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"I had a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there's one other thing that separates us from animals -- we aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners."--Jeff Stilson
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749 visits from 53 countries

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Urban Organizations News
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European Urban Knowledge Network

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Planning Livable Communities

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Planning Livable Communities

Smart growth: How to fight sprawl, reshape our cities and towns and take back our streets

Planning Livable Communities

  • — ‘Big box’ retailers don’t generate as much property tax revenue as you might think

       (Friday, 16 July 2010 07:08)

    One analysis shows mega-retailers like Wal-Mart generating barely more property tax revenue per acre than your average housing development.

  • — 5 reasons why this pedestrian trail really works: Ogunquit’s Marginal Way

       (Sunday, 27 June 2010 21:45)

    Yes, Ogunquit, Maine’s Marginal Way has spectacular views of the ocean along the full 1.25-mile walking path, and that’s certainly a key reason why so many people use it. Not every community is so fortunate to have such breathtaking scenery for a trail. However, there are many other towns with beautiful coastlines, but without the [...]

  • — Better streetscapes lead to more walking

       (Tuesday, 08 June 2010 21:44)

    Add Scientific American to the list of those saying we need aesthetically pleasing streetscapes to encourage more walking. Says a recent podcast: “According to Andrew Furman of Ryerson University in Toronto [http://bit.ly/dr76ot] . . .  in many places in North America it’s just not that nice to walk. But if cities and suburbs put more [...]

  • — We can keep living standards high while cutting energy use

       (Sunday, 23 May 2010 10:08)

    “I know that these days you’re supposed to see the future in China or India, not in the heart of ‘old Europe,’ ” writes Paul Krugman in a column called Stranded in Suburbia.  But “Europeans who have achieved a high standard of living in spite of very high energy prices — gas in Germany costs [...]

  • — Public Transit 2.0

       (Tuesday, 30 March 2010 08:01)

    The LivableStreets Alliance is hosting what looks like an interesting presentation on Tuesday, April 6 from 7 to 9 pm: How technology is improving public transit with data. Find out how the Mass Dept. of Transportation Developers Initiative hosts transportation data that can be used by third-party software developers to build Web sites, mobile apps [...]

  • — Residents, officials urge state to improve Rte. 9 pedestrian environment

       (Wednesday, 23 December 2009 22:14)

    The Commonwealth plans to do some sidewalk improvements along Route 9 as part of a Stimulus-funded resurfacing project in Natick and Framingham. However, the plans also call for eliminating some existing grassy strips between blacktop sidewalks and the roadway, instead relying on painted lines to mark walkways, Department of Transportation officials said at a public [...]

  • — Aesthetics, sidewalks matter: My testimony to the state Dept. of Transportation

       (Wednesday, 23 December 2009 22:13)

    I delivered this written testimony to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation at a public hearing tonight on a federally funded Route 9 road resurfacing project: Lessen traffic congestion, improve aesthetics, create a more successful retail corridor and make for happier residents. The Route 9 corridor project can achieve all this at once by keeping one [...]

  • — Framingham Bicycle & Advisory Committee meets Tuesday

       (Monday, 07 December 2009 06:49)

    The Framingham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meets tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 8), 7:30 pm in conference room 1 of the Memorial Building (Framingham Town Hall). Agenda 7:30 PM -> Vote on meeting minutes -> Review recent correspondence and media articles -> Public comment 7:50 PM -> Update on recent meetings: Cochituate Rail Trail and MABPAB [...]

  • — Here’s our chance to have a say on Rte. 9 walkability

       (Friday, 04 December 2009 17:40)

    The state plans to resurface about 8 miles of Rte. 9 in Framingham and Natick. As part of the project, Mass. Dept. of Transportation will hold a public hearing aimed at “fully acquainting” us with the plans, but the public will be able to offer comments as well. Part of the project includes “sidewalk and [...]

  • — Boston Bike Update

       (Friday, 04 December 2009 17:17)

    How is the effort going to create a world-class bicycling environment in Boston? Nicole Freedman, Director of Mayor Menino’s Boston Bikes, will presentthe second annual Boston Bikes Report Thursday, December 10, 6:30 to 8 pm (doors open at 6). The event is at the Boston Public Library’s Rabb Lecture Hall, Copley Square, 700 Boylston St. [...]

Regional Science Assoc

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Urban Institute

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Urban Institute: International Activities

Urban Institute reports from: International Activities - The Urban Institute is a nonprofit nonpartisan policy research and educational organization established to examine the social, economic, and governance problems facing the nation.

