The Municipal Reference Radar

A Well-Deserved Hiatus

2009-06-09T12:48:00.005-04:00

If you hadn't already guessed, we're in a bit of flux right now. That, and with summer here, we'll be taking a short hiatus and won't be posting for a while.

Please do check in with us again soon. Thanks!

Cyberspace Policy Review, Basic Needs Budget Calculator, and more

2009-06-01T12:01:00.012-04:00

The New York Times has an article looking at a new research paper, "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.”

The Brookings Institution has a new policy brief, "Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America."

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has released "an oversight report called “Washed out to Sea” that details how billions of federal dollars have been wasted on beach nourishment projects while critical infrastructure needs go unmet." See the press release or full report for more. Yes, VB is mentioned on pg. 33.

The National Center for Educational Statistics has released its 2009 Condition of Education.

Docuticker has some good links to resources regarding the White House's Cyberspace Policy Review.

Docuticker also points to the National Center for Children in Poverty and their fact sheet, "Measuring Poverty in the United States." See also their Basic Needs Budget Calculator. Note that only select locations are included.

CEOs for Cities blogs about SPUR, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.

The New York Times also writes about the city's new street design manual.

Another NYT article looks at the cost-saving strategies being used by local governments, from consolidation to resource sharing and more.
The Boston Globe reports on one city's new measures to attract biomedical companies to their area.

"Biking is the new golf," Cost of Obesity, the 2009 Hurricane Outlook, and more

2009-05-26T15:18:00.010-04:00

CEO for Cities blogs about the cost of obesity in America and its connection to city planning and also gives kudos to NYC's Transportation Commissioner, who is quoted as saying "Biking is the new golf."
The Hampton Roads Partnership blogs about the Commonwealth Transportation Board's Draft 2015 Six-Year Improvement Plan.
Docuticker points to a new Pew Internet & American Life Project report on Americans' use of online classifieds.
Another item from Pew is a presentation on how video games can teach teens to be good citizens.
The Congressional Budget Office Director recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on the Budget on "the State of the Economy."
NOAA has released its hurricane outlook for this season. See their press release or the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook for more.
Free Government Information blogs about the U.S. Government YouTube channel.
Government Technology reports that the Data.gov is now live. On a related note, the National Academy of Public Administration has a website for submitting your ideas to them on improving government transparency.

Sustainability, An Aging America, and more

2009-05-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

AARP has new research on the need for transportation planners to consider older adults as that population increases rapidly. See "Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America" for more.
Docuticker points to a new Dept. of Energy report, "Storage of Captured Carbon Dioxide Beneath Federal Lands." See the press release for more.
The CBO Director’s Blog has a post on a new CBO report, "Alternatives for Modernizing U.S. Fighter Forces."

Business Week reports on wearable gear as the next evolution of mobile devices.

On a related note, AppScout.com reports on a new study that indicates that "more than half of all mobile device users are getting content on at least a weekly basis..."

Government Technology reports on the Los Angeles Housing Department's use of an online interactive map to track properties in foreclosure.

GT also reports on the NYPD's purchase on 40 new Nissan Altima Hybrid vehicles to its fleet.

Marketplace reports that San Francisco may become the first city in the U.S. to make composting mandatory.

Volutourism, The Public Sphere project, Green Wheel video, the Delete-O-Meter, and more

2009-05-18T11:40:00.020-04:00

Stateline.org points to a Business Week article about how the economic downturn is forcing some police departments to reduce costs through departmental mergers, consolidations, and more.

ICMA points to a Washington Post article on Montgomery County, MD's plans to use parking meters that accept payment via cell phone.

The Hampton Roads Partnership points to an article on Norfolk's "Public Art Earn and Learn" program which opens its public parking garages to art projects.

VirginiaDem.com points to the new Broadband Availability map now available via the state's Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance.

The International Center for Civic Engagement has a brief blog post about a new "voluntourism" program developed by Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Through a post at Acidlabs.org I discovered OpenAustralia.org and The Public Sphere project established by Australian Senator Kate Lundy.

Online Community Engagement blogs about the use of video to facilitate civic engagement and provides a cross-section of examples.

Mark Drapeau has a great post at Online Marketing for Marketers about how Governmetn 2.0 could transform government PR.

