Recent Where We're Working Articles

Seattle Transit Community Typology

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:49:21 -0400

Reconnecting America's Abigail Thorne Lyman, Director, Center for Transit-Oriented Development, and Reconnecting America Project Director Chris Yake will be in Seattle June 11 for a work session with Growing Transit Communities and the Puget Sound Regional Council. Participants in the session will be working on the creation of a typology framework.

Tennessee Obesity Task Force

Tue, 29 May 2012 17:01:55 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will give the morning keynote address on May 29 at the Tennessee Obesity Task Force gathering in Nashville.

Community Transportation Association Expo

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:25:41 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Associate Sasha Forbes will be addressing the Community Transportation Association Expo in Baltimore on May 24. Forbes will be discussing Reconnecting America's new report, "Putting Transit to Work in Main Street America: How Smaller Cities and Rural Places Are Using Transit and Mobility Investments to Strengthen Their Economies and Communities." More about the conference.

PCRG’s Second Annual Community Development Summit

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:14:09 -0400

Reconnecting America and Center for Transit-Oriented Development staff will be attending the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group’s Second Annual Community Development Summit in Pittsburgh on May 24. The conference attracts more than 500 individuals from across the country to explore new ideas in organizational development, community planning, land recycling, affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and neighborhood revitalization.

LA Thrives: Transit, Housing, Resources and Investment for a Vibrant Economy

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:54:18 -0400

Reconnecting America's Abigail Thorne Lyman, Director, Center for Transit-Oriented Development, will be attending LA THRIVES: Transit, Housing, Resources and Investment for a Vibrant Economy in Los Angeles on May 18. Reconnecting America is a member of the LA THRIVE collaborative, which is committed to equitable TOD that prioritizes investments in the production and preservation of affordable homes, protects the social fabric of neighborhoods, and allows residents to walk, bike and take transit to shops and services.

Los Angeles Affordable Housing Preservation Summit

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:28:45 -0400

Abigail Thorne Lyman, Director, Center for Transit-Oriented Development, will unveil the Los Angeles Affordable Housing Preservation in Transit-Oriented Districts study at the Los Angeles Affordable Housing Preservation Summit, May 16. This study defines transit-oriented districts with the greatest need and opportunity for preservation of affordable and vulnerable housing over the next five years.

2012 Rural Community Conference

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:45:03 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the 2012 Rural Community Conference in Bozeman, Montanna. He will give the conference-closing speech on the topic of community revitalization. The Future of Rural conference will be held May 15-16 at the Montana State University campus. More information here.

Livability and Planning Workshops

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:32:20 -0400

Reconnecting America's Policy Director Sarah Kline will be participating in the Federal Transit Administration's Livability and Planning Workshops on May 15 and 16 in Washington, DC. On Tuesday, Kline will be discussing the Center for Transit-Oriented Development's upcoming FTA-sponsored booklet, TOD 205: Families and Transit-Oriented Development. On Wednesday, she will address a workshop on Working With Federal Grantees.

Road to Resilience: Using Transportation to Revitalize Cities

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:57:54 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will participate in the Reinventing Older Communities: Building Resilient Cities conference in Philadelphia May 9-11. The former mayor of Meridian, Miss., will appear on a panel entitled "Road to Resilience: Using Transportation to Revitalize Cities," which will explore the role transportation plays in expanding access to jobs and affordable housing, as well asattracting new development and amenities to the areas it serves. Joining him on the panel will be Lee Sheehy, Program Director of Regions and Communities, McKnight. The moderator will be John Moon, Assistant Director of Capital Formation, Living Cities. More information here.

Central Corridor Funders Collabortiave

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:26:22 -0400

Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair will be in Twin Cities on May 5 to attend the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative's annual stakeholders event.

Live/Work/Walk: Removing Obstacles to Investment

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:36:49 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Director Sarah Kline will be attending the the invitation-only roundtable disucssion focusing on the challenges and opportunities for removing regulatory barriers to financing Live/Work/Walk and mixed-use development types. Led by the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) in partnership with the Urban Land Institute, Center for Neighborhood Technology, LOCUS/Smart Growth America, National Association of Realtors, National Town Builders Association, National Association of Home Builders, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, discussions will focus on horizontal mixed-use rental properties and market demand for Live/Work/Walk development in urban and suburban areas. The goal of the roundtable is to generate concepts for new real estate financing approaches, "asset classes," underwriting standards, and secondary markets for Live/Work/Walk investments. More information on LiveWork/Walk

APA National Conference

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:22:29 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be participating in panel discussions on preservation of affordable housing and housing for older Americans in high access locations near transit at the American Planning Association's annual conference in Los Angeles on April 17, Abigail Thorne-Lyman, the director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, will lead a multimodal tour -- walking, biking, transit -- of the Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley.

Twin Cities TOD Advisory Committee meeting

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:12:40 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Associate Elizabeth Wampler will be in Minneappolis on April 17 and 18 for the local TOD Advisory Committee meeting. The TOD Advisory Committee brings together a collection of public agency representatives, regional non-profit advocacy groups, the business community, foundation staff and others that represent a growing network of groups proactively engaged in supporting transit-oriented development in the Twin Cities. Read more about the committee here.

