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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.

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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.

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.

November 25, 2014 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #T4America, #MPO, #metropolitan planning, #regional planning, #transportation

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Transportation For America's Release of the Innovative MPO

MZ Strategies, LLC is excited to spread word about the upcoming webinar by Transportation for America (T4America) to celebrate the December 10th launch of their new report, "The Innovative MPO". T4America contracted with MZ Strategies to research and write the publication which features best practices and cutting edge planning by regions across the country.

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.