OhMyGov blogs about government agencies taking advantage of SaaS, or cloud computing, to integrate web 2.0 tools into their organizations. Also check out the Transportation Security Administration's blog, Evolution of Security, that's highlighted in the blog post. Another REALLY COOL feature is their Delete-O-Meter- a feature added in the name of transparency. Way to go!

CityRyde Bike Sharing Blog posts about a video from the MIT Mobile Experience Lab. Very cool stuff. Enjoy!

Green Wheel - Smart Mobility & Ubiquitous Computing from MIT Mobile Experience Lab on Vimeo.

Transparency 2.0, Citizen's Briefing Book, the Cost of Bad Roads, and more

2009-05-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

Stateline.org points to a Washington Post article on President Obama's executive order giving the EPA more authority over the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay.
Jessamyn West at Librarian.net posts a link to a First Mondays article that provides a good overview of cloud computing, "Where is the cloud? Geography, economics, environment, and jurisdiction in cloud computing."

The O'Reilly Radar writes about a new Microsoft service, Vine, "a public-service tool that will be especially useful during disasters."
CEO for Cities blogs about an article in The Daily Green about the potential uses of soon-to-be vacant car dealerships.
Docuticker points to a new report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), indicating that "[d]rivers living in urban areas with populations over 250,000 are paying upwards of $750 more annually because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions." See also the press release for a summary.
Docuticker also points to a Brookings Institution report, "The Fiscal Effects of Investing in High-Quality Preschool Programs."
The White House Office of Public Engagement has released the Citizen's Briefing Book, a compilation of ideas from citizens, not top officials.
Free Government Information blogs about a recent article on transparency 2.0 that was posted at Internet Evolution.

Adult Literacy, Open Source, School Readiness, VA wind farms?, and more

2009-05-12T09:04:00.000-04:00

Business Week has an article on the growing debate over the economic impact of immigrants.

Governing reports on a recent survey of city websites, with Washington DC at the top, followed by Portland, Ore., New York, New Orleans and Los Angeles.

The Christian Science Monitor has an article on the latest National Assessment of Adult Literacy from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The May 2009 issue of The Open Source Business Resource focuses on open source in government.

The folks at Commoncraft have MANY short instruction videos on all types of topics. The latest is The World Wide Web in Plain English. Check out their YouTube channel for a list of what else is available.

The Portals and KM blog discusses a post at the Blog Herald, "20 Law-Related Questions Every Blogger Should Know."
Docuticker points to two recent publications from the Education Commission of the States, including their International Benchmarking Toolkit and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and ECS issued report — Linking Ready Kids to Ready Schools.

Docuticker also points to recent testimony by the Congressional Budget Office Director, "The Distribution of Revenues from a Cap-and-Trade Program for CO2 Emissions."

And mark your calendars for this Thursday from 7-9pm. There will be a public forum at Town Center regarding the potential of offshore wind energy. Check out the City's news release for details.

Civic Engagement initiatives, Education research, Gov 2.0 bytes, and more

2009-05-08T08:59:00.000-04:00

Business Week features a post by GigaOM about whether videoconferencing and whether it's as cost-saving and environmentally friendly as it's made out to be.

ICMA points to a Washington Post article on Fairfax County's use of Twitter to send out information and interact with citizens. To keep up with all levels of government on Twitter, check out the NEW GovTwit directory that'll be launched May 11th.

ICMA also points to the latest Transit Savings Report just released by the American Public Transportation Association, which finds that "[r]iding public transportation can save an individual an average of $8,691 a year based on the May 5, 2009 national average gas price and the unreserved monthly parking rate..."

OhMyGov! reports on local governments who are "embracing debt forgiveness" because of the current economy- from forgiving parking tickets to overdue library fines, etc.