Housing California 2012 Annual Conference

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:57:34 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be participating in a panel discussion of TOD financing tools at the 2012 Annual Housing California Conference in Sacramento on April 11. The panel, "Fresh Financing Tools to Support Affordable Homes and Equitable Transit-Oriented Development" will discuss tje omplex new partnerships between nonprofit community development organizations, government, philanthropic foundations, and community and private lenders who are merging to provide much-needed financing for mixed-income, transit-oriented development in regions around the United States. Funds created by these new partnerships are innovative tools in addressing the unique set of challenges posed by transit-oriented development, including limited land supply and higher costs in transit-rich areas, the need for higher-risk and more-patient capital, and local land-use and policy support for workforce housing and mixed-use development.

Creative Placemaking Summit

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:06:44 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be participating in a creative placemaking summit hosted by MassINC in Lowell, Mass., on April 11. The summit will explore how small to midsize cities can use arts and culture as a revitalization strategy. Smith will be touching on his experience as mayor of Meridian, Miss., and transportation's critical role in shaping the built environment in ways that facilitate urban vibrancy.

How station area typology can drive decisions

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:50:48 -0400

Reconnecting America Project Director Chris Yake will be discussing "How station area typology can drive decisions" at the March 29 Futurewise's Transit-Oriented Communities Brownbag Series in Seattle. From the organization's website: "Futurewise's Transit-Oriented Communities: A Blueprint for Washington State publication and the Seattle Planning Commission's Seattle Transit Communities report are the first two attempts at typology in the region. And right now the Puget Sound Regional Council is in the midst of its own typology process to evaluate the north, east, and south corridors of the light rail extensions. There couldn't be a better time to discuss station area typology and its potential impact . We have a stellar line-up of presenters." More information here.

Funders’ Network 13th Annual Conference

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:14:38 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks and Center for Transit-Oriented Development Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will be making presentations at the March 28 Funder's Network annual conference in Seattle. The conference will offer a mix of networking and active learning opportunities in a setting that fosters in-depth dialogue about the most complex issues facing communities, whether metropolitan areas or smaller towns and rural areas. More information here.

Facelift Project for Hollywood Stirs Divisions

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:42:29 -0400

Reconnecting America's Abigail Thorne-Lyman, the director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, was interviewed as part of a New York Times article on Los Angeles efforts to develop a comprehensive urban plan.

“We’re seeing a significantly growing demand for this kind of development,” said Abigail Thorne-Lyman, director of the Center of Transit-Oriented Development with Reconnecting America, a nonprofit transportation advocacy group. “L.A. has been behind the curve in accommodating households near transit.”

She praised city officials for the project and for pushing to expand transit and the use of bicycles. “L.A. has the single largest transit investment coming in the country right now,” she said. “Plus, L.A. has an amazingly visionary bicycle plan.”

Read the full article

Collaborative Governance And Democratic Practices

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:42:17 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will join former Reconnecting America President and CEO Shelley Poticha, now the Director for Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, for a discussion of lessons learned in the fields of collaborative governance and democratic practices at the Policy Consensus Initiative board of directors meeting March 23 in Washington, DC. More details about PCI and its board are available at www.policyconsensus.org

National Bike Summit

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:34:05 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, March 20-22. The league is pushing back against congressional efforts to turn back the clock on decades of progress toward creating a more bicycle-friendly America.

Community Resiliency and the Built Environment: Innovations and Policy Issues in Montana

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:17:01 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will participate in a webinar discussion of the article he and Gene Townsend, Mayor of Three Forks, wrote for the Montan Policy Review. (Read the article here.) Each week the Montana Policy Review: Extended Conversation has been hosting an author from its Fall 2011 issue. All webinars will be recorded and archived on the MSU Local Government Center website.

Active Living Research Annual Conference

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:18:33 -0400

Reconnecting America Program Associate Bill Sadler will be in San Diego on March 12-14 for the Active Living Research Annual Conference. He will be making presentations on Reconnecting America's upcoming Are We There Yet? report and on the Equity Atlas being prepared for Mile High Connects. More information on the conference is available here.

Congressional City Conference

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:21:09 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C., March 10-14. The conference offers local officials opportunities to hear from respected national figures, network with other city leaders, participate in innovative workshops, learn new skills and lobby on Capitol Hill.

How to team up to build around transit stations

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:21:40 -0500

Better! Cities & Towns has published a lengthy article on the Feb. 14 webinar "Making Joint Development Work: the Federal, Transit Agency and Business Perspective"

How to team up to build around transit stations

The Smaller Places Summit

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:54:54 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the "Smaller Places Summit: Creating Prosperous & Sustainable Rural Communities," March 5-7, in Knoxville, Tenn. The Smaller Places Summit is a unique training opportunity that will bring together teams from 15 smaller, rural places that currently have grants through the US Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Community Initiative. The event is designed to accelerate the efforts of these grantees to build more economically vibrant, resilient, and sustainable communities across the United States.

A Holistic Approach to TODs

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:30:00 -0500

Jeff Wood, Reconnecting America New Media Director and Chief Cartographer, will address the Urban Planning Coalition Speaker Series at San Jose State University on Feb. 28. Speaking about a "Holistic Approach to TOD," Wood's presentation will touch on parcel, district, corridor, and regional scales; why TODs matter to regional development and transportation coordination; and policy implications of TODs. More information is available here.

High Speed Rail Summit

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:11:30 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the 2012 High Speed Rail Summit in Washington, DC, Feb. 28-29.

Will Gridlock in Congress Mean Gridlock for Americans?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:46:34 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith moderated a discussion of pending federal transportation legislation with North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti; Steve Heminger, Executive Director of Bay Area Metro Transportation Commission, and member of the congressionally chartered National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission; and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

A recording of the teleconference can be heard here.

The teleconference was put on by Transportation for America. Smith is co-chair of the organization, which was cofounded by Reconnecting America and Smart Growth America. The Transportation for America campaign is a coalition of more than 500 members, including business, housing, environment, development, labor, health, aging and transportation interests to focus on the next federal transportation bill.

If passed, proposed House legislation would significantly:

Threaten funding for road and bridge maintenance
Eliminate funding for safe walking and biking, including programs like Safe Routes to School that are small, yet life-saving initiatives for communities
End dedicated funding for public transit through the Highway Trust Fund – a provision that was introduced by Ronald Reagan and has enjoyed a long history of bipartisan support

More specifics on the bill and reasons for growing levels of opposition available here.

Enterprise Green Communities in Dallas

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:21:08 -0500

Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair will be participating in Enterprise Green Communities in Dallas on Feb. 27-28. The 2012 Enterprise Green Communities National Summit focuses on bringing the benefits of green to all affordable housing. The goal is to have participants leave the Summit with a shared understanding of what is working, what is needed and the role we each play in making green and affordable housing one and the same. More information.

Twin Cities Central Corridor Working Group

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:42:25 -0500

Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair will be in Minneapolis on Feb. 22, for a meeting of the Central Corridor working group.

Transforming Communities

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:30:00 -0500

Policy Associate G. Sasha Forbes was invited Feb. 22 to address a Transforming Communities class at American Univeristy in Washington, DC, on topic of transportation equity and affordable housing. The class is part of the university's Washington Semester Program. The Transforming Communities track focuses on community and urban social change.

Connecting Communities: Investing In Quality Growth

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:44:08 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be speaking in Eugene, Ore., Feb. 16 at the "Connecting Communities: Investing in Quality Growth" seminar. The event seeks to discuss the challenges and opportunities that face communities in regard to development and revitalization. Quality growth can spark a richer social, economic, cultural, and more healthy, and vibrant community.

This trip "In The News":

2012 SWTA Annual Conference and EXPO

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:55:19 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the 2012 South West Transit Association Annual Conference and EXPO on Feb. 14 in Denver.

House Puts Transportation in Partisan Crossfire

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:10:12 -0500

The Feb. 8 Miller-McCune article by Emily Badger, "House Puts Transportation in Partisan Crossfire" quotes Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith.

There is a long history in Washington of bipartisan bills around which otherwise squabbling politicians could always join together while singing “there is no such thing in America as Democratic bridges or Republican highways.”

“Some of your longest serving senators and congressmen are not proud of the dysfunctional quality of the government at this time,” said John Robert Smith, the president of Reconnecting America and a former 16-year Republican mayor of Meridian, Mississippi. “They remember a time when they could craft a deal on transportation if they never agreed on anything else.”

And again:

Despite voters’ clamor for choices in every corner of the country, the stereotype persists in Washington that trains are for blue urbanites and roads for rural red states (which is to say nothing of bike riding).

“Sometimes I’ll be with a senator talking about public transit and its importance, and he’ll say, ‘Well, I don’t have any public transit in my state.’ I say if you have a van that takes your veterans to the capital for all of their free health care, that’s public transit,” Smith said. “There are elected officials who think when we say ‘public transit,’ we mean the metro system in either Washington, Chicago, New York, or San Francisco. And they fail to realize that how we move the elderly and veterans and those who are less-than-abled — all that is public transit.”

Don’t even get Smith started on what will happen as the baby boomers age.

“You don’t want us all on the interstate highway system,” he said.

Read the full article.

New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:44:14 -0500

Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair and Program Associate Elizabeth Wampler as well as Center for Transit-Oriented Development Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will be attending the New Partners for Smart Growth conference in San Diego, Feb. 2-4. Reconnecting America is co-sponsoring the 2012 conference.

The 11th annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference is a national, multi-disciplinary smart growth gathering presented by the Local Government Commission. Appealing to many different disciplines, the conference will draw an audience of local elected officials, city and county staff, landscape architects, developers and builders, planners, transportation professionals, public health professionals, architects, bankers, realtors, urban designers, parks and recreation professionals, advocates for social and environmental equity, school superintendents, board members and facilities staff, advocates for older adults and youth, bicycle and pedestrian advocates, labor representatives, environmentalists, crime prevention professionals, and all others committed to building safer, healthier, and more livable communities everywhere.

Mobility Strategies in the 21st Century

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:26:14 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be moderating a session at the The Transportation Research Board (TRB) 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22-26. Joining Smith will be Reconnecting America board member Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City Transportation Commissioner. The panelists will will talk about the programmatic changes they're making to move their cities into the 21st Century. The panel will include a moderated discussions focusing on both what these leaders have planned and how they are making it happen.

Foothill Transit Board Meeting

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:11:54 -0500

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will address the Foothill Transit (West Covina, CA) governing board at a special governing board meeting Jan. 18.

Reconnecting America to assist the Gulf Regional Planning Commission as part of Livability Solutions work

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:29:41 -0500

Reconnecting America, as a partner in Livability Solutions, has been selected to provide technical assistance to the Gulf Regional Planning Commission in Gulfport, Mississippi. Reconnecting America will be working with the Gulf Regional Planning Commission to develop a typology for transit-oriented development (TOD) and to explore mixed-income TOD strategies to lower housing and transportation costs for residents of the region.

