NADO members and their local communities and board members are invited to attend a free webinar presentation by Transportation for America.  Rather than being a technical overview of MAP-21, which other sources have covered, this webinar will be an opportunity to engage stakeholders and decisionmakers on funding a variety of modes public transportation, vanpool, biking, walking, and road/bridge maintenance and repair projects that support in support of strong communities.  Please share the following announcement to invite your RDO and RTPO board members and others in your region to this presentation.

Investing in a variety of transportation options—like public transportation, vanpooling, bicycling, walking,  and safe roads and bridges—are crucial for stronger, more resilient communities in our nation’s rural areas. It’s important to know how our new federal transportation bill (MAP-21) has changed the way communities can access transportation dollars and what these funds can be used for.

Panelists for this discussion include:

• Commissioner Kathy Rinaldi, Teton County, Idaho
• Charles W. Fluharty, President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)
• Chris Zeilinger, Director of Policy Development, Community Transportation Association of America Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
• Georgia Gann, Deputy Director of Government Affairs, Transportation for America
• John Robert Smith, President and CEO, Reconnecting America and Former Mayor of Meridian, MS (moderator)

Webinar logistics:

• Title: How to use the 2012 federal transportation bill to strengthen rural economies
• Date: Wednesday, February 27, 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific
• Click here to register

On November 13, 2012, the National Association of Counties (NACo) presented a webinar in partnership with NADO Research Foundation that discussed strategies to engage elected officials and other community leaders in community planning projects. This webinar featured innovative strategies from regional planning projects and a “clinic” to critique outreach materials submitted by a select number of HUD 2010/2011 sustainability grants recipients.  Speakers included Elisa Ortiz, Smart Growth America; Bethany Wilcoxon, Des Moines Area MPO (Iowa); and Carol Davis, New River Valley Planning District Commission (Virginia).

View the webinar recording here. For more information, contact Cindy Wasser at NACo at cwasser@naco.org or 202.942.4274.

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This webinar was produced by NACo, through a subcontract agreement with NADO Research Foundation. NADO Research Foundation provided overall guidance and project direction. The work that provided the basis for this webinar was supported by funding under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.

In July, FTA released final guidance in the form of a Circular on incorporating environmental justice (EJ) principles into plans, projects, and activities that receive funding from FTA. This final guidance provides recommendations Metropolitan Planning Organizations, public transportation providers, State Departments of Transportation, and other recipients of FTA funds on how to fully engage EJ populations in the public transportation decision-making process; how to determine whether EJ populations would be subjected to disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects as a result of a transportation plan, project, or activity; and how to avoid, minimize, or mitigate these effects. FTA’s Webinar on the Circular will explore the details of these recommendations and provide specific guidance for how FTA grant recipients should incorporate EJ review into their transportation planning and NEPA efforts.

• Introductory Remarks
  • Therese McMillan, FTA Deputy Administrator

• Speakers:
  • Lucy Garliauskas, Associate Administrator, Office of Planning and Environment
  • Cecelia Comito, Regional Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel
  • Maya Sarna, Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Planning and Environment

In May 2012, USDOT issued an updated Departmental Order, Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, for the first time since 1997.  This order was developed in response to the 1994 Presidential Order on environmental justice (EJ) and lays out how the department will address EJ in all its programs, policies, and activities.  In addition, FHWA released its own EJ order in June 2012, and FTA released a detailed EJ circular in July 2012 (separate from a Title VI circular in August).

These three EJ orders provide guidance to transportation agencies receiving federal funds on complying with the agency’s policies and regulations.  In the webinar, federal agency specialists reviewed how each of the new orders provide a significant legal framework for conducting transportation planning at the local level, within MPOs and RTPOs, and in state DOTs, as well as for consultants conducting work under contracts using federal funds.

View the slides here (PDF), or watch the recording below.

Addressing Environmental Justice in Transportation Planning Practice from NADO on Vimeo.

More resources on USDOT, FHWA, and FTA’s recent orders on environmental justice are here.
In addition, FTA will hold the webinar, “Environmental Justice: What does it mean?” on October 11, 1 – 3 p.m. ET.

To view PDF files, use Adobe Reader.

AICP members can earn 1.5 Certification Maintenance credits for this activity.