Stateline.org points to a new iPhone App for following Arkansas' use of federal stimulus money. See the post at Politics in Arkansas for more.
Docuticker points to an AARP research paper on "recareering in later life."
Another tip from Docuticker is the new report by the the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America, Reaching America’s Health Potential Among Adults: A State-by-State Look at Adult Health, which indicates that "adults with less education are more likely to be in less than very good health than college graduates, and adults in every state fall far short of the level of good health that should be achievable for all Americans."
A Pew Center on the States study finds that "the majority of the nation’s governors are increasing or protecting their state’s investments in pre-kindergarten programs in the coming fiscal year." Good news! Meanwhile, however, a new study by the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution indicates that "infants and toddlers are underrepresented in the federal budget."
Also on the education front are the results of a recent student poll by Gallup and America's Promise Alliance indicates that "more than one-third of students surveyed in grades 5 – 12 are struggling or suffering, and half (50 percent) are not hopeful..." See the press release by the American Association of School Administrators or the project's website for more.
Yet another link from Docuticker takes us to the New America Foundation's State Climate Policy Tracker spreadsheet, which shows progress being made in 33 states. Although many action items are listed for Virginia, no status or projected estimates are included. Most information came from the state's Climate Change website. While there, be sure to check out the Governor's Commission on Climate Change's final report released in December.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has a new analysis of real-estate owned (REO) properties which shows the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News MSA to have a "suburban REO to mortgageable property ratio" of 1.08 - only one of 11 MSAs to have a ratio higher than 1.0.
The American Library Association reports that PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement) has released a new guide on deliberative democracy that "provides a detailed description of how local civic engagement has grown and developed over the past decade." See the report, “Funding and Fostering Local Democracy: What Philanthropy Should Know about the Emerging Field of Deliberation and Democratic Governance,” or the press release for details.
On a related note, Nova Scotia's Democracy 250 initiative has an interesting report on civic engagement among its young adults and offers recommendations for "engaging more young Nova Scotians in the democratic process." See the report, Is Anyone Listening?, for more.
The California State Library and VolunteerMatch.org have partnered to develop a new initiative called Get Involved: Powered by Your Library, aimed at increasing civic engagement activities and volunteerism at public libraries. See the press release to learn more or visit the project's website. Very cool!

TwHistory, Air Force/Social Media, OhMyGov!, and more

2009-05-06T09:45:00.014-04:00

Business Week has a good overview of the potential use of stimulus money to assist all libraries in providing high-speed internet access to the public.

Another BW article looks at the growing corporate acceptance of iPhones.
Free Government Information blogs about a great project that puts history in contemporary contexts by communicating stories via Twitter. As their motto goes, "those who forget history are doomed to retweet it." Priceless!

OBSNews.com reports that Sacremento has started an "Open Town Hall" to allow citizens to voice opinions and ask questions online. The City is using Peak Democracy for this web-based public comment service and the forums are hosted via The Sacremento Bee's website. Nice!

The British blog, Local Government Engagement Online Research, recently highlighted a new video by the Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Emerging Technology Division that "shows how our Airmen are using social media to stay informed and inform others..." Does anyone know if the military's block on most of these web 2.0 tools is still in effect? See their New Media webpage to see what else they offer. Well, anyways, here's the video - enjoy!

And be sure to also check out their instructional guide, New Media and the Air Force, for great information, guidelines for use, and best practices.

OhMyGov! blogs about the rise of Colorado's wind turbine manufacturing plants and says that the state is "fast becoming America’s role model for a 'New Energy Economy.'" Read more via the New York Times article they cite.

Innovation, Global Warming, GovFresh.com, and more

2009-05-05T09:43:00.017-04:00

A local blogger reports being flown to Texas by the American Petroleum Institute to learn more about offshore drilling.

CEO for Cities blogs about a new competition in Cincinnati to encourage entrepreneurial innovation. See the Cincinnati Innovates website for more.

Free Government Information blogs about an all-in-one RSS feed for information from the U.S. government called GovFresh.com.

Greenbiz.com blogs about stimulus money being used to create the Clean Cities initative, which "aims to support at least 30 alternative fuels and advanced vehicles projects. Among the technologies that can be funded are anything from natural gas and biofuels to plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell power sources for a range of vehicles. Some of the funds can also be applied to public awareness and training programs around alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure. " Another initiative mentioned is the National Council of Black Mayors' "Green the City" initiative.

The Congressional Budget Office Director blogs about a new research paper that looks at the potential impact of global warming in the U.S.

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), with support from the MacArthur Foundation, has a new report, Leadership for Web 2.0 in Education: Promise & Reality.