Lawmakers Push to Fund Transit Service During Economic Emergencies

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:17:32 -0500

DC Streetsblog reporter Tanya Snyder quotes Reconnecting America's Policy Director Sarah Kline in article congressional efforts to fund transit service during economic emergencies.

Conditioning the transit assistance on high gas prices isn’t just about helping drivers temporarily shift modes to save money (only to shift back when gas prices are back down). High gas prices present an enormous cost burden to transit agencies.

“The fuel price trigger was really the original rationale for this emergency assistance,” said Sarah Kline of Reconnecting America. “This concept of crisis assistance arose first in the 2007-2008 timeframe, before the economy collapsed. The reason is because fuel prices went crazy, and when fuel goes up, transit agencies’ costs go up.”

Lawmakers Push to Fund Transit Service During Economic Emergencies

Amtrak Civic Conversations

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:48:11 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be in Burlington VT for Amtrak's Civic Conversation conference. Smith was chairman of Amtrak and is a former board member. As part of the Great American Stations project, Amtrak hosts Civic Conversations in an effort to inform communities about station renovation and build partnerships with those working to revitalize the stations Amtrak serves.

Retooling Places and Leveraging Transit

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:25:39 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will give the keynote address at the Urban Land Institute's conference in Atlanta on Dec. 7. The conference will explore how U.S. metropolitan regions are approaching development around transit in the new economy, and share information on challenges and effective approaches from Atlanta and elsewhere.

Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:00 -0500

Reconnecting America Policy Director Sarah Kline will address the Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition Annual Meeting on Nov. 30. The topic of the gathering: The Road Not Taken: Stimulating Transit-Oriented Development in Crystal City and Potomac Yard. More information is available at http://www.novastreetcar.com/

Twin Cities TOD Advisory Committee meeting

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:50:07 -0500

Reconnecting America Policy Associate Elizabeth Wampler will be in Minneappolis on Nov. 9 for the local TOD Advisory Committee meeting. The TOD Advisory Committee brings together a collection of public agency representatives, regional non-profit advocacy groups, the business community, foundation staff and others that represent a growing network of groups proactively engaged in supporting transit-oriented development in the Twin Cities. Read more about the committee here.

Equity Summit 2011: Healthy Communities, Strong Regions, A Prosperous America

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:20:33 -0500

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith and Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be attending PolicyLink's Equity Summit 2011 on Nov. 8-9 in Detroit. On Nov. 9, Smith will be speaking on a panel, Connecting Opportunity Landscapes Across Rural and Urban America. Equity Summit 2011 is the fourth national PolicyLink Summit, bringing together the nation’s equity movement. More about the summit.

California Transit Association’s 46th Annual Fall Conference & Expo

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:06:07 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be speaking Nov. 2 at the California Transit Association’s 46th Annual Fall Conference & Expo in San Jose. This conference is the only forum that looks exclusively at the future of California transit. More information about the conference.

Michigan Rail Summit 2011

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:38:35 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will discuss Rail Driven Economic Development at the Oct. 31 Michigan Rail Summit in Lansing, MI. Smith will discuss the rail-driven economic revival of Meridian, MS, when he was mayor there, and explore how light rail plans can help Detroit in a similar fashion. More about the conference

Back to the Future – Streetcars & The Short Hop

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:14:00 -0400

The Oct. 29 VoiceAmerica Internet radio program "Going for Broke: How the NEW normal can work for you" included an interview with Reconnecting America's Jeff Wood. The program was dedicated to the reintroduction of streetcar transit back into America’s cities as a means to reduce auto congestion, leverage urban revitalization and create more livable communities.

The hour-long program addresses questions such as how streetcar is a means of fostering “the trip not taken” and why the romance of streetcar for “the short hop” so effectively fills a gap in the spectrum of urban transportation options currently offered in most cities.

Jeff Wood is joined by Rick Gustafson of Portland Streetcar, Inc.

VoiceAmerica

2011 AMPO Annual Conference

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:08:30 -0400

Reconnecting America Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will be speaking at various events at the 2011 AMPO Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 25-28. The conference brings together policy board members, executive directors, technical staffs, federal and state employees, and consultants to share information on a variety of MPO issues. Find out more here.

2011 Rail~Volution Session Schedule

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:30:00 -0400

Reconnecting America and its partners in the Center for Transit-Oriented Development will be playing a prominent role at Rail~Volution 2011, Oct. 16-19, in Washington, DC.

Monday, October 17, 10:30 am
Linear Thinking as Creative Thinking: Planning at the Corridor Scale (Elizabeth Wampler)
Value Capture: An Overview (Nadine Fogarty)
Monday, October 17, 2:30 pm
Empowering Practitioners: Recent Analysis and Research Findings in TOD (Sam Zimbabwe and Matt Sussman)
Equitable Sustainable Community Development - Lessons From Around the US (Allison Brooks)
Monday, October 17, 4:00 pm
The Politics of Community Change: Race, Class and Displacement in America (Darnell Grisby)
Affordable Housing Basics (G. Sasha Forbes)
Finance: An Overview (Shanti Breznau)
Tuesday, October 18, 10:00 am
ETOD: Focusing Employment Near Transit (Dena Belzer)
Aligning Transportation, Land Use and Housing Planning (Sarah Kline)
The Shifting Paradigm of the City (Peter Haas)
Tuesday, October 18, 12:00 pm (Box Lunch)
Advancing Equitable TOD in Your Region (Sam Zimbabwe)
Tuesday, October 18, 2:00 pm
Changing the Conversation: Using Blogs to Influence Policy and Start Urbanist and Transit Movements (Jeff Wood)
California High-Speed: Next Steps (Darnell Grisby)
Tuesday, October 18, 4:00 pm
Linking People to Opportunity in Small Towns and Rural Regions (John Robert Smith)
Wednesday, October 19, 10:00 am
Regionalism: Case Studies of Planning and Practice (Alia Anderson)
Wednesday, October 19, 2:00 pm
Creating Solutions through Effective Partnership: A Forum with Federal Grantees (Catherine Cox Blair, Sam Zimbabwe, Allison Brooks, Maria Choca Urban)

Rail~Volution Pregame Show

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:34:17 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith was interviewed on morning television in Washington, DC, in advance of the opening of the 2011 Rail~Volution conference.