Urban Institute

  • — An Urban-Rural Focus on Food Markets in Africa

       (Wednesday, 30 January 2008 00:00)

    Africa's cities purchase much more food domestically than the continent imports or exports; they represent economic hope if rural and peri-urban producers learn to meet their particular food demands, including more meat, dairy, and processed foods. Increased efficiency will come with more onsite processing, contract enforcement, and distribution centers. Best practices from South Africa include the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market and Thohoyandou Spar Supermarket requiring their agents to purchase a share of their fresh vegetables from small growers. Efforts to strengthen regulation and raise standards must remember that the urban poor depend on public markets, the informal sector and "inferior"...

  • — Univ. of Maryland's Charles Cadwell Is Appointed Director of Urban Institute's International Activities Center

       (Thursday, 17 May 2007 01:00)

    Charles Cadwell, a University of Maryland expert on the political economy of reform in developing nations, the relationship of institutions to economic development, and the implementation of legal and judicial reforms, has joined the Urban Institute as the director of its International Activities Center.

  • — Assessing the Impact of Devolution of Healthcare and Education in Pakistan

       (Friday, 05 May 2006 01:00)

    The conceptual and legal framework for the development of an effective system of local governance in Pakistan was created in July 2001, and a review of the Local Government Ordinance of 2001 reveals that the rules and procedures to govern the process have been set in place. Yet, four and a half years into devolution, political decentralization has not been followed by adequate administrative and fiscal decentralization to ensure quality service delivery to the public. This report assesses the progress and challenges of effective and efficient service delivery in the health, education, and water sectors, local fiscal roles and responsibilities,...

  • — Estimating the Impact of a Russian Job Search Program Targeted on the Unemployed in Very Low-Income Families

       (Friday, 20 August 2004 01:00)

    This paper presents an impact evaluation of an active labor market program operating in over a dozen Russian cities. The program provides job search assistance and significant financial and social services support to unemployed workers who are members of very poor families. It is of interest because of high success (job acquisition) rates previously documented. The analysis shows that participants are significantly more likely to find and retain a job than a control group of similar workers who registered at the local Employment Centers at the same time. On the other hand, these workers were found to take jobs paying...

  • — Client Satisfaction with Home Care Services in Rural Russia

       (Thursday, 01 July 2004 01:00)

    This work explores the satisfaction of a sample of 300 frail elderly from rural Russia with the support services provided by social service agency staff. The client population lives in extremely difficult conditions in terms of housing and associated communal services. They reported high levels of satisfaction with the agency provided services. The patterns identified are broadly consistent with expectations based on modeling done for the U.S. populations receiving at-home care. The results clearly indicate the value of providing such services to frail elderly in such circumstances.

  • — Assessment of Intergovernmental Relations and Local Governance in the Republic of Uzbekistan

       (Sunday, 01 February 2004 00:00)

    The study's primary purpose is to provide background and analysis on existing realities in Uzbekistan as input into USAID's thinking in respect to the timeliness and appropriateness of local government assistance. This assessment addresses the basic legal institutional framework for subnational government in Uzbekistan. It also describes how the central and respective local government tiers interact in practice and, how, at the municipal level, government is organized and operates, most importantly in respect to budgeting and the delivery of basic urban services. In addition, the assessment examines the role of mahallas (a traditional, neighborhood-based form of community self-governance) which have...

  • — Assessing and Starting a Local Economic Development (LED) Initiative : A Primer for USAID Field Staff

       (Saturday, 15 November 2003 00:00)

    This primer on Local Economic Development (LED) is designed to provide USAID's field staff with a better understanding of LED. The first section provides a framework first for evaluating the utility of an LED initiative, and then developing an LED strategy. The second section highlights the components of a successful LED strategy. The third section addresses timing the implementation of an LED initiative. The fourth section provides case studies that demonstrate different approaches to LED programs (sectoral, regional, etc.). The primer concludes with samples of LED scopes of work, related websites, and other resource material.

  • — Urban Sectoral Training for USAID Staff : Final Report and Recommendations for Future Training

       (Wednesday, 01 October 2003 01:00)

    This report summarizes the proceedings and lessons learned from a series of courses on urban development designed for USAID's field staff. There were two courses delivered: Development and Cities (given twice), and Cities and Economic Growth. The former discussed a broad range of urban issues ranging from slum upgrading/participatory management to disaster mitigation, and included participants from both USAID and its partner organizations. The latter covered mobilizing private resources for urban economic growth, the role of local government in promoting economic growth, etc. This final report includes agendas, case studies, evaluation results, focus groups, surveys, and a list of...

