What makes a city competitive? The people of Louisville and Jefferson County are asking that question as they prepare for the nation's largest consolidation in more than 20 years.
Consolidation is impossible today in U.S. cities of any significant size. At least, that was the conventional wisdom until last year when the people of Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding Jefferson County voted to merge their governments. It was a surprising end to the third attempt at consolidation there.To prepare for new regional government, Mark Muro and his colleagues at the Brookings Institution's Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy have just published a report called, "Beyond Merger: A Competitive Vision for the Regional City of Louisville."Mark Muro will talk about his findings and how they define a broader agenda for cities throughout the nation. Mark is a senior policy analyst with the Center. Before joining Brookings, Mark was with the Morrison Institute at Arizona State University working on similar public policy issues. Listen live Sundays at 9 a.m. central on the WKNO FM Stations, NPR for the Mid-South. And hear Smart City again Tuesdays at 9 a.m. Or listen to archived shows online anytime.
Thanks to Sheila Edmundson
FULL STORY: A Competitive Vision for Cities

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie