Newsroom

Mar 9, 2011

We just went through a major recession and we’re still trying to determine whether this economic recovery is actually going to be sustainable or if we’re not really out of the woods yet. We’re in the midst of a major debate on spending and budget deficits. Politics aside it’s a valid discussion to be had just as Region Forward promotes environmental sustainability fiscal sustainability is also important as long knee-jerk decisions aren’t made that end up with negative consequences in the lo​

Mar 7, 2011

We’ve discussed the evolution and future of “smart growth” many times at The Morning Measure most recently in early February where we talked about the rise of the term “intelligent cities” as an alternative to smart growth. This nominal change seems to be more than a matter of semantics and as we indicated in February could have both positive and negative implications for the planning process. While we were concerned more with the loss of a period for reflection in decision-making that th

Mar 4, 2011

We’ve had quite a few lengthy posts lately so let’s end the week with something light. Maps that change the size of a country based on a variable (aka proportional maps) can be enlightening and fun at the same time.

Mar 3, 2011

This guest post is authored by Deborah Westbrooke WSGA Executive Director

Mar 2, 2011

“To stay ahead the Washington area must think regionally.” That was the headline of a recent piece by Lisa Rother in the Washington Business Journal on the region’s future. As the headline indicates the piece is a call for unity which is necessary in a region composed of two states the District and 21 local governments.

Mar 1, 2011

Joel Kotkin is an author and scholar on urban land-use issues and a supporter of the proliferation of automobile-oriented sprawl an unsustainable pattern of development. This often places his priorities counter to those of Region Forward. However in a recent piece for Metropolis Magazine Kotkin makes a case that we here at The Morning Measure can agree with: premier cities need to be more inclusive and provide greater opportunities for advancement.

Feb 28, 2011

From debating the merits of skyscrapers to debating how to best allocate funds as austerity grips local state and federal leaders we’ve covered a lot of topics lately at The Yardstick and it’s been awhile since our previous post round-up so here are some of the highlights of topics covered in January and February:

Feb 25, 2011

There’s an ad campaign that’s been running on the New York City Subway for awhile featuring somewhat grotesque images of liquid fat being poured into common sugary drinks like soda and “fruit” punch. The message is purposefully graphic to get the point across: obesity is a major problem and simply cutting out these empty calories is a good start to shedding excess weight.

Feb 24, 2011

We know that Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker gets Region Forward and its emphasis on building walkable sustainable communities with access to transit. He talked about it back in December. Now he’s apparently backing up that talk with action.

Feb 23, 2011

Pursuing sustainability is a major goal of Region Forward as well as of the President and many leaders in Congress. Policy decisions regarding land use/development and energy creation/consumption will determine whether meeting that goal will become a reality.