PSFK blogs about a sculpture in Sweden that was created to promote alternative transportation, commissioned by a local airport bus company. A nice visual reminder of just how many cars would be off the road if more people used buses and other forms of mass transit.
Mashable points to an article in Slate where Farhad Manjoo writes about how he stopped using RSS feeds to monitor the news and now uses his own web searching system to much more efficiency. What, no RSS feeds?!? ;)

MediaPost News reported on Friday that "California lawmakers, in a 10-3 vote by the governmental organization committee, rejected a de facto ban on digital billboards in the state Thursday. The panel did not accept claims that digital billboards were unsafe -- a victory for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, the Motion Picture Association and the California Travel Industry, which opposed the legislation."

Information Needs of Communities, Twitterers, State of the Air report, and more

2009-05-01T11:25:00.024-04:00

Harvard's Government Innovators Network points to a Wall Street Journal article about how a local community development authority in Cleveland purchased foreclosed homes with a vision for an "artist community."

Last week, California's Air Resources Board approved new low-carbon fuel standards, which calls "for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from California's transportation fuels by ten percent by 2020." See the press release, the new regulation, or the video about this new standard.
And for those interested, the CDC is using Twitter for updates about the Swine Flu. See also their Swine Flu webpage for updates.
The Spring 2009 issue of Cable in the Classroom's Threshold Magazine focuses on participatory culture, social media, and learning. One article of interest is on using web 2.0 tools for enhancing civics education and civic engagement, "'Geeking Out' on Democracy."
The MediaShift blog at PBS posts about the PBS Engage project done in conjunction with the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. Interesting stuff! Read more about it at the Huffington Post.
BlogHer announced this week that, in conjunction with iVillage and Compass Partners, they have released the results of their second annual Women and Social Media Study.
The American Public Transportation Association has released a report that indicates that "investing in public transportation provides jobs to the American workers who may need them the most." See the press release or full report for details.
The American Lung Association have made available its 2009 State of the Air report.
The White House blogs that it's now on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter - among other sites. News this week reported that even the U.S. Army is tweeting. Also check out TweetCongress.org to locate and follow your congressmen/women on Twitter.
Stateline.org points to a New York Times article about Tennessee's Comptroller, who "plans on Friday to propose a sweeping overhaul of the way the municipal bond market is regulated in the state."

Climate Change, Green Jobs, the Talent Dividend, and more

2009-04-30T11:40:00.000-04:00

Stateline.org reports on the possibility that the carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired plants could be buried underground or under the ocean floor as a strategy for addressing global warming.
Docuticker points to a new report by the U.S. Senate Green Jobs and the New Economy subcomittee, "Yellow Light on Green Jobs," which "revealed that many green jobs pay low wages, require expensive taxpayer subsidies, and kill existing jobs to pay for new green jobs." See also the press release for more.

According to a recent Census Bureau press release about its Educational Attainment 2008 report, "workers with a bachelor’s degree earned about $26,000 more on average than workers with a high school diploma, according to new figures that outline 2008 educational trends and achievement levels." This supports data available elsewhere, such as the City Dividends report, which has been blogged about and researched further at CEO for Cities and via their Talent Dividend Tour.
The American Hospital Association has a new report, The Economic Impact on Hospitals and their Communities, which looks at how the economic recession is affecting patients and hospitals.

The Hampton Roads Partnership blogs about comments by Newt Gingrich before the House Energy and Commerce Committe regarding the economic potential from drilling off the coast of Virginia.

Governing's 13th Floor blogs about the growing number of social networking sites for government employees - GovLoop in particular, but also others such as one for fire fighters.

Plastic Bag recycling, Hiring 2.0, the Chaulk Flood art event, and more

2009-04-27T10:33:00.014-04:00

Bill Greeves has a great post at MuniGov2.0 about tapping into teens' skills and interests when rolling out web 2.0 projects - they've got the skills and enthusiasm for social media to be a real boon to local government, not to mention adding authenticity and credibility (i.e. not just a PR department blogging). Did he say someone said Twitter was for "old people?" Yikes!

The St. Petersburg Times reports that several oil/gas companies are lobbying hard to open up offshore drilling off the Florida coast.

Cal-ICMA has a new Hiring 2.0 guide, offering managers with strategies for recruiting/retaining the "next generation of talent."

Greenbiz.com reports on a goal set by a group of plastic bag makers and the American Chemistry Council, where they are aiming for plastic bags to be made with 40% recycled plastic by 2015.

