Bad governance ‘stalling growth’
The National - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
PAPUA New Guinea has the potential to grow in many areas, yet investment and development continue to be constrained by the quality of governance, ... “PNG’s political system encourages instability and the accrual and dispensing of largesse by politicians; the bureaucracy is highly politicised; policy making is often ad-hoc in nature; corruption is endemic and inter-governmental collaboration does not work, ” Justice Davani said.

 

    .15  Government-Municipalities cooperation necessary for successful decentralization
Makfax - Skopije, Macedonia
… decentralization process depends on the close cooperation between the government and municipalities as well as on the responsible and transparent work of the mayors. … 35th anniversary of the Association of the Local Self-Government Units (ZELS). …

 

    .16  'New tactics needed' to beat the bombers
Yorkshire Post Today - Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
He described new regional counter terrorism units as "a major step forward" that would "definitely increase our ability to respond to the intelligence ...

 

    .17  IDB: Infra development a requirement for economic integration - Regional
Business News Americas - Santiago, Chile
Regional infrastructure development is a necessary step toward economic integration, the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) president, Luis Alberto ...

 

    .18  Your Views: Are you happy with a new regional petrol tax?
New Zealand Herald - Auckland, New Zealand
I am in support of a regional tax if it will fund electrification and expansion of Auckland's railway network and public transport in general. ...

 

    .19  LATIN AMERICA: Critics Sceptical of Business Community's Concern About Poverty
Inter Press Service (subscription) - Rome, Italy
Regional business leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Latin America admitted that unequal distribution of wealth is a crucial problem, and said they want to contribute to its solution.  …

 

    .20  'Have' regions to stay atop heap: Dodge
Canada-com - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

The Bank of Canada expects continued strong growth in jobs, incomes, household wealth, business profits and investment over this and the coming two years. … governor David Dodge warned that the economic divide between the booming resource-rich regions and the rest of the country will continue. …

 

    .21  Keeping region on province's radar; niagara week a success, say mayor, regional chair say
Welland Tribune - Canada
… "We are a region. If one of us prospers we all prosper. Likewise if one of us falters we all falter." The lobbying effort was the fourth straight year Niagara has traveled the QEW to bend the province's ear. Partington says while some of the issues remain the same over the years there is still a need to make the trip. …

 

    .22  Kroes Seeks `Strong' EU Response to Foreign Subsidies (Update1)
Bloomberg - USA
The EU allows aid for small and medium-sized companies, research and development to those businesses, employment and training aid as well as regional ...

 

    .23  Amalgamation issue divides regional district
Comox Valley Record - Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
The Comox Strathcona Regional District committee of the whole was split right down the middle this week about whether to send a letter of support to the ...

 

    .24  Etisalat Academy and Sudatel sign AED 15million strategic training partnership
ArabianBusiness.com (press release) - Dubai, Al Garhoud, United Arab Emirates

... training agreements with Sudan Telecom- Sudatel- as part of its strategic plan to assist in the training and development of employees from regional organizations and corporations. ...

 

    .25  Grid technology makes weather forecasts without boundaries a reality
Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (Pressemitteilung) - Bayreuth, NRW, Germany
A Grid is defined as a software system that provides uniform, location-independent and secure access to geographically and organizationally scattered and varied resources (such as databases, analysis services and computational power). The objective of the SIMDAT project - which has 11 million euros of funding support from the European Commission and is co-ordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI) - is to accelerate the uptake of Grid technologies in industry and services, particularly the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries as well as meteorology. ...

 

    .26  Satellites show impact of clouds on polar regions
Spaceflight Now - Orlando, FL, USA
"The polar regions are very sensitive indicators of climate change, " said Deborah Vane, project manager and deputy principal investigator for the CloudSat ...

 

    .27  MiM Demands for Separate Metropolitan Regional Development Board
By ALI(ALI)
Hyderabad, April 26: All India Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi on Thursday demanded the State Government to constitute a separate Metropolitan Regional Development Board for Hyderabad. ...

 

    .28  AN ELEPHANT CAN RUN VERY FAST
By International Post(International Post)
new architecture for closer regional cooperation in Asia" has become a priority. As The Hindu's famous columnist Siddarth Varadarajan said: "Asia is too big to be dominated by a single power. China, India and Japan should not even think ...

 

    .29  Feature: Nurturing regional and local growth
Philippine Information Agency – Philippines

... agencies are asked to address the high cost of transporting goods and fast track projects for virtual (web-based) and physical through ports, RO-RO, bridges and roads for inter-regional connectivity. ...

    .30  EC suspends subsidies to five UK regional authorities
Accountancy Age - London, UK
The European Commission has suspended funds to five regional authorities in England over 'a lack of proper controls over paying agencies'. ...  Pratt said there was no question of ongoing projects being cancelled, as claims to Brussels were made in arrears and the CLG was continuing to make the necessary payments.

    .31  Grey’s the new green
Central Midlands & Coastal Advocate - Moora, Australia
Bathurst Regional Council will seek $1 million in funding to conduct a review of grey water recycling equipment. The study would involve 200 homes and would ...