  • — The Policy Fellows Program : In-Service Training in Public Policy for Russian Local Government Officials

       (Wednesday, 01 October 2003 01:00)

    This article describes UI's efforts to strengthen the policy development skills of Russian local government officials and NGO representatives. In 2-3 day courses, participants work together on exercises in analytical decision-making methods and monitoring and evaluation. The course also covers key concepts in policy making, such as considering the distributional aspects of policies, developing explicit decision-making criteria, balancing political and technical factors, defining public goods and services, and introducing competition to the public sector. Evaluations of the course indicate that it fills a definite training need for local officials and staff at advocacy NGOs in Russia.

  • — Contracting with NGOs for Social Services : Building Civil Society and Efficient Local Government in Russia

       (Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:00)

    During the transition period, the countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States have witnessed the combination of sharp decentralization of government responsibilities to the local level, the creation of a flourishing nonprofit sector, and a growing need for NGOs to generate income beyond donor assistance to expand services. Russia is no exception. In this environment a strong case can be made for social service NGOs to be contracted by local governments to provide these services on behalf of city agencies. This arrangement provides a funding base for NGOs and introduces healthy competition into service delivery. This monograph...

  • — "I Was Born in that Village" : Prospects for Minority Returns and Sustainable Integrated Communities in Kosovo

       (Sunday, 01 June 2003 01:00)

    This paper presents the findings from a 2003 assessment of the conditions that impede or support minority returns and reintegration in post-conflict Kosovo. The assessment analyzes the status, perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of groups of internal displaced persons (IDPs) that hinder or promote their successful return and reintegration, and determines the economic, political, and social preconditions that are necessary to create sustainable multi-ethnic communities. The report describes the findings of the assessment team, presents an analysis of relevant issues, and provides specific guidance and recommendations to USAID/Kosovo on how existing and future programs can best support the conditions requisite to...

  • — USAID Citizen Participation Program in Nine Pilot Cities : Report on 2002 Second Follow-Up Household Survey Findings

       (Saturday, 03 May 2003 01:00)

    This report presents the findings of a 2001 follow-up household survey of citizens' participation in nine Armenian cities. The survey builds on a similar 2000 baseline household survey, commissioned by USAID and the Government of the Republic of Armenia through the Local Government Assistance Program. The second follow-up household survey reported here was conducted in order to determine changes during the past year in citizen access to and participation in local government, to assess changes in levels of information about local government, to assess changes in attitudes and levels of satisfaction toward local government, and to assess changes...

  • — Participation in a Decentralized Housing Allowance Program in a Transition Economy

       (Thursday, 01 May 2003 01:00)

    When Russia's housing allowance program, the country's first means-tested program, was introduced in 1994, it was truly innovative. But there were difficulties from the start, many arising from the division of authority for setting program parameters among different levels of government. In 1996, the program's original simple basis for benefit determination was seriously impaired by the introduction of different principles for very low-income households. The analysis presented here documents the impact of these variations on participation rates in a sample of Russian cities. Large inequities are obviously present in the treatment of similar households from city to city.

  • — Final Closeout Report for Armenia Local Government Project

       (Thursday, 01 May 2003 01:00)

    From January 2000 through May 2003 the Urban Institute (UI) implemented the Armenia Local Government Project (LGP) on behalf of USAID. This report highlights UI's activities under this project, which comprised four major components: government decentralization and association strengthening; local government capacity and service delivery improvement; citizen participation; and condominium association development and strengthening. This report details key impacts, lessons learned, and future directions for each component of the project.

  • — Russia's Winter Woes : Tariff Setting for Local Utilities in a Transition Economy

       (Tuesday, 01 April 2003 00:00)

    During the past two winters, breakdowns in district heating services in Russia have grabbed international headlines. In Russia these services and water and sewerage services are the responsibility of municipal governments; these governments set the tariffs for these services. This article examines the tariff-setting process during 1997-2001 for these two services with particular emphasis on the decision process for considering tariff increases. We find that little progress has been made during the transition period in developing the legal base for rational tariff-setting procedures. Overall, tariff increases have been substantially less than the rate of inflation. Statistical analysis confirms that decisionmaking...

  • — Assessment of Current Legal and Operational Status of Housing Partnerships in Uzbekistan

       (Friday, 01 November 2002 00:00)

    Though Uzbekistan began privatizing apartments in 1993, by 2002, owners continued to have virtually no control over the operation and management of their property; the local government selected leaders, set maintenance fees, and appointed building managers. In an effort to introduce democratic reforms to housing governance in Uzbekistan, USAID asked UI to conduct a preliminary assessment of the legal and operational status of housing partnerships. This report provides an overview of the institutional climate for introducing housing reforms--examining the legal framework, role of government entities, attitudes towards housing partnerships, and housing-related activities of local NGOs and international donors.

