March 15, 2018 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #SUMC18, #FTA, #MODSandbox, #RobinChase, #APTA, #AVs, #AutonomousVehicles, #sharedmoility, #SharedUse, #Brookings, #EquitiCity

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Our Mobility Future May be More Autonomous, but Will it be More Equitable?

So, will autonomous vehicles be a panacea or another pandemic for low-income households and communities of color? Only time will tell, but so far, most discussions of a brave, new autonomous future fail to happen within broader discussions of economic and racial disparities that exist today, much less are they being considered within a broader regional context of housing and land use policy. We all need to recognize the interconnections between transportation, housing and equity.

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November 15, 2017 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #Taxreform, #Taxscam, #LIHTC, #affordable housinig, #PAB, #SALT, #NMTC, #NACTO, #Brookings, #broadband, #publicprivatepartnership

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A Tax Reform Sucker Punch

Tax reform was an area that many who care about infrastructure held out hope. Would Congress fix the Highway and Transit Trust Funds by indexing the gas tax for inflation? Would new tax incentives be created to foster greater private sector investment in a variety of infrastructure asset classes? Would loopholes be closed to bring off-shore funds back to invest in America? Could we create a new tax credit to address housing displacement and stabilize neighborhoods? The answer to each is a resounding no. Rather than recognize and respond both to the need and the bipartisan demand for infrastructure investment that benefits the economy, the environment and the average American, this Congress provides a sucker punch.

May 15, 2017 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #TimeToBuild, #InfrastructureWeek, #TLC, #Metropolitan Council, #transit, #Brookings, #RooseveltInstitute, #InThePublicInterest, #CenterforAmericanProgress

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Infrastructure Week: #TimeToThink

Infrastructure is key to the national economy and to the economic opportunity that every Amercian faces. Safe water. Affordable energy. Mobility and accessibility. We have artificially made infrastructure investment a zero-sum game by letting the “no tax” voices win. Infrastructure is the ultimate public good. Public investment in all forms of infrastructure costs the individual user less than paying for it through user feeds, or perhaps not even getting the service if it’s too cost prohibitive for the private sector. Yes, it’s time to build, but even more importantly, it’s time to think.

March 16, 2017 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #infrastructure, #LentenAppeal, #PopeFrancis, #Trump infrastructure, #transit, #CDBG, #Trump budget, #FY2018 budget, #HUD, #USDOT, #Brookings

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In Response to Trump Budget, A Lenten Appeal for America's Communities

It’s that time of year again. For Catholics, March is Lent, a time of commitment to sacrifice and good deeds. It’s also when we get the annual Lenten Appeal request to tithe in support of the Church’s ability to serve as God’s emissary on earth and help those most in need. In Washington DC, March is budget season. The time of year when the Administration unveils its spending priorities for the coming year and when Congress demonstrates where it will invest the trillions of dollars provided by American taxpayers. This year, the disconnect between God’s priorities and Republican priorities could not be more clear, unless we focus only on the word sacrifice.

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January 15, 2016 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #economic resilience, #economic competitiveness, #Brookings, #MWCOG, #GreaterWashington, #Great Communities Collaborative, #Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, #regional planning, #regional collaboratives, #collaboration

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Economic Competitiveness Demands Collaboration: Metropolitan Washington’s State of the Region

America enjoys the world’s strongest economy, and our long-term national growth and prosperity depend on strong regional economies. These in turn, rely on tackling the societal challenges that can slow growth and result in disparities across income and racial groups. Just as each region’s challenges, assets, geography and culture are different, there is no one model of collaboration. Over the last year MZ Strategies worked with a number of regions on these issues, including in metro Washington where COG just released its 2016 State of the Region Report looking at Economic Competitiveness threats and opportunities.