The Christian Science Monitor reports on the growing debate over the use of still cameras and video in the enforcement of speed limits and red-lights.

The Government Innovators Network recently highlighted the newly established NYC Service website, which is meant "to promote a new era of service and volunteerism in New York City..." See also the Mayor's press release for more.

PSFK blogs about Grand Rapid's Chaulk Flood community art event that was held recently. GR must be a hotspot for community art, since we recently blogged about another project there, ArtPrize.

Energy, the Environment, and more

2009-04-24T11:49:00.001-04:00

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom blogs at Earth2Tech about the potential of ocean energy.

Mediaweek reports on a new study that concludes that roadside digital billboards "do not pose a safety threat to drivers."

The report by Mark Drapeau for the National Defense University and other agencies is now available - "Social Software and National Security"
A blog I follow provided a link to some interesting statistics from the corporate world on the use/expectations of intranets.
The LA Times reports on new environmental rules that will "clear the way for the first offshore wind turbines to be erected along the Atlantic Coast." See the Interior Department's press release for more info and a link to the rules published in the Federal Register.

American City & County reports on a new study by the National League of Cities that concludes that "[t]here is no substantial scientific evidence that firefighters suffer higher cancer rates than the general population."
Another item from American City & County reports that Hoover, AL is now using wood-based ethanol fuel from its wood waste for its vehicles.

CEO for Cities blogs about ArtPrize, an initiative of two entrepreneurs in Grand Rapids, MI, that "aims to 'reboot the conversation between artists and the public.'"
Docuticker points to a new U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) document, "Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General also has a new document, "Compendium of Disaster Assistance Programs."
The Union of Concerned Scientists conclude in a new study that "[t]he United States can dramatically cut global warming emissions and reduce consumer and business energy bills at the same time..."
The White House's Middle Class Task Force has just released a staff report, "Financing the Dream: Securing College Affordability for the Middle Class," which looks at possible solutions for the widening gap between college tuition and parents' ability to afford it.
The Employee Benefit Research Institute's annual Retirement Confidence Survey for 2009 is now available, and it indicates that "a record-low 13 percent this year able to say they are very confident of having enough money to live comfortably in retirement."
An interesting report out by the Christopher Newport University Center for Public Policy and funded by the Virginia Environment Endowment is the Virginia Environmental Attitudes Survey, which looks at the public's perception of environmental issues, policy choices, and changes in personal habits.
Governing's 13th Floor blogs about the debate in San Jose over internet filterning in their public libraries.

Homelessness, the Navy's Career Intermission Pilot Program, and more

2009-04-20T13:37:00.018-04:00

ICMA points to an item at Governing's Idea Center blog that looks at the Return to Roots program being used to recruit southwestern VA high school alumi back to the area.
Another lead from ICMA is the Washington Post article reporting that the homeless will be a protected group in new Maryland hate crimes legislation.
Another LA Times article reports that Los Angeles County is going to begin tracking violence against the homeless. On a related note, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Sacremento is trying to move people from tent cities to shelters.
Another Washington Post article reports on an increase in blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay since last year.
The LA Times reports on a new study that indicates a dramatic decrease in the number of college grads needed for the California workforce by 2025.
The Innovators Insights e-newsletter from the The Roy and Lila Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government recently highlighted a Stars and Stripes article about the Navy's new "career intermission" program.
Stateline.org links to an article from USA Today on the growing number of states requiring water-bottle deposits, bringing in much-needed revenue.
Business Week recently featured a GigaOM interview with "HP's Cloud Guru" on how the company sees cloud computing changing the hardware business.
And the Washington Post reported yesterday that Virginia's Technology Secretary has been named at the nation's first Chief Technology Officer.

Tech Bytes, Cyberstates Report, Smoking Research, and more

2009-04-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

Mashable has a recent post, "Do You Pass the Social Media Recruitment Test?"

Seattle's CIO blogs about the FCC National Broadband Plan.

GigaOM has two posts on cloud computing- one listing "6 half-truths" about it and the other looking at the enterprise impact of using it.

Dion Hinchliffe blogs about the "ROI of Enterprise 2.0." On a related note, Mark Hayward offers some suggestions measuring the ROI of using social media.

