RegionWatch Index

September 2005
ARS LETTER TO YOU


Frank Beal
Executive Director, Chicago Metropolis 2020
ARS Board of Directors

As Executive Director of Chicago Metropolis 2020, a business-backed civic organization working on regional issues, I am often asked, ?What have you accomplished??  It?s a reasonable question, but it?s not so easy to answer.  When we do try to answer the question, we keep in mind the following:

First, we always remind ourselves that any significant accomplishment is the result of the work of many players and actors.  You really can't accomplish big, important things unless there are many participants and a great deal of buy-in.  It is easy to accomplish small scale, symbolic victories alone, but they don't amount to much in the long run.

[FULL ARTICLE]

REFLECTIONS


Hurricane Katrina: A Failure of Governance

Doug Henton
National Coordinator, John W. Gardner Academy for Regional Stewardship

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has demonstrated the tragic consequences of a failure of governance.  The inability of the federal, state and local government to respond quickly to this disaster has cost many lives.  Emergency preparedness and crisis response requires clear plans, prior agreements, effective communications and rapid coordination of action by multiple organizations.  A review of what went wrong with Hurricane Katrina will reveal that we as a nation are not prepared to act regionally in ways that transcend jurisdictional boundaries and bring all appropriate resources to communities when needed.

 [FULL ARTICLE]

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Imagine Miami
Building a Community and Economy that Work for All

Miami-Dade County, Florida is one of the most diverse communities in the world, with 60 percent of the population born in a foreign country.  The region boasts access to Latin America and Europe and emerging technology strength.  Since the City of Miami?s incorporation in 1896, it has grown tremendously, transforming it into one of the world?s renowned centers where people can work, live and play while enjoying a high quality of life.

[FULL ARTICLE]
INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Prosperity Partnership
A New Economic Agenda for the Puget Sound Region

A new economic development effort is underway in the central Puget Sound region.  Hundreds of government, business, labor and nonprofit leaders in King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties have organized a coalition called the Prosperity Partnership.

The coalition created the Prosperity Partnership because economic conditions in the central Puget Sound region, combined with dramatic changes in the global economy, created a critical need for a regional strategy and action.  To address this need, coalition members are working together toward a common goal: long-term economic prosperity for the entire region.  The Prosperity Partnership envisions a region whose residents have good jobs and earn good incomes, where job-creating businesses thrive, where diversity is embraced; a region with vibrant, connected communities, a healthy and beautiful environment, and a high quality of life due in part to the natural environment and dynamic cultural institutions.

[FULL ARTICLE]

ARS ACTIVITIES


Register Now for the ARS National Forum on Regional Stewardship!

12th National Forum will highlight Louisville Merger experience and explore new models of Collaborative Governance


Register today for the ARS National Forum on Regional Stewardship!! Register by October 19th to receive the Early Bird rate of $250 (discounts available for ARS members and regional teams). The agenda and online registration are available at: regionalstewardship.org/register4forum.html.

This Forum?s theme is ?Collaborative Governance--Is Your Community Ready??  This Fall meeting will examine successful models of collaboration involving governments in the U.S. , including examples from rural areas.  New ideas in building regional identity and in academic research on regionalism also will be explored.

[FULL ARTICLE]


Next Regional Stewardship Boot Camp To Be Held November 9th in Louisville, Kentucky

Take Things to the Next Stage

The Regional Stewardship Boot Camp is an intensive, one-day session and six months of follow-up coaching designed to teach regions how to launch a breakthrough regional stewardship initiative or take an existing effort to the next stage. This session is for groups generally familiar with the concepts and practice of regional stewardship, who want to ignite change in their own region.

 [FULL ARTICLE]
ANNOUNCEMENTS


Sixth Community Planning Collaborative to Showcase Innovative Planning Tools and Approaches

2005 CPC Summit, October 27-30, brings top planners and tool providers together in Orlando, Florida to tackle a real-world planning challenge.


The sixth Community Planning Collaborative (CPC) is a benchmark event in community planning.  PlaceMatters, a program of the Orton Family Foundation, has organized this path-breaking national event since 1998 to showcase the integration of public participation and decision-support tools in community planning.

 [FULL ARTICLE]


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Contact Information
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RegionWatch Index