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December 19, 2018 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #VienTruong, #GRTC, #RVARapidTransit, #Enterprise Community Partners, #FamilyHousingFund, #FTA, #SPARCC, #APA, #Planning, #6PIC, #RVAGroundworks, #METRO, #Portland, #CASA, #ManuelPastor, #johnapowell, #PLCC, #ECOnorthwest

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Reflecting Back on an Impactful 2018

Another year ends, and it is with deep gratitude that I look back over 2018 to reflect on all the amazing accomplishments achieved by the array of incredible local and national community leaders, thought partners, and funders that I have had the privilege to work with to make America’s communities thrive. As someone who cut her teeth working at the federal level, it has been beyond depressing to see the vitriol, decay and lack of leadership by Congress and this administration. Yet against this backdrop, innovation and a commitment to greater racial and economic equity is exploding at the local level. Read the MZ Strategies post to see some of the highlights!

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February 10, 2017 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #regional planning, #APA, #apa2017, #T4America, #MPO

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Metropolitan Planners Leaning In to Make Regions Great

Two new resources spotlight ways planners working at the regional and metropolitan level are leaning in to solve complex social, environmental and economic issues through better use of data, improved partnerships and collaboration, and a mix of innovation, tenacity and leadership. “Emerging Trends in Regional Planning*” released last month by the American Planning Association celebrates the ways that regional planning is evolving across the country with numerous examples of regions large and small tackling water and land resource issues, regional economic development and housing issues, climate change and public health issues through integrated planning strategies. Meanwhile, Transportation For America this week released national survey results detailing how metropolitan planning organizations are developing and using transportation performance measures. Both are useful documents for learning how planners are pushing the envelope, innovating and making great regions.

May 13, 2016 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #regional planning, #regional collaboratives, #usdotconnects, #Metropolitan Council, #TCRPC, #Metro, #APA

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Celebrating Regional Planning’s Golden Anniversary

Regional planning - at the federal level and in many areas of the country - is celebrating 50 years of practice. Yet the role of implementation is something that few regional agencies have the authority to do. By its very nature, regionalism is the art of collaboration. Somewhat surprisingly, federal transportation provisions are often the catalyst for integrated and collaborative planning efforts.

April 16, 2015 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #regional planning, #APA, #APA2015, #livablecommunities, #urban design, #innovativeMPO, #T4America

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Regional Planning Through Local Action

An emerging trend unfolding in many regions is the decision to more strongly support local implementation of regional plans and policies through targeted technical assistance, sub-granting of federal, state and regional funds to undertake neighborhood, corridor or station area planning and more effective strategies to fund and bundle local capital improvements. It is through local action that good regional plans become reality.

October 23, 2014 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #climate resiliency, #regional planning, #APA, #ISC, #sustainable communities, #climate adaptation, #regional collaboratives

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Reaching for Regionalism

If you haven’t noticed, we are in a time of “renewed regionalism” and the common theme across these efforts is better integration across issues to better respond to the complexity of the challenges that no single jurisdiction alone can address. Climate adaptation and resiliency clearly fits right in this wheelhouse, whether working together to recover from a major weather event or to find strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Here are a few thoughts from involvement last week by Mariia Zimmerman of MZ Strategies at the Institute for Sustainable Communities: "Think Resiliently, Act Regionally" Leadership Academy.

June 19, 2014 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #HUD, #DOT, #EPA, #sustainability, #sustainable communities, #planning, #APA

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Five Years of Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Earlier this week, and without any fanfare, the Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities turned five. This anniversary is a bittersweet one for me. I was incredibly honored to serve as the Deputy Director for the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (now the Office of Economic Resilience) at HUD to help stand up this historic effort. With new leadership at HUD, DOT and EPA, its time to weigh in and make the case for sustained government collaboration. We need efforts like the Partnership for Sustainable Communities -- not to grow government, but to make sure that we're recalibrating programs and policies so that they meet the new challenges and opportunities of a 21st Century America.

April 22, 2014 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #Mariia Zimmerman, #sustainable communities, #planning, #APA, #transportation, #CTS

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Springtime Happenings at MZ Strategies, LLC

It’s a busy time for the MZ Strategies team. We invite you to participate in a national survey on transportation reform, read the latest article from Founder and Principal, Mariia Zimmerman on the legacy of HUD's Sustainable Communities Initiative, and join us at some of the upcoming events around the country we'll be participating in to share our views on building thriving and inclusive communities. To learn more, check out our latest blog post!