 

    .32  mid east tourism heading from vision to reality, says rte sponsored report
Al-Bawaba - Amman, Jordan

Economic, demographic, social and environmental sustainability have to be considered by the Middle East's tourism players when formulating long-term industry policy, according to a pioneering study carried out by Global Futures and Foresight (GFF), an international strategic futures think-tank. ...

 

12. Blogs: Highlighted words are Google search terms.

    .10 Regionalism's biggest hits and misses? Your call
By ajohnson @ news-record-com ("Allen Johnson")

I need all your help for a project I'm working on. When has the Triad gotten it right? When has the region made the most of its collective clout and resources? Where have area leaders ignored city limits and pooled resources for the greater good? …

 

    .11  Q&A with Ms. Cathy Woodson of the Virginia Organizing Project
By mnguthrie
8 ) In your organization, does the topic of regionalism ever arise? Would there be advantages for your organization if the city and counties were to have a mechanism for shared policy and resources? ...

 

    .12  Regionalism and Libraries
By Christine(Christine)
Thanks to Clevelandada for tipping me off to the PD's new series about regionalism in Cleveland. Especially because I probably wouldn't have found it otherwise, what with being totally unable to stomach

 

    .13  The Holy Grail of Information
By mvr(Marcel v. Birgelen)
It requires the presence of a vision, on what the trinity “data – information - intelligence” means to our future. Having the right information present at the right time, the right place and foremost on the right device will profoundly ...

 

    .14  Collaboration in schools: More reasons we need it
By Wesley Fryer
Every civic and community leader, regardless of the size of their town or city, should be vitally concerned about the ways schools need to change to meet the needs of the 21st century information and economic landscape.

 

    .15  Transit Funding in Minnesota
By Joe Urban
One glimmer of hope is the Regional Council of Mayors, a group of twenty-plus mayors from around the Twin Cities brought together by the Minnesota District Council of the Urban Land Institute. They have signed a written plea to increase ...

 

    .16  Those freeways
By Gretchen Schuldt(Gretchen Schuldt)
Jim Rowen asked a very sensible question the other day: did the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and its consultant, HNTB, deliberately low-ball the cost of freeway expansion back in 2003 when they put the cost of ...

 

    .17  Minutes: Okanagan Regional Women’s Committee meeeting April 13 2007
By Patrick
Regional Women’s Conference: K. Megyesi participated in a conference call on March 21, 2007 to discuss the Regional Women’s Conference. The conference is tentatively scheduled for the last weekend in September 2007; will be held in New ...

 

    .18  Keeping a beat in the dark: narratives of regional identity in Basil Bunting’s Briggflatts
By Pion
Abstract. This paper is about narratives of regional identity. ... show how poetry is a means of developing narratives of local and regional identity in ways which transcend the dichotomies with which social scientists in general—and geographers in particular—perennially struggle.

 

    .19  Can You Spot the Fast-Tracker of the East African Community?
By Emmanuel.K.Bensah II(Emmanuel.K.Bensah II)
ECOWAS has forever been talking about making regional integration more inclusive, but never has brought anything really concrete. Conversely, the East African Community appears to be something right: it's getting the fourth Estate on ...

 

    .20  Yahoo! India maps now offers Geocoding service
By Arky(Arky)
Content in the local language of the region is also linked. (http://in.ourcity.yahoo.com). The site is linked to the other resource launched here: ‘India Maps’ consolidates satellite imagery and street maps for 170 Indian cities, ...

 

13. Announcements and Regional Links

    .10  About Regional Associations of Grantmakers

Regional associations of grantmakers are nonprofit membership associations of private and community foundations, corporations, individuals and others committed to strengthening philanthropy in the geographic areas in which they operate, within the United States.

 

    .11  National Charette Institute

The National Charrette Institute (NCI) is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution. We teach the transformative process of Dynamic Planning to create healthy community plans.

Our actions include:

• Teaching professionals and community leaders Dynamic Planning, a holistic, collaborative planning process that harnesses the talents and energies of all interested parties to create and support a feasible plan.
• Advancing the fields of community planning and public involvement through research, publications and facilitation.

 

14. Subscription

Eastern Ontario is more than the road from here to there - Montreal Gazette (subscription) - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

For many Montrealers, eastern Ontario is a blur, the dreary highway backdrop of trips to Ottawa and Toronto.

Here's a revelation: The region is actually brimming with attractions, especially for families with young children.

There are many activities around which to plan day trips, weekend excursions or longer vacations, within a few hours drive of Montreal. And if you're just passing through on road trips, you can break up the monotony with pit stops that are more entertaining than Tim Hortons drive-thrus.

Launched last month, Eastquest.ca, a tourism website with a powerful search engine, is the place to go for exploration ideas and for help planning your trip.

The site covers a huge area that stretches from the Quebec border on the east, Port Hope and Keswick on the west, Algonquin Park on the north, and the St. Lawrence on the south.

The area includes 24 wineries and microbreweries, more than 100 golf courses, 200 waterfalls and more than 300 festivals, events and attractions.

Eastquest is divided into six things-to-do categories: Spas & Wellness; Festivals & Events; Arts & Cultural Heritage; Agri- & Ecotourism; Wine & Culinary; and Activities & Sports.

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 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.