More about Rail~Volution

The Blood in This Town

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:00:00 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be a participant Oct. 13 in a panel discussion following the screening of “The Blood in This Town,” a film chronicling how Rutland, VT., an ailing rust-belt town, was rebuilt from the grassroots up. The screening will be at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Congressional Auditorium, at 6pm. Read more

Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Transit Service

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:45:38 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Director Sarah Kline was quoted in a Streetsblog Capitol Hill article, "Carnahan and LaTourette Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Transit Service," about legislation that would allow transit districts to use a portion of their federal transit funding for operating expensives. At present, most districts can only use federal funds for capital projects. The deep national recession has forced many districts to cut service and raise fares. During an emergency such as this, the new legislation would allow districts to bridge their local funding gap with a portion of their federal dollars.

“Congressman Carnahan and the co-sponsors of this bill have hit the nail on the head,” said Sarah Kline of Reconnecting America. “At this time when hardworking Americans need transit services more than ever before, this bill will help to ensure that people in cities both large and small will be able to get where they need to go.”

The full article is available here.

Orange Line TOD Corridor Implementation

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:41:22 -0400

Reconnecting America Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will be attending the Orange Line TOD Corridor Implementation Plan Steering Committee and Corridor Working Group meetings in Los Angeles on Oct. 13-14. This project will develop a Sustainable Corridor Implementation Plan that will serve to coordinate transportation and design strategies for the stations along the Metro Orange Line BRT corridor. For more about the project, visit this site.

APTA Annual Conference

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:05:18 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert and Program & Policy Associate Alia Anderson will be attending the American Public Transportation Association Annual Conference and Expo in New Orleans from October. 3-5.

The untold story of mass transit

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:28:38 -0400

Indianapolis Star columnist Erica Smith's Oct. 2 commentary "Mass transit can help revitalize neighborhoods, too" explains that mass transit is more than moving people. In the article, Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair is quoted: "You really think about transit as being a market accelerator, not a market maker." Read the full article

Somerville Housing Symposium

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0400

Reconnecting America's Sam Zimbabwe, the director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, will be in Somerville, Mass., on Sept. 27 as the keynote speaker at a housing symposium. More details here

Solutions For Sustainable Communities

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:07:26 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith, Policy Director Sarah Kline and Policy Associate Sasha Forbes will be speaking at the "Solutions for Sustainable Communities" conference Sept. 26-28 in Washington, DC. The conference will arm practitioners and policymakers with the best available information on how states and localities are working collaboratively and creatively across these different policy silos to develop more sustainable and inclusive communities while reducing overall government costs. More info

Jeff Wood Named To Mass Transit Top 40 Under 40

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:22:55 -0400

Reconnecting America’s Jeff Wood has been named one of Mass Transit magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 list. Wood, who is the chief cartographer and new media director for Reconnecting America, was nominated by his peers as a professional who has made significant contributions to the public transit industry. Wood’s work was judged on criteria that included job commitment, industry involvement and contribution, achievement in his position and innovation in his field. Read More

APA's 2011 Federal Policy & Program Briefing

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:10:41 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Director Sarah Kline will be a speaker at the American Planning Association's 2011 Federal Policy & Program Briefing on Sept. 19 in Washington, DC. She will be participating in a session about rail and transit funding, and talking about federal proposals to support TOD. More details here.

Livable Communities and Transit-Oriented Development

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:23:28 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will moderate a discussion on "Livable Communities and Transit-Oriented Development" on Sept. 14 in San Francisco at a workshop on energy efficiency in transportation being organized by the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC) as part of the Cooperative Energy Efficiency Design for Sustainability (CEEDS) program – a capacity building program for developing economies in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region. The Alliance to Save Energy is working with APERC and the US Departments of Energy and Transportation to design and carry out this workshop.

Twin Cities – Denver Peer Exchange on Transit, TOD and equity issues

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:11:02 -0400

Program Director Catherine Cox Blair will be in the Twin Cities this week with a contingency from Denver for a Twin Cities – Denver Peer Exchange on Transit, TOD and Equity Issues. The exchange is supported by the Mile High Transit Opportunity Collaborative.

TOD Workshop

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:20:31 -0400

Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair will be in Indianapolis on Sept. 1 to participate in a TOD Workshop.

Should a 'Walker's Paradise' Save Plenty of Room for Parking?

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:33:02 -0400

An article in the New York Times says, "As the Denver region embarks on a plan to contain sprawl and embrace mass transit, 'transit-oriented' developments are starting to appear. But one thorny issue has come up again and again: If Denver is committed to transit, how much parking should it build?" Helping answer that question is Reconnecting America Program Director Catherine Cox Blair. Read the article.