  • — Community-Based Economic Development Strategy, City of Ijevan, Armenia, 2003-2006

       (Sunday, 01 September 2002 01:00)

    In the wake of Armenia's political and economic transformation, local government units are faced with the task of developing a strategic approach to municipal management and local economic development. This strategy for Ijevan, Armenia offers a model for how to use the strategy planning process to develop a long-term vision of the city's economic growth, and to prepare, implement and monitor an action plan to achieve that vision. A cooperative effort between the Urban Institute's USAID-funded Local Government Project, city officials and community members, this document details the strategy's methodology, vision statement, SWOT analysis, critical strategic issues, prioritized...

  • — Managing Think Tanks : A Practical Guide for Maturing Organizations

       (Wednesday, 01 May 2002 01:00)

    This book provides sophisticated advice tailored to the specific needs of think tank leaders in eight critical management areas: motivating and retaining staff; maintaining quality control; Developing new products and services and identifying new business opportunities; creating strong team leaders; Working successfully with the Board of Trustees or Board of Directors; structuring the research staff; Communicating results effectively; and determining an accurate overhead rate.

  • — Law of the Republic of Armenia on Apartment Building Management

       (Wednesday, 01 May 2002 01:00)

    This document presents the text of an Armenian law adopted on May 7, 2002 regarding apartment building management. Written by Urban Institute staff, there are 33 articles covering the scope of the law, definitions, rights of ownership, common shared property, rights and responsibilities of owners, the governing body and budget procedures.

  • — Mortgage Default Insurance in the U.S. : Implications for Russia

       (Friday, 01 March 2002 00:00)

    This paper introduces the concept of mortgage default insurance as developed in the United States into the context of Russian mortgage lending. The first part of the paper discusses the broad principles and operations of mortgage default insurance offered by private companies as it works in the United States. The pricing of this product and the preconditions for offering such insurance are highlighted. The second section outlines the operation of the U.S. government-supported default insurance offered by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The final part applies the foregoing information to the situation in Russia today and concludes that the conditions...

  • — Allocation of Community Development Funds to Gminas by Formula : Illustrative Analysis for the Communal Credit and Development Program

       (Wednesday, 22 March 2000 00:00)

    This report suggests an alternative to the current method of distributing sub-national grants in Poland. Referring specifically to the national government's allocation of community development funds to gminas (localities), the report proposes using a formula-based method rather than the existing application method. The application method tends to disadvantage smaller, less-organized gminas, which also tend to have the greatest investment needs. It also prevents gminas from planning for future investments since the outcome of the application process is uncertain. This report details a formula for diagnosing local infrastructure and housing investment needs, and allocating larger per capita grants to gminas that...

  • — Baseline Study for Armenia Local Government Program

       (Wednesday, 01 March 2000 00:00)

    Conducted at the outset of the Urban Institute's Local Government Program in Armenia, this study seeks to determine the status of local government reform and to support design of a 3-year technical assistance program. Findings cover fiscal and administrative decentralization, service delivery and citizen participation, and confirm that local government remains weak and largely ineffective. Causes include an ambiguous legal framework, inadequate authority and revenue to deliver basic services and lack of citizen interest in local governance. The study includes preliminary recommendations to address these problems.

  • — The Real Estate Market in Bosnia-Herzegovina : Current Status and Recommendations for Reform

       (Saturday, 01 January 2000 00:00)

    This report examines the status of real property laws, institutions, and transactions in Bosnia-Herzegovina's property market, and offers recommendations for reforms necessary to achieve a real estate sector that functions on market principles. Motivated in part by a concern for the property rights of war refugees and displaced persons, the report's recommendations call for a property rights framework that accommodates both the existing post-conflict conditions and market factors in the future.

  • — RomaniaWinners and Losers : The Impact of Reform of Intergovernmental Transfers

       (Friday, 01 October 1999 01:00)

    This report analyzes the distributional impact of Romania's 1999 Law on Local Public Finance, and makes recommendations for ameliorating its adverse effects. By providing a stable revenue source for municipalities, this law improves the investment planning and financial management capabilities. However, in a survey of local councils, the authors find that the law tends to favor councils with strong revenue-collecting capacity and wealthier tax bases. The councils that lack these attributes witnessed a serious decline in their revenue sources. The report makes a series of recommendations for how to counter the negative distributional effects of an...

  • — Analysis of Affordability of Cost Recovery : Communal and Network Energy Services

       (Wednesday, 30 September 1998 01:00)

    This analysis compares the housing-utility burden of Russian households under the current (1996) subsidized rate scheme with the burden they would experience under a full cost recovery scheme. Special attention is given to the relative impact of the new scheme on households in different expenditure categories and on households living in urban and rural areas. This report finds that if a full cost recovery scheme were implemented, an estimated 54% of households would have serious difficulties meeting the costs. However, the study finds that even after setting aside funds for housing allowances to assist these households, the...