NextGov blogs about a new study coming out by the DoD on "Social Media and National Security."
The EPA has done some research that indicates that environmental education programs lead to improved air quality. See their press release or project website for more.
With smoking bans going into effect, it's interesting that the Pew Social & Demographic Trends has new research on whether smokers are able to relieve stress with cigarettes.
TechAmerica has its 2009 Cyberstates report, looking at the technology industry. See the VA profile for local details.
ICMA points to a Santa Cruz Sentinel article on the success of a desalination project that will lead to the construction of a larger permanent desalination plant.
The Pew Hispanic Center has a new document, "A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States."

Economy 2.0, the Urban Digital Divide, Broadband Plans, and more

2009-04-10T10:58:00.002-04:00

ICMA points to a story from Hillsborough County, Florida where the county's Public Transportation Commission has decided to hold off regulating electric vehicles used to transport customers short distances, which is controversial since the taxi industry is regulated.

ReadWriteWeb reports on a presentation by Dion Hinchliffe at the Web 2.0 Expo last week where he connected web 2.0 to strategies for surviving the recession. Here are the slides:
Economics 2.0 Web 2.0 Expo SF 2009
View more presentations from Max Gladwell.
Stateline.org points to an NPR story on the unexpected benefits Utah has seen from its four-day work week.

Wired reports on the FCC's national broadband plans and hopes it's big enough and visionary enough to succeed. Read more about it via The Washington Post and GigaOM.

On a related note, a new study by Free Press looks at the urban digital divide. See the full report, "Wired Less: Disconnected in America." for more.
CEO for Cities points to an article in The Economist about the potential and need for a national rail strategy here in the U.S.
The Federal Highway Administration has collaborated with several organizations to develop a report, "Megaregions: Literature Review of the Implications for U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Transportation Planning."
The National Institute for Early Education Research has just released its The State of Preschool 2008.
The Urban Institute has released its first-year evaluation of new New York legislation that consists of "two innovative policies that are designed to help low-income noncustodial parents (mostly fathers) find work and pay the full amount of their current child support called the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative."

Social Media, Offshore Drilling, Future Teachers, and more

2009-04-08T12:47:00.019-04:00

ICMA points to a New York Times article on Moody's outlook on the "creditworthiness" of local governments.

Mashable twittered about a new piece at HubSpot on "how to monitor your social media presence in 10 minutes a day." Nice goal!

TheOlympian.com reports an AP story about Santa Barbara County, CA, which is once again against offshore drilling. Others are also voicing opposition, including New Jersey's governor. See more about the Outer Continental Shelf at the Dept. of the Interior's website.
AARP reports on new research into how Nevada companies recruit and retain Baby Boomers, those aged 50+.
American City & County reports on a new white paper by the Water Policy Institute, "Water Wars: Conflicts over Shared Waters," which "examines conflicts like the long-running dispute between Florida, Alabama and Georgia over the use of water from the Chattahoochee River and other tributaries that feed all three states."
Carol at the CEO for Cities blog about the Global City Forum being held in Dubai. If you're interested, you can keep up via a Twitter search on #GlobalCity.
Docuticker blogs about new teen dating violence data by Break the Cycle. See the "2009 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card" and Virginia's report card for more.
Docuticker also points to a new report by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, "Learning Teams: Creating What’s Next," which looks at workforce planning issues in light of anticipated retirement waves.
According to Gas 2.0, Portland and San Francisco are gearing up for a battle over "electric car domination." Portland has another manufacturer setting up shop, and SF is hoping to have major electric car infrastruction (charging stations, etc.) established soon.
Government Executive reports that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture hopes to roll out its pay-for-performance system this summer despite growing criticism.
Government Technology reports that Utah.gov now has a few iPhone applications. From the article, "The Utah.gov application contains a search field where users can look up contact information for state agencies, browse government services and keep abreast of the site's announcements. Meanwhile, the license lookup application allows users to check on the professional license status of doctors, nurses, contractors, accountants and others."

Energy news, Dead Malls, Coworking, and more

2009-04-06T13:39:00.001-04:00

Docuticker points to a new study by Public Agenda on the public's concerns over energy conservation proposals. See "The Energy Learning Curve" for more.
On a related note, the Department of the Interior is holding several public meetings this month on "the future of offshore energy development on the nation’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)." You can view these public meetings online and submit written comments. Nice!