The Big Picture Project: Reviewing The Options

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:00:00 -0400

Sam Zimbabwe, director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, and Reconnecting America's Program Director Catherine Cox Blair and Program Associate Elizabeth Wampler will be in the Twin Cities on Aug. 24 and 25. On Wednesday evening, they will participate in a public hearing. The hearing is the second of three being held as part of "The Big Picture Project: Aligning housing plans along Central Corridor." According to "The Big Picture Project" website: "A unified housing strategy for the whole corridor can not only bring millions of investment dollars to this stretch of the Twin Cities, it can stabilize existing housing stock, preserve affordable rentals, and make sure new development projects benefit the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. If we continue scattershot planning—project by project—without looking at the big picture, we’re going to miss crucial opportunities to strengthen the community and create a sense of place along the corridor."

A unified housing strategy for the whole corridor can not only bring millions of investment dollars to this stretch of the Twin Cities, it

can stabilize existing housing stock, preserve affordable rentals, and make sure new development projects benefit the residents of the

surrounding neighborhoods. If we continue scattershot planning—project by project—without looking at the big picture, we’re going

to miss crucial opportunities to strengthen the community and create a sense of place along the corridor."

Streetcars could be running in downtown KC by 2015

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:22:14 -0400

"After years of fruitlessly fighting for sprawling light-rail plans, Kansas City is moving swiftly to build a smaller rail line linking Union Station to the River Market area," reports the Kansas City Star. Reconnecting America New Media Director and Chief Cartographer Jeff Wood was interviewed for this article. Read the article.

Safe Routes to School National Conference

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:21:56 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be speaking at the Safe Routes to School Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 17. He will discuss his experience creating healthy and safe communities with walking lanes and bike lanes during his tenure as mayor of Meridian, Miss. More about the conference at www.saferoutesconference.org

Panel Discussion on the Role of Transitways in Regional Job Access Growth

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:02:24 -0400

Center for Transit-Oriented Development Director Sam Zimbabwe will be in Minneapolis on Aug. 4 for the advisory committee meeting of the "Enterprising Twin Cities Transitways: Regional Competitiveness and Social Equity in an Integrated Land Use and Transit Context" research project. Zimbabwe will be participating in a public “Panel Discussion on the Role of Transitways in Regional Job Access Growth”

2011 Sustainability and Public Transportation Workshop

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:04:44 -0400

Catherine Cox Blair, program director, and Abigail Thorne-Lyman, project director, will be presenting at the Sustainability and Public Transportation Workshop that the America Public Transportation Association is holding July 31-Aug. 1 in Los Angeles. Cox Blair will moderate a session on Sustainable Planning, Policy, and Community Development. Thorne-Lyman will be a speaker in a workshop on Partnerships and Planning for Livable and Sustainable Communities and Corridors. More information

Steering the Rail~Volution

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:18:14 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be in Los Angeles for the Rail~Volution Steering Committee meeting. Rail~Volution's mission is to create a national movement to develop livable communities with transit. Livable communities are those that are healthy, economically vibrant, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable. More information

Connect Policy Forum

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:02:48 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smit will discuss "Context for Regionalism - Policy Briefs" at the Connect Policy Forum on July 21 in Baton Rouge, LA.

From the conference program:

This CONNECT Policy Forum is an educational opportunity for members of the CONNECT Coalition and general public to discuss the roles, policies and practices of transportation agencies on the federal, state, regional and local levels. Each of presenters will present on the following topics:

How transportation/transit project decisions are made

The status of regional transit projects and funding

Complete Streets policies

Jurisdiction over rail projects

Policy initiatives for CONNECT to support

LA Metro Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:45:13 -0400

Reconnecting America Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will be presenting CTOD's Transit and Employment work to the LA Metro Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee on July 20.

Beyond Projects To Placemaking.

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0400

Reconnecting America Program Associate/Data Analyst Elizabeth Wampler will be in Minneapolis on July 20 for the kickoff of the Central Corridor Coordinated Affordable Housing Plan. More details here.

Southern Legislative Conference

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:31:40 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith, former four-term mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, will discuss "Promoting Rail Transit in America" on July 18 at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

From the conference program:

There has been renewed interest in recent years in promoting rail transit in the United States both at the federal and state levels. While promoting rail investments seems like a prudent strategy—ridership is surging; highways and airways are clogged; rail is significantly more energy efficient and cleaner; safer than automobiles; and the potential to be a tremendous economic development boost—the costs associated over a period of decades remain staggering. What are the optimal strategies to balance the sizable benefits of rail transit with the sobering reality of the huge costs involved? What are some of the approaches being pursued in states and localities around the country?

Tools for Organizing

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:50:02 -0400

What is Transit Oriented Development or TOD? Some say it can create better access to jobs, housing and opportunity for people of all ages and incomes. Sam Zimbabwe, urban designer and Director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, a part of Reconnecting America, will present information on public transit and its relationship to urban development.

Tools for Organizing will be an exciting workshop for those new to the issues and for those who may just need an update. The day will be filled with information from many experts in the field of community development and organizing.

Public Health Law Dissemination Workshop

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:13:34 -0400

Reconnecting America Program Associate Bill Sadler will address the Public Health Law Dissemination Workshop on July 14 on the topic of transportation policy as it relates to public health.

Orange Line Corridor Implementation Study

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:40:35 -0400

Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development will be taking part in the Orange Line Corridor Implementation Study.

