A few things to know this week: October 9, 2020
Happy Friday, friends! Every week we collect some of the best things that members of our Verdunity team read, watched, or listened to over the course of the week—plus anything new from us.
Miss last week’s episode of the Go Cultivate! podcast?
Infrastructure funding! with Jim Proce
On this episode Kevin speaks with Jim Proce, City Manager for the City of Anna, Texas, about a pressing issue many cities are facing: the struggle to find the money needed to maintain and replace streets and other infrastructure built back in their growth years.
This week’s things to know:
A 1930s city planning rule has drivers setting their own speed limits (GRIST)
Studying traffic and transportation design in school was both an inspirational and terrifying experience. One of the terrifying things we learned was the 85% rule that is detailed in this video. I am thankful that there is action being taken to study what actual safe speed limits should be in cities. With the 85% rule being the law of the land for so long, are there any streets in your community that has been a subject of this progressive speed limit increase? -Ryan
Water and Community Affordability Action Planning Guide (CNT)
Utility bills are increasing in communities across the country as utility agencies and communities look to secure additional funding for the maintenance of aging systems. I disagree a little bit with this site's insinuation that the rising costs are exclusively due to lack of past investment (our development pattern has played a critical role as well), but this is a helpful resource nonetheless. -Kevin
49 incredible public-space transformations captured by Google Street View (Business Insider)
Do you need some inspiration for your Friday? If so, check out this gallery of public space transformations around the world. The next time you want to convince your neighborhood to do something innovative, return to these ideas to help see how prioritizing cars over people can cultivate our communities! -Tim
Covid-19 Is Not The ‘Death Of The City’ - It’s The Rise Of The Neighborhood Center (Forbes)
I shared an article a few weeks ago about "15-minute neighborhoods". This is a short but impactful article that expands on how the coronavirus has impacted commutes and generated higher interest in neighborhoods where daily needs are available within biking or walking distance. -Kevin
Ways City Budgets Can Prioritize Racial Equity (City Lab)
A topic that has been ever-present in our world over the fast six months has been this conversation on racial equity. While there is no one definitive answer to allowing racial equity to be the law of the land in the U.S. there are steps that can be taken every day, and cities as well as their officials are some of the most influential in this conversation. Here are some ideas to get your thoughts flowing about ways we can all prioritize all the people that make our communities home. -Ryan
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Here's the standard disclaimer: We always encourage our team members to freely share their thoughts and opinions, both in these newsletters and elsewhere. Given that, opinions expressed by any one member do not necessarily represent the views of the company as a whole.
Don’t miss out on our upcoming (virtual) events!
APA Virtual Cross-Chapter Collaborative (October 9)
Kevin presenting with Tom Yantis (Asst. City Manager & Director of Development Services at City of Taylor, TX) on "The Economics of Land Use."
TML Annual Conference (October 14–16)
Kevin, AJ, and Monte Anderson will be presenting on "Cultivating Vibrant Communities and Local Economies with the Resources You Have."
Texas Downtown Association Conference (November 9–12)
Kevin will be presenting on "Bridging the Resource Gap: Cultivating Strong Communities with the Resources You Have."
Want to learn more about how fiscal analysis can help you make your city stronger financially?
We created a new sister website showcasing how we use math, maps, and money to help cities communicate your resource gap and explore ways to increase tax revenue and improve service efficiency without necessarily raising taxes.
Hey, friends in local government:
Hey, friends who love cities! If you're looking for a place to discuss these topics (and more) with like-minded peers who want to help create a more resilient community, check out our Community Cultivators Network. It's free to join, and we are currently working to build new features for our 2021 relaunch, so stay tuned! We'll arm you with the content, ideas, and support to take small impactful steps to cultivate change.