The New York Times has an interesting article on what can be done with dead malls.
Web Worker Daily has a nice round-up of Coworking, "the growing movement of independent café-like collaboration spaces for freelance professionals."
Mashable has a great overview of iPhone apps that can boost your productivity while you're on the go.
The Brookings Institution has a new study on "job sprawl." See the full report for more.

The Mobile Workforce, Gross National Trash data, and more

2009-04-02T09:17:00.017-04:00

American City & County reports on a new study by ICMA on the costs of workforce mobility. See ICMA's March 2009 issue of ICMA Management Perspective for the article, "Mobile Workforce Management."

Docuticker.com points to the Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook, which "presents projections and analysis of US energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030."

Another post from Docuticker takes you to a new report by the National Institute on Money in State Politics. According to this report, five major communications companies contributed almost $28M between 2001-2007 to state candidates, ballot measures, etc. Virginia apparently received almost $1.5M during that time period. See the report,
Buying Broadband A BoostThe Information Super Buy-Way? for more.

Greenbiz.com reports on a new report by the McKinsey Global Institute that warns of another oil shortage as soon as 2010. See "Averting the next energy crisis: The demand challenge" for more.

Another Greenbiz.com item comes from Joel Makower, author of Strategies for the Green Economy, who examines recent data on what he has coined Gross National Trash - the percentage of non-industrial waste (municipal solid waste) in our landfills.

Government Technology reports on the Top 50 Government Innovations for 2009 that were just announced by the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard .

Global Kids is holding an online forum in a few weeks called FOCUS: Cross-Generational Voices on Digital Media and Society, which will look at online ethics and life online - it's open to parents, educators, and teens.
Wired has a Reuters story on new research "that shows surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity."

Public Media 2.0, Green Chemistry wiki, and more

2009-04-01T12:33:00.015-04:00

Governing has a piece on citizen input into the budgeting process and how it doesn't always go as planned.

Federal Computer Week reports on the increase in efforts by states and local law enforcement to fight cybercrime.
Stateline.org points to an article out of Minneapolis on how the governors of Minnesota and Wisconsin have found that sharing certain services will save each state about $10M. Not bad!
The April 2009 issue of Government Technology has some great articles, with topics covering cloud computing, municipal wi-fi, web 2.0 tools for internal and external collaboration (see the CA Green Chemistry wiki!), and more. Be sure to also see their coverage of "green tourism" in the state, with a nod to our very own convention center!

Docuticker points to a new document from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (HHS), "Getting Through Tough Economic Times."

Governing's 13th Floor blog posts about the recent Government 2.0 Camp "unconference." Wish I had gone! Read more via the Government 2.0 Club website.

American Unversity's School of Communication has a new white paper, target="_blank"Public Media 2.0: Dynamic, Engaged Publics. Read more about it via the PBS blog, Idea Lab.

America 2050, Human Services reports, Mobile Technology use, YouTube EDU, and more

2009-03-27T13:29:00.000-04:00

The Hampton Roads Partnership blog posted recently about America 2050, "a national initiative to meet the infrastructure, economic development and environmental challenges of the nation as we prepare to add about 130 million additional Americans by the year 2050." The Northeast has been designated a "mega region."
Docuticker points to a new study by the National Association of Community Health Centers, which finds that, "[t]he number of people struggling without access to basic health care during these tough economic times has skyrocketed from 56 million to 60 million in just two years..." See the press release or full report for more.

At the request of a Congressional committee, a new report looks at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the 21 Century.

Wired reports that "the General Services Administration inked landmark agreements with several new media companies that clear up legal issues surrounding liability and government sunshine rules — thus easing their use by government agencies' websites." Read more at Federal Computer Week.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has a new extensive study on Americans' use of mobile technology. Read more about it via AppScout.com and Mediapost.com.

Portfolio.com has a recent story looking into the future of broadband and asking whether it can sustain the exponential growth in internet traffic. See also "The Future of Broadband: The Participatory Panopticon" reprinted from Wired.com. Some other interesting items here are two on cloud computing - Today's Weather Report and Long-Term Forecast. On a related note, Business Week has an article on the potential risks of relying on "the cloud."