Transportation in the Clinton Years

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:23:32 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will participate in a panel discussion at the "Transportation in the Clinton Years: A Period of Innovation, Vision & Vigilance 10th Anniversary" at the Clinton Presidential Center and Library in Little Rock, AR. Smith's panel on "Transportation Innovation and the Economy" will focus on highway, transit, rail and aviation reauthorization.

Amtrak Mayor's Advisory Council

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:11:05 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith has been invited to ride Amtrak's Northeast Corridor train with the Mayor's Advisory Council to discuss high-speed rail. Smith created the original Mayor's Advisory Council when he was on the Amtrak board.

Preservation as a way to increase region’s stock of affordable, transit-oriented housing

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:13:14 -0400

Center for Transit-Oriented Development Director Sam Zimbabwe participated in a panel discussion on preserving affordable, transit-oriented housing in metropolitan Washington, DC, at the June 10 Region Forward Coalition kickoff event. More information on the session is available here.

The Future of Federal Transit Investment

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:13:03 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Director Sarah Klilne will be participating in a panel discussion June 9 on "The Future of Federal Transit Investment" at the Community Transportation Association of America convention in Indianapolis.

From the convention program:

As the community and public transit industry heads toward a second year without a new surface transportation authorization bill, the future of federal investment in all forms of transit is, at best, unclear. At a time when demand for public transit services is skyrocketing, soaring gas prices, a dearth of local and state share availability, inflexible funding rules and the inability to increase current or develop new federal investment sources are severely limiting the transit industry nationwide.

This important session will cover the impact of the 2011 appropriations and 2012 budget debates on the future of community and public transportation -- as well as the latest surface transportation reauthorization proposals from the House, Senate and Administration. Attendees will learn the key issues in these vital discussions, and how the outcome will directly impact their operations and organizations.

The time to tell the truth about transit -- to fully discuss its benefits and value as opposed to a myopic focus on costs -- is today. This session will conclude with an unveiling of CT Magazine's local transit educational campaign and the specific resources available to help attendees cultivate key local relationships and to begin to reshape the national discussion on public and community transportation.

Climate Leadership Academy on Low Carbon Transportation

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:28:51 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert and Center for Transit-Oriented Development Director Sam Zimbabwe will be participating in the Climate Leadership Academy in Arlington, VA, June 8-10. This Climate Leadership Academy (CLA) workshop will help local officials and their key state and regional partners strengthen and accelerate efforts to reduce the carbon emissions of motorized transportation and boost their regions’ economic competitiveness. The workshop will bring together cross-sector, inter-jurisdictional teams of practitioners to learn and strategize about building support for, reaching consensus around, and financing initiatives that reduce transportation-related carbon pollution and economic costs, while providing greater economic opportunity.

Passenger Rail: Making Local Connections Maximizing Local Value

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:22:28 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will be attending the annual Congress for the New Urbanism in Madison, WI. He will address attendees June 2 on "Passenger Rail: Making Local Connections Maximizing Local Value."

Healthy Land Use Planning and Economic Development: Opportunities for Partnership

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:14:09 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will address the annual Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities annual grantee conference in Milwaukee, WI, on June 2. He will speak on "Healthy Land Use Planning and Economic Development: Opportunities for Partnership."

TOD: Moving It Forward

Thu, 26 May 2011 17:38:38 -0400

Reconnecting America Policy Director Sarah Kline will be moderating a panel discussion, "TOD: Moving It Forward," at the America Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law in Washington, DC, on May 26.

American Public Transportation Association LINK Modules

Wed, 25 May 2011 15:25:31 -0400

On May 25, Reconnecting America's LINK team will present a pair of educational modules at the American Public Transportation Association Bus & Paratransit Conference in Memphis. Program Director Catherine Cox Blair and Program Associate Kelley C. Britt will present a module entitled "Transit Oriented Development -- TOD 101 Training: Understanding the basic TOD principles is critical when planning and implementing a transit system" and another module entitled, "Transit Oriented Development -- Corridor Planning and TOD: Partnerships for corridor planning." The LINK program -- Leadership, Innovation, Networks, Knowledge -- is part of Reconnecting America's Education efforts.

Capital Solutions for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

Tue, 24 May 2011 16:12:28 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith and Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be speaking at the invitation-only Capital Solutions for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development conference on May 24 at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank. The conference will examine the practical realities of financing equitable transit-oriented development projects and present best practices for equitable TOD financing to the CDFI community.

Videos from the session are available here.

Portland Maps Out Future TOD

Fri, 20 May 2011 13:12:34 -0400

Real Estate Law & Industry Report, a consolidated legal news source on the wide-ranging issues that affect commercial real estate attorneys and professionals, includes an article on the Center for Transit-Oriented Development's Portland TOD work and an interview with Reconnecting America Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman.

Women in Transportation Annual Conference

Thu, 19 May 2011 13:53:53 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be participating in a panel discussing Changing Demographics and Transportation on May 19 at the Women in Transportation Annual Conference in San Francisco. Reconnecting America Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will make a presentation on the Portland TOD Typology and Implementation work. The Typology helps Portland Metro identify the different needs of station areas that are looking to become “successful transit oriented districts” and how different types of investments are appropriate at different station areas. Reconnecting America Program Associate/Data Analyst Elizabeth Wampler will make a presentation on Transit Corridors and TOD, outlining how different transit corridors have different effects on the potential for TOD and elucidating the benefits of planning for TOD at the corridor scale. More about the conference.

