Sustainable Communities

• Top Economists Doubt Further Jobless Rate Drop
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   February 3, 2012
• Economists issue their 2012 forecast for the nation's unemployment rate, a key issue in the November elections.

• California Gov. Picks Panel to Dismantle L.A. Redevelopment Agency
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   Los Angeles County, Calif.   |   February 2, 2012
• Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed three people to breakup the city’s redevelopment agency. Some worry about conflicts of interest arising.

• Obama Pushes for Veterans Jobs Programs
• BY: The Associated Press   |   February 2, 2012
• In an effort to cut the unemployment rate among veterans, President Barack Obama is calling for a new conservation program that would put veterans to work rebuilding trails, roads and levees on public lands.

• Indiana Joins Right-to-Work Ranks as Governor Signs Bill
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Indiana   |   February 1, 2012
• Indiana is the first Rust Belt state to enact the contentious right-to-work labor law prohibiting labor contracts that require workers to pay union representation fees, after Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the bill Wednesday afternoon.
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• Connecticut Gov. Malloy on His Fixes for Budgets, Benefits, Jobs
• BY: Tina Trenkner   |   January 31, 2012
• Budget holes, public sector benefits and job creation: these are issues everyone governor is grappling with. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has made considerable progress on each of them, explaining his approach during a lunchtime keynote speech Tuesday.

• Restored Streetcars Now Desirable
• BY: Tod Newcombe   |   February 2012
• To the delight of many, old streetcars are being restored to their former glory and put back into transit service in New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland.

• Asst. Labor Secretary: States Need to Communicate with Employers to Create Jobs
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   Washington, D.C.   |   January 31, 2012
• The U.S. Labor Department's Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates said the places with the best job outlook are those that have direct communication with businesses.

• TED Prize Winner: City 2.0
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   February 2012
• For the first time, the TED Prize (which includes a cash prize) is being awarded to an idea, not a person. But cities will benefit.

• L.A. Councilman Curbs the ‘Mansionization’ of Studio City
• BY: Tina Trenkner   |   February 2012
• Paul Krekorian crafted a compromise to curb the building of large homes on small lots that satisfies all stakeholders.

• Springfield, Mass., Wants to Become a Resurgent City
• BY: Tod Newcombe   |   February 2012
• And it’s looking to tap the secret of other cities’ success in the post-manufacturing age.

• Downtown Revitalization During a Recovery: Great Idea or Huge Mistake?
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   February 2012
• Only time will tell if Kansas City’s unusual and possibly risky move will pay off.

• Minnesota Vikings Must Build on Metrodome Site for State Funding
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Minnesota   |   January 25, 2012
• Gov. Mark Dayton and a key lawmaker said Tuesday that the team must build on the site of the Metrodome -- its least-favorite option -- or state funding help for the multimillion-dollar project won't happen this year.
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• A Decade of Living Dangerously
• BY: Robert J. O'Neill Jr.   |   January 25, 2012
• The fiscal challenges facing local governments won't go away soon. Here's why that's a good thing.

• The Tough Times We Need
• BY: Todd Newcombe   |   January 25, 2012
• The fiscal challenges facing local governments are an opportunity for innovation and community.