TechCrunch has a post on educational videos (lectures, etc) online. Looks like YouTube has just started an "educational hub" - YouTube EDU- see also Academic Earth and the OpenCourseWare Consortium for other options.
American City & County has an article on two states' exploration of consolidating local government services to save on costs.
Local blogger, Avenging Archangel, reports that the VB Council members have been invited to the April 8th Council of Civic Organization's meeting at the Central Library. The public is welcome.
Common Sense California has a new study of civic engagement activities by non-profit organizations.

Electic Utilities Vehicles, Public-Private Transportation Funding?, Recent U.S. Demographic Trends, and more

2009-03-24T09:47:00.023-04:00

Governing points to a Los Angeles Time article about various cities contracting with Nissan-Renault to deploy electric vehicles in their Utilities fleets.

Fast Company writes about an "open ideas competition" for mass transit in Los Angeles. See the project's website for more or view the winners at The Architect's Newpaper.

Stateline.org points to a new Pew Center on the States report, with recommendations, for states considering public-private partnerships to fund transportation - based on a case study of Pennsylvania's experience. See the full report for more.
The Brookings Institution has a new report with analysis of recent population trends. See Getting Current: Recent Demographic Trends in Metropolitan America for more.
The World Future Society's April FUTURIST Update points to a new study by the Mercatus Center at George Washington University, "Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom" which "ranked the 50 U.S. states on fiscal and regulatory policy and on “paternalism,” covering such issues as gambling, alcohol, smoking in public areas, and doctor-assisted suicides. The freest states were Colorado, New Hampshire, Texas, South Dakota, and Idaho, while the least-free were New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, and California."
And while we explored the Mercatus Center website, we came across this Congressional testimony by Jerry Brito, J.D., Senior Research Fellow, "Crowdsourcing Accountability," which looks at technologies that can allow the public to contribute to the tracking of government spending, including the stimulus bill. Read more about it via the Crowd Sourcing Log.
A related topic discussed at the O'Reilly Radar (as in the tech publisher) is the searchability of government websites - exploring the obstacles search engines encounter when faced with government websites and offering a few initial recommendations for getting information and data on government websites indexed in search engines such as Google. This, the blogger argues, will contribute to transparency in government. If you're interested in this topic, check out Ambient Findability by Peter Morville.

American Dream Study, MakeHomeAffordable.gov, Hampton Roads Flag, and more

2009-03-23T13:08:00.013-04:00

The Brookings Institute has a new report analyzing Census data, which indicate a slowing migration pattern to previously desirable locations such as Florida and Arizona. This in turn is benefiting coastal cities and urban metro areas closer to home.
Docuticker points to the 2009 MetLife Study of the American Dream, which indicates that the American Dream hasn't died but instead has been revised.
The federal government now has a website to help homeowners figure out whether they're eligible to receive federal assistance with their mortgages through the Making Home Affordable program.

Local blogger Avenging Archangel posts about the Virginia Beach NAACP's 2009 priorities, with "representation in City government" being #1. Read more via The New Journal and Guide article.

With the rising interest in regionalism to solve various problems - from transportation to financial sustainability - it's interesting to read via the Hampton Roads Partnership blog that there's Hampton Road flag.

Also of interest is the Transit Vision Plan for Hampton Roads presentation uploaded to slideshare by the Hampton Roads Partnership.
LISnews.org reports on discussions in Florida that could privatize one county's library system.

Call Centers publication, Twittering Police Departments, Public Transit Petition, and a bit more

2009-03-20T10:41:00.008-04:00

CNN had a great article recently about the increased use of Twitter and other web 2.0 tools by law enforcement agencies.
American City & County reports on a new publication from the Public Technology Institute, "The Value of Multi-Channel Contact Centers: A Checklist for Local Elected Officials."
The Hampton Roads Partnership blog points to a new online petition started by Hampton Roads Transit to voice "your support for more public transportation in Hampton Roads." Visit the "I Want More" website to express your support for regional public transportation options.
Resourceshelf.com points to a new Data Notes issue on the role libraries play in providing broadband access to citizens.
Mashable.com reports on a new website called Ask the President, where you can submit questions that could be answered by the President at a future press conference. There's also the ability to vote on questions submitted by others. According to the description, "[the] most highly voted questions will then be given to a credentialed journalist, who will ask the most appropriate one if given the opportunity."