Livable and Sustainable Communities

Tue, 17 May 2011 16:26:12 -0400

Center for Transit-Oriented Development Director Sam Zimbabwe will be participating in panel discussions during the Federal Transit Administration's staff training on Livable and Sustainable Communities on May 17 in Alexandria, Virginia.

CASTA Spring Training Conference

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:42:06 -0400

On May 11, Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith will address the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies' Spring Training Conference in Pueblo on the topic, "Livability: Housing + Transit."

Regional Innovations in Southern California: Building Equitable Communities

Wed, 04 May 2011 18:42:10 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks will be one of the featured speakers May 4 in Los Angeles at Funders Network Southern California Funders Convening "Regional Innovations in Southern California: Building Equitable Communities."

Southern California is currently pioneering an innovative transportation reform agenda that is being seen as a national model. Los Angeles' Measure R and 30-10 plan have the potential to raise nearly $40 billion for local transportation projects, resulting in numerous transit projects, creating tens of thousands of jobs, generating economic growth, improving public health, and serving the needs of low-income and marginalized communities. This convening will feature the innovative strategies Southern Californians are employing at the regional level to advance reform, particularly SB 375 and Measure R. Funders will learn about the opportunities presented by these initiatives, as well as ways that transportation and land use reforms can be directed to benefit all of the region's residents. Funders will also learn about the important impact that grantmaking can have on these regional efforts.

Can Smart Transportation Investments Fatten Our Wallets?

Wed, 04 May 2011 14:50:52 -0400

On May 4, Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith and economist Joe Cortright, senior policy advisor for CEOs for Cities, will discuss how transportation investments can be targeted to bolster economic growth, create jobs, foster development and support community health. Kirk Schueler, chief administrative officer of Saint Charles Health System, will provide opening remarks at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon.

Earth Day Reading Materials

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:12:10 -0400

The Department of Transportation’s efforts to make the US transportation system and its own operations greener extend to every part of the department. And on Earth Day 2011, the department had a table with reading material. Among the pamplets and brochures were copies of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development's TOD series books. These books were created by Reconnecting America and its CTOD partners under its contract with the Federal Transit Administration.

The photos above is of Deputy DOT Secretary John Porcari reading one of the TOD series books. Read more about DOT's Earth Day activity.

Despite suburbs’ swan song, transit money withers

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:56:30 -0400

In an Op-Ed article in the Boston Globe, Paul McMorrow discusses the worrisome budget compromise that seriously shorted efforts to transform the nation's transit system. McMorrow cited Reconnecting America's report, Jumpstarting The Transit Space Race: 2011 and wrote: "The transit advocacy group Reconnecting America recently catalogued $233 billion in backlogged transit projects across the country, including $77 billion in the Northeast. The MBTA’s Green Line extension, Blue-Line-and-Red-Line connector, and South Coast rail project are all on the list. At the current spending pace, this backlog would take 73 years to fund." Read the full Op-Ed article.

From Jersey City to LA: Comparing TODs across the U.S.

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:36:37 -0400

Reconnecting America Chief of Staff Allison Brooks and Jeff Wood, Reconnecting America's new media director and chief cartographer, will address the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association lunchtime forum April 21. They will discuss the recent CTOD report on performance-based typologies for the varying conditions that exist around transit stations throughout the United States. The report, "Performance-Based Transit-Oriented Development Typology Guidebook”, is a user-friendly tool that gives interested people around the country the ability to evaluate the performance of the transit zones in their neighborhoods and towns. The report includes detailed case studies from Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Berkeley, Jersey City, and Atlanta.

New Report: Transit-Oriented Development Strategic Plan for Portland

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:10:40 -0400

Itir Sonuparlak, a blogger at The City Fix, has an extensive post on the report released by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development.As Sonuparlak explains, the Transit-Oriented Development Strategic Plan for Metro TOD Program aims to serve as a national guideline in executing successful TODs, especially with an emphasis on implementation typologies, a tool used for land use visioning. Read the full article.

LaHood addresses T4 Partners

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:50:27 -0400

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood spoke to a gathering of Transportion For America partners from across the country April 13.

Reconnecting America co-chairs the Transportation for America campaign with Smart Growth America. T4 includes a coalition of more than 500 members including business, housing, environment, development, labor, health, aging and transportation interests to focus on the next federal transportation bill. T4 advocates for a transformational Federal transportation policy and investments that are economically sound, respond to markets and improve the lives of people.

California seeks federal boost for high-speed rail

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:44:52 -0400

In an article by by Jennifer Grzeskowiak on the American City & County website, Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith discusses the impact California's success with high-speed rail could have on the nation. "You have Republican and Democratic mayors and governors seeing the wisdom of being involved in high-speed rail," Smith says. "As with the Interstate Highway System, it starts somewhere and creates the vision for how it can unfold in their own state."

Read the full article

Livability in Small Regions and Rural Communities

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:37:53 -0400

Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert will participate in a panel at the APA National Conference in Boston April 11 in Boston. The panel is on Livability in Small Regions and Rural Communities. Smith will be joined on the panels by Matt Dalby, EPA Office of Livable Communities; Mayor Patrick Henry Hays of North Little Rock, AR; and Roger Millar with Smart Growth America.

2011 National Planning Conference

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 10:57:02 -0400

Reconnecting America Project Director Abigail Thorne-Lyman will participate on a panel at the APA National Conference in Boston on April 9. The panel is a technology showcase on New Tools for Sustainable Community Development. Abby will be joined on the panel by Sarah Treuhaft from PolicyLink and Albert Benedict from the Center for Neighborhood Technology.