To join the webinar, visit here: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/epasmartgrowth
No pre-registration is required. Call 1-888-850-4523. Participant passcode: 719661. This conference has a maximum audio capacity of 290 callers, so participants may wish to share lines. For more details, visit http://www.epa.gov/dced/webinars/index.html.

To learn more about opportunities like this, join EPA’s Smart Growth Listserv here: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opei/opeipub.nsf/Membership.

Rural and small town America face unique housing and transportation challenges.   While urban areas may be plagued with traffic congestion, rural areas more often face issues such as insufficient resources that impact the frequency and connectivity of transit access and service. Widely fluctuating gas prices and greater distances between employment, groceries and health services make good transportation choices essential.

This web training event focused on transportation and housing cost tools that can help illustrate the impact land use decisions have on household budgets and community economic vitality, and how to identify investment and planning opportunities to improve the livability of rural communities.  It will also introduce the Housing and Transportation Affordability Initiative, a joint HUD and DOT venture to develop tools and resources to help planners, consumers, and policy-makers make more informed decisions about where to invest scarce resources.

A new nationwide version of the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, along with a Location Affordability Index tool, will be available from HUD later in 2012.  Visit http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities/housing_transaffinitiative for more details.

Loren Adler and Shai Akabas, senior policy analysts from the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, DC-based think tank that promotes bipartisanship and works to address key challenges facing the nation, will provide an in-depth look at sequestration and the impact that it could have on the economy as a whole, and federal government spending and programs.

Questions that will be addressed during the webinar include:

• How did we get here?
• What is sequestration?
• When will sequestration occur?
• How will sequestration impact regional development organizations and local government?
• How would sequestration affect programs like EDA and HUD CDBG?
• What are the politics surrounding sequestration and the likelihood of it being eliminated or replaced?

Spaces for the webinar are limited.  RSVP today by clicking here.

 Part 4: Creating Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies

Understanding the need to align goals and opportunities into a single document, several State Associations have been collaborating to create Statewide Comprehensive Development Strategies that align community and economic development, emergency preparedness, energy, affordable housing, technology, telecommunications, transportation and workforce development plans or a combination of these. Representatives from Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina will provide training on the methods that their State Associations are using to develop and implement statewide comprehensive development strategies.

Webinar Speakers include:

Jeff Pruitt – Planning Director, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments Alabama Consolidated CEDS – informed by the 12 Regional Councils in Alabama the CEDS brings together and “consolidates” the regional strategies from the various Regional Councils into a statewide strategy and provides a statewide perspective back to the Regional Councils to provide guidance in the preparation and implementation of their respective regional strategies.

Scott Koons – Executive Director of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council The Florida Association of Regional Councils has been working with the state of Florida to coordinate their individual district strategies into the State’s Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Betty Huskins – Executive Director of the North Association of Carolina Regional Councils The North Carolina Association of Regional Councils is leading a collaborative partnership with assistance from the US Economic Development Administration, North Carolina Department of Commerce -Division of Community Development, the US Department of Housing & Urban Development and the SAS Institute of Cary, NC to create a statewide Strategy for Comprehensive Economic Development for North Carolina.

Click here to access presentation slides.

Click here to access the webinar video.

Part 3: Creating Asset-Based Strategies and Partnership

This EDA Know Your Region webinar featured two regional development organizations that exemplify the Peer Standards of Excellence through their work to encourage private sector engagement, multi-regional development strategies, and leveraging regional assets to better compete on a global stage.

Tim Brennan, Executive Director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (MA) presented on how his organization has utilized partnerships and economic development strategies to increase communication, spur innovation and target regional collaboration through the PVPC CEDS.

Chris Endresen- Scott, Director of Economic Development for the Puget Sound Regional Council (PVRC) presented on how engaging public, private, nonprofit and educational leaders has enabled the Partnership for Prosperity use teamwork and constructive approaches to support clusters and  innovation based economic development in their region.

Click Here to Access Presentation Slides

Links to the presentation video are below.

Click here to access the presentation video.

CEDS Peer Standards of Excellence

In January 2011, NADO brought together approximately 25 EDA-funded Economic Development Districts to share ideas with Federal partners and discuss innovative approaches to developing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS). The CEDS Forum allowed economic development stakeholders to set a pathway for transforming the CEDS  into living documents that frame regional visioning and strategy development, effectively leverage regional partnerships, and promote regional innovation.

