Much of the country has been in a brutal cold weather vice these past couple of weeks with no signs of warmth breaking though soon. At times like this, I’m inclined to grab a good book, a cup of hot tea and find someplace warm to hunker down. Luckily there are some great reads out there to cure the winter blues. Read my take a few of the notable new releases by F. Kaid Benfield, ITDP, Smart Growth America and SSTI.
Read More…In reflecting on notable achievements from 2013, I am struck by three separate federal actions that received little fanfare but are important to the War on Poverty’s arsenal. Each respond to one of the most profound lessons we have learned over the past 50 years -- the causes of poverty are often inter-related and cannot be successfully addressed by only focusing on housing, or education, or employment. Rather, integrated approaches are needed.
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It's the Holiday Season, a time when TV shows and classic movies remind us of the important things in life, notably that we are all connected and that one person’s actions can make a difference. Watch a few and you'll be reminded as I was that community is also an important part of the Christmas season, and we all play a role.
Read More…Money is not the only barrier to transit investment or to supporting development of new housing, job centers, schools or community facilities along transit-served corridors. New efforts in the Twin Cities illustrate two key ingredients required for a transit climate change: effectively communicating the benefits of transit, and removing administrative barriers to development. The beauty of these two are that they cost relatively little, and can be game changers for the short and long-term.
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Over the years I have been fortunate to work with Janette Sadik-Khan on different federal policy efforts. I don’t know where she is headed next, but I do know that IF she is involved THEN she will make an impact. What I find amazing and transferable to any city is the story her legacy tells about leadership, vision and the ability to take risks. Janette has reshaped transportation and shifted our perceptions about what is possible and now normal both in the market place and in the court of public opinion – not only in New York City but across the country as witnessed by cities like Indianapolis, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Salt Lake City to name only a few redesigning streets to work for people, cars, bikes and transit; and reclaiming sidewalks, trails and streets for active public spaces.
Read More…Last week at the Rail~Volution conference in Seattle, two new reports developed by MZ Strategies, LLC were released that provide useful data, analysis and policy recommendations for transit investments that promote broader economic competitiveness, community revitalization, and increased access to regional housing, employment and life opportunities.
Read More…Rail~Volution is this country’s premier conference on “building livable communities with transit” and it's hosted this year by Seattle from Oct. 20-23. Mariia Zimmerman, Principal of MZ Strategies will be at the conference and is moderating two sessions and presenting findings from several new reports prepared by MZ Strategies for the University of Minnesota, Enterprise Community Partners, and the Metropolitan Council.
Read More…Reflections from a recent site visit to the San Francisco Bay Area including a reminder of the lasting impact that a single project can have on broader regional
reform and innovation. Fruitvale Village in Oakland, CA where community advocates continue to work together to improve community livability, with an emphasis on transit-oriented development.
MZ Strategies, LLC released a new report examining how Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) allocate federal transportation formula funds. The report, “Regional Allocation of Federal Transportation Funding,” looks at the decision making process of six MPOs: Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Phoenix, Portland -- highlighting practices used by each to meet local and regional transportation priorities.
Read More…Two recent announcements by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) may have long-term impact on community development practitioners. In August, the Federal Transit Administration issued final guidance for its Capital Investment Program which funds New Starts and Small Starts transit projects (think subways, streetcars, light rail and bus rapid transit). And last week Secretary Foxx announced the latest round of TIGER grant recipients in 37 states (think big money for big transportation projects). With both of these announcements, USDOT signaled its recognition that these kind of large infrastructure investments can profoundly influence the way communities develop and markets respond.
Read More…I’ve spent a
fair amount of my “summer vacation” examining how metropolitan planning
organizations (MPOs) use their planning and programming tools to support
livable
communities. This is a question that a growing number of regions are
interested in learning to help them make better investments with scarce
public resources. While still far too opaque, best practices are emerging. MZ Strategies, LLC is involved with several efforts to help spread the word.
Equitable TOD refers to livable, mixed-use neighborhoods
near transit, providing housing for all income levels. Over the years,
planners, developers and affordable housing advocates have worked to realize
the potential for equitable TOD. As a recent story from the Washington Post uncovers though, mixed-income housing requires more than award-winning plans. It requires a long-term commitment to action and to the people living in these neighborhoods.
How are we doing as urban planners to
engage youth in the visioning, planning and design of the cities and farms that
they will inherit? As the dog
days of summer get underway, there are ample opportunities for planners working
on site plans, station area planning, long-range or comprehensive planning to
engage youth and take advantage of the fresh ideas and eagerness which the next
generation brings to these issues. Engage kids and you may be surprised by what ideas emerge, including a burgeoning rural urbanism.
Today marks the one year anniversary of MZ Strategies, LLC, which I founded as a way to work directly with communities and organizations in developing and implementing strategies to create thriving, inclusive communities. Thanks go out to many people for their support, readership, collaboration, and encouragement!
Read More…Cities are evolving, dynamic organisms. This is what makes them so incredible to those of us in the planning and design professions. They are a constantly changing experiment, but what I love is what they also say about American ingenuity and tenacity. No other country abandoned their cities as fervently as in the US, but no other country can show the types of successful transformation of urban neighborhoods particularly in the face of relatively minor federal support.
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