May 13, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: Regional Planning, economic development, economic opportunity, transporation planning, Metropolitan Council, Twin Cities, NARC

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Planning for Regional Competitiveness

MZ Strategies, LLC and the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) released a new report entitled “Planning for Regional Competitiveness.,” funded by the McKnight Foundation to help inform efforts underway in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The report highlights best practices that strengthen regional economic competitiveness. Building upon lessons learned from the greater Denver, Seattle-Tacoma, and Kansas City metropolitan regions and a national survey of regional planning councils, the report provides recommendations to improve regional economic competitiveness and improve cooperation to grow economies and reduce economic disparities.

April 12, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #2014budget, #sustainable communities, #economic resilience, #HUD, #T4America, #transporation finance

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HUD Rebrands Its Sustainability Initiative around Economic Resilience

Two new updates worth spotlighting: 1) The Obama Administration has finally released its FY2014 budget proposal which includes a re-branded $75 million Integrated Planning and Implementation grant program at HUD (formerly the Sustainable Communities Initiative) ; and 2) a new State Transportation Funding Proposal tracker by T4America to help follow the evolving set of proposals by Governors and State Legislatures to fill the funding gap created by insufficient federal support for highways, transit, bike and rail projects.

April 03, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #transit, #TOD, #streetcar, #Arlington, #Colombia Pike, #affordable housinig, #form based codes

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Planning Globally, Acting Locally with Arlington’s Streetcar

Over the past decade I have worked with many communities to help realize their local transit and development aspirations. During this same time, Arlington County, the community I am proud to call home, has been taking a painstakingly thorough path to re-introduce streetcar service along Colombia Pike. Funding remains elusive as sequestration threatens the proposed federal share, and local critics smell blood in the water. The current threat to Arlington’s own streetcar desire, is a reminder to me of the importance for transportation professionals to engage in these same issues when they are happening in our own backyard.

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March 18, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #MAP21, #Congress, #sequestration, #budget, #FY2014 funding, #transit, #transit finance, #bike ped

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Time for Congress to Clean Up its Self-made Transportation Funding Mess

It’s March in Washington, DC. The time of year when cherry trees start to blossom and the city is invaded by people of every political persuasion here to lobby Congress and the administration about any and everything having to do with the budget. Knowing what to say to Congress this year feels a little harder. We find ourselves in a politically-made quagmire happening at the same time that states and cities have identified an incredible set of projects to create jobs, support economic growth, address environmental challenges, and make our communities great places to live.

We cannot depend too much on federal funds to solve our problems. But we also cannot continue to let Congress kick the can, or worse, kick us when we’re down. Individual voices make a difference. If you care about these issues, make your voice heard!

March 11, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: DBE, consulting services, transporation planning, woman-owned business

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MZ Strategies, LLC Awarded DBE Certification

MZ Strategies, LLC has been certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Minority Business Enterprise as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). The DBE certification qualifies MZ Strategies to work on projects throughout the Commonwealth in the following categories:

Land use planning services
Administrative and General management consulting services;
Strategic planning consulting services
Transportation management consulting services
Political consulting services; and,
Public relations consulting services

MZ Strategies, LLC is a woman-owned small business based in Arlington, Virginia offering policy and planning consulting services.

March 04, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #TOD, #transit, #pedestrian, #planning, #urban design, #complete streets

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In Successful TOD, it’s the Little Things That Count

Density without design may fail to generate anticipated return on investment -- both in terms of creating new riders and in transforming neighborhoods. A common mistake for planners and transit officials is to pursue TOD projects with a belief that building near transit will automatically create significant new ridership and increased property values. Too little attention is paid to the smaller scale strategies that can help to make TOD a success. Included in this category are smaller scale strategies that focus on improving the safety, convenience, and feel of a place to signal that people are welcome and transit is a preferred way to travel. Apart from design, top of the list should be education and outreach to enlist those who would be your obvious allies if only they knew it. Included in this category are hotels and convention centers located near transit, as evidenced by my recent trip to Miami, Florida.

February 14, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: #MAP21, #transit, #ballot measures, #transporation finance, #gas tax

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Ready for a New Era of Transportation Finance?

In just the first two months of 2013, we’ve seen a surprising array of ideas being advanced by Governors seeking to overcome the most pressing transportation challenge of our time: how to pay for the system we have and the system we need? Federal rigor mortis is pushing the transportation fiscal canyon to states and localities. It also lends credibility to questioning the continued existence of a federal program or user pay model if it is insufficient to the task, and is more burden than benefit in terms of adding regulatory requirements that come without the funding to pay for them. The implications for states and localities are significant.

January 14, 2013 By: Mariia Zimmerman

Tags: FTA, economic development, MAP-21, economic opportunity, community development, affordable housing, transit

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Transit’s Fresh Start to Comprehensive Place Making

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) opened 2013 by releasing a set of game-changing documents for transportation and community development. In its newly published New and Small Starts Final Rule and Proposed Policy Guidance, FTA proposes that smart land use and affordable housing be viewed as key components of good transit projects, and good economic development policy.

December 17, 2012 By: Mariia Zimmerman Comments Off

Six Months and Going Strong

Six months ago today, I launched MZ Strategies, LLC to focus on the two areas where I believe communities and advocates need more effective strategies to create lasting change: 1) Strategic alignment of resources (human and fiscal) to implement and maximize sustainable results from public and private sector investments; and, 2) Navigating the state and federal policy and rule making path to make equitable sustainable development easier. Enormous thanks to each of my clients for their financial support, collaborative spirit and enthusiasm for my approach.

December 03, 2012 By: Mariia Zimmerman Comments Off

Stuttgart, Germany - November 2012

Some photos and quick impressions from my recent visit to Stuttgart, Germany for Virginia Tech as part of the Transatlantic Urban Climate Dialogue with local leaders and academics from the USA, Canada and Germany.

November 20, 2012 By: Mariia Zimmerman

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Germany’s Transportation Evolution: Up Close and Personal

Later this week I will travel to Stuttgart, Germany to participate in a Transatlantic Urban Climate Dialogue through my work with Virginia Tech. In past travels, I have been struck by the similarities of our two transportation systems and the tremendous distinctions. In Germany, transport accounts for 20% of GHG emissions compared to over 30% in the US (2010 figures), and annual per capita CO2 emissions from passenger transport per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) were 2.4 times greater in the U.S. than in Germany. Over the past two decades Germany has made notable strides to increase public transit usage. The social impacts from this change became personal to me in witnessing the health impacts that active living brought to my father-in-law during his time teaching in Ingolstadt.

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November 14, 2012 By: Mariia Zimmerman

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Collaboration Strategies for Economic Competitiveness

Moving forward from the election the need for finding common ground takes on increased urgency if we are to overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities facing our country. Collaboration is becoming a key strategy in a growing list of regions to heal local political divides, bridge growing disparities and ensure their region’s long-term economic competitiveness. Similar objectives are needed nationally and accelerating this kind of partnership should be a priority for the second Obama administration. MZ Strategies, LLC offers three specific strategies that should inform this work, be it at the regional or national scale:

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October 24, 2012 By: Mariia Zimmerman Permalink

Tags: #TIFIA, #transit, #2012 elections, #sustainable transportation, #MAP21

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Beyond the Ballot Box – Sustainable Transportation Funding in a Time of Federal Retrenchment →

In addition to my consulting work with MZ Strategies, LLC this year I am a Visiting Fellow with The Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech (Alexandria Campus). Please visit my post today on The Sustainability Planning Lab to read my thoughts on the implications of the rising tide of local transit ballot measures. Does this represent a permanent paradigm shift in funding regional sustainable transportation projects with federal direct support yielding to loans and local funding strategies? If so, what are the implications for regional equity and transportation innovation?