The EDA Economic Development District “Peer Standards of Excellence” are meant to be guiding principles that will ensure that the 380 Economic Development Districts  share a common vision and mission of promoting economic prosperity, regional competitiveness, and quality of life through regional innovation, collaboration and strategic investments across America.

Click Here for to access the Peer Standards of Excellence

Part 2: Creating Asset-Based Strategies and Partnerships

Public-private partnerships can form dynamic foundations that support the development of  regional strategies built upon the strengths and assets of each community. As America looks to restore its manufacturing base and promote American exports, and as more states turn to regional organizations to pilot their bottom-up economic development strategies, it becomes even more necessary for rural areas to recognize their assets and develop networks that support economic growth, job creation, and increase competitiveness in the global economy. This webinar focused on how two regional development organizations used partnerships to advance small manufacturing clusters build on regional assets.

Christine Frei, Executive Director of the Clearwater Economic Development Association (CEDA) in Lewiston, Idaho presented on four of the partnerships that have been used to increase small manufacturing in her region.  CEDA has leveraged a partnership with the Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association on a number of projects including:

• Solidworks in the High School – exposes local students to manufacturing related occupations to encourage a rural workforce of manufacturers
• Snake River Boat Builders Export Program – which has provided viable foreign markets for the welded-aluminum jet boat manufacturing cluster in the region
• Ende Machine and Foundry/Craigmont Business Park – worked with a local manufacturer and helped establish the first lost foam foundry in the Inland Northwest; and
• American Manufacturer Network – helps increase military preparedness and create manufacturing business opportunities resulting in job creation in the Pacific Northwest.

Michael Eisensmith and Alain Ouellette from the Northern Maine Development Commission spoke about how their region has utilized partnerships with local businesses to create a network that led to increased investments and opportunities for their region. The Aroostook Partnership for Prosperity was essential in establishing goals and inventorying the indigenous assets that would offer northern Maine the best opportunities to meet regional economic development goals. Through Mobilize Northen Maine and their Jobs Accellerator Initiative, NMDC worked with APP to foster innovation in manufacturing natural resources and expand the renewable energy industry cluster found in their region.

To access the video recording of the webinar: Click Here!

To access the presentations slides click the following link:

Asset-Based Strategies and Partnerships

Part 1: Utilizing EDA Data Tools in your CEDS

Featuring Dr. Timothy Slaper from the Indiana Business Research Center and Rich Bryden from the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at the Harvard Business School, this webinar shows participants how they can utilize EDA supported data tools developed by the University of Indiana and Harvard University. STATS America and Clustermapping.us give economic development practitioners a cost-effective way to measure regional assets and build comprehensive development strategies that build upon those assets to create more competitive regions.

Webinar Recording: Click here

To access the presentations slides click the following link:

EDA Data Tools Presentation Slides

Part 1: Mapping the Nation’s Regional Innovation Clusters

The Cluster Mapping Project, spearheaded by the Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard University, aims to provide policymakers and development practitioners across America with rich data and tools for understanding industry clusters in every region of the country.

The cluster concept was developed and spread globally by the Institute’s founder, Michael E. Porter. Clusters are geographic concentrations of firms, suppliers, support services, specialized infrastructure, producers of related products, and specialized institutions (e.g., training programs and business associations) that arise in particular fields in particular locations.

• Dr. Christian Ketels, Havard Business School – slide presentation
• Dr. Christian Ketels, Havard Business School – webinar recording (64 MB)
• U.S. Cluster Mapping (Beta) Website

Part 2: Rural Approaches to Regional Clusters

This Know Your Region webcast explored practices in rural regions that have adopted state-wide cluster strategies intended to drive economic growth in a more cohesive manner.

By nature, cluster development typically occurs in more densely populated areas where the geographic concentration of knowledge, workforce and suppliers is generally higher.  Yet, in an age of technology where commerce is increasingly driven by the ability of a region to market itself beyond its geographic borders, rural regions are seeing the benefit of cross-industry collaboration, idea sharing and the fortification of existing assets, all with economic development as a common purpose.

Members of APED will discuss their Alaska Forward initiative to identify, prioritize, and implement a state-wide, collaborative economic development program.  The MTA will discuss their Innovation-Led Economic Development (ILED) project to drive innovation and technology-based economic development in the State of Mississippi.

• Alaska Partnership for Economic Development – slide presentation
• Mississippi Technology Alliance – slide presentation
• Download the Webinar Recording

Part 3: Regional Collaboration of EDA Economic Development Districts and Labor’s Workforce Investment Boards

This Know Your Region webcast focused on the natural symbiotic relationship between economic and workforce development.  Strategic partnerships across organizations with common goals are a key ingredient to driving regional innovation.  In this webinar, the Eastern Maine Development Commission (EMDC)presented on their multi-faceted approach to job creation and retention within the State of Maine.

Led by executive director Michael Aube, the EMDC has embarked on an aggressive effort to fully integrate the region’s Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and Economic Development District (EDD), including through the region’s Mobilize Maine regional innovation cluster strategy.  In collaboration with the area’s chamber of commerce, regional tourism and convention bureau, local economic development corporations and others, the group has developed a new architecture for linking workforce and economic development. These efforts focus on: asset mapping; staff training and development; creating new organizational and service delivery models through a “single portal for services”; and creating new service delivery systems through the business services team, partnerships and tools.

• Eastern Maine Development Commission – slide presentation
• Download the Webinar Recording

Part 4: Exploring New Ideas for Rural Wealth Creation Strategies

To date, the Know Your Region webinar series has tackled cluster mapping, developing rural clusters and fostering collaboration between workforce and economic development entities.  This installment of the series covered rural wealth creation strategies.

Rural regions in the U.S., particularly low-wealth rural areas, have struggled to implement strategies and institutions that will turn their assets into wealth that can be recirculated into the local economy. At the same time, the potential contributions of rural America are significant.  Rural areas can provide the nation with renewable energy, with food that is healthy and affordable, with open spaces for recreation and with myriad ecosystem services. The challenge is to create strategies that are place-based, demand driven and focused on building multiple forms of wealth that can create sustainable livelihoods for rural people and the places they call home.  The Ford Foundation has been supporting a systems approach to wealth creation in rural communities that were introduced as part of this webinar.

• Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Ford Foundation
• Download the Webinar Recording

Part 5: Regional Boundary-Spanning Growth Strategies

Exploring outward-facing trade strategies is an integral part of regional economic development.  This webinar  focused on two distinct types of expanding traded wealth outside a region: developing international export capacity and assisting businesses to identify and exploit emerging market opportunities.  

• Dr. Brad Kramer, Kansas State U’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute – slides
• Southern Alleghenies PDC (PA) International Trade Program – slides
• Download the Webinar Recording

Part 6: Incorporating Entrepreneurship into Regional Innovation Strategies

Entrepreneurship is a vital component of economic development.  By encouraging homegrown businesses to succeed, communities can elevate employment levels and economic activity by capitalizing on the existing talent pool and knowledge base.

Led by Maureen Collins-Williams, Director of Entrepreneurship Outreach at the University of Northern Iowa, this webinar focused on methods and best practices for encouraging regional entrepreneurial growth.

Drawing from her experience in the development and implementation of entrepreneurship initiatives in Iowa, including a service technology business incubator in downtown Waterloo in 2001 and a second business incubator on the UNI campus in 2007, Maureen will discuss the importance of providing access to capital, access to networks and access to technical assistance as a means of helping fledgling business achieve their potential.

•  Ms. Collins-Williams, University of Northern Iowa Entrepreneurship Outreach – slides
  

Part 7: Global Trends in Competitiveness and Productivity Growth

Know Your Region is honored to have McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) discuss their recent findings on productivity growth and policy trends that drive economic competitiveness for the penultimate session of our biweekly webinar series.  Formed in 1990, MGI is the business and economic research arm of the renowned management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company.

Our speaker for the session was Dr. Jaana Remes, Senior Fellow at MGI.  Since 2003, Dr. Remes has led MGI research on productivity and competitiveness, during which time the Institute has conducted more than 15 country performance assessments.  Working around the globe, MGI has developed a unique approach to understanding how managerial decisions and industry dynamics lead to different aggregate outcomes across countries.  Current MGI research examines how productivity, cost, and skills mix influence sector-level competitiveness across countries

• Dr. Remes, McKinsey Global Institute
  
• Download the Webinar Recording
  

Part 8: State-Led Regional Innovation Cluster Initiatives

• Mr. Justice, Georgia Centers of Innovation – slides
• Dr. Cameron K. Martin, Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership Initiative – slides

Part 9:  Accessing the Regional Innovation Acceleration Network (RIAN)

• Download the Webinar Recording
• Link to the RIAN Website