As a veteran observer of opposition movements to large retail developments, I have watched as citizen groups have become more organized over the years. In the early days citizens were rarely fortified with legal assistance and political support. Elected officials appeared to be out of touch with constituent interests. In the end, the big money always won.

Wait a minute, has this process changed at all?

Last weekend the Berks Arts Council held its annual Greater Reading Film Festival. One of the featured films was "Megamall", a documentary that depicts the story of a citizens group in New York State who battled a giant mall proposed for their community.

Filmmakers Sarah Mondale, Roger Grange and Vera Aronow lived in the community of West Nyack, New York in the late 90's. Although they were not active in opposing the development, the filmmakers couldn't help but notice how the proposed Palisades Center Mall was impacting their town. They decided to document the process.  ...More

In October, 10,000 Friends joined with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, the Northeast Midwest Institute, and Smart Growth America to host a one-day summit about high speed rail and the steps that need to be taken to make a strong rail network a reality in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Conference sponsors organized the meeting to begin a conversation about a multi-state rail vision amongst statewide transportation advocacy groups and state Departments of Transportation from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and New York.  Also in attendance were Anne Stubs, the Executive Director of the Northeast Governor's Conference and Kevin Brubaker, Deputy Director from the Environmental Law Institute along with  congressional staff, and organized labor.

The summit, called Rebuilding the Corridors of Prosperity: High Speed Rail and Transportation Investment in the Northeast and Midwest, highlighted the  importance of existing cooperative agreements forged by Northeast and Midwest states as examples of the types of interstate partnerships that could be modeled in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, addressed attendees about the future of federal rail policy and the importance of cooperating across state lines to develop a modern transportation network.

"We need to match the political will of our competitors. America can't afford to stand idle while the Spanish, French and Chinese are planning to add thousands of miles of high speed rail. We are not a third-world country and shouldn't act like one when it comes to investing in infrastructure," Congressman Oberstar noted.

Judy Schwank, President of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania described why this effort is important for Pennsylvania. "Pennsylvania has the important and strategic distinction of straddling two mega-regions, the Northeast and the Great Lakes. Linking to these markets is a critical component for the state's economic prosperity. Investment in rail systems, both passenger and freight, has been and will be important to the cities and towns of Pennsylvania. As we determine the next federal transportation authorization we need to ensure that investments support communities and integrate with existing networks."

Karen Rae, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Rail Administration, and Roy Kienitz, Under Secretary for Policy at the US Department of Transportation, talked about the role of rail to create more transportation alternatives across the country.

"There needs to be an intersection between rail planning and activities occurring on the ground. Having city to city connections will drive ridership," Karen Rae added. She emphasized that creating an integrated high speed rail system is a challenging project; however, a step by step approach is needed to build the will and momentum to make it a reality.

Participants also heard from policy experts Petra Todorovich of America 2050 and Will Schroeer of Smart Growth America who presented their research into the transportation trends emerging in the United States and lessons learned from the infrastructure developments in other nations.

To continue the momentum of the event, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania plans to identify and convene key leaders in critical transportation corridors within Pennsylvania that connect the Great Lakes and the Northeast. The organization will continue to educate and build awareness and support for advancing a federal transportation reauthorization that links regions and builds better communities.

 

Developers of the 2009 Commonwealth Award winner Florin Hill have continue dto establish this new community as a model of smart growth development through the construction of a clock tower modeled after early Colonial design. The placement of the tower was selected so that it can be seen from miles away, and it will serve as an icon for the community for years to come. This architectural detail shows Charter Homes commitment to creating a neighborhood connected with the existing community.

As part of out ongoing effort to bring you the most relevant smart growth news from around Pennsylvania and beyond, 10,000 Friends now offers the "News" section of our web site available as an RSS feed. By adding this feed to a service such as Google Reader, you can receive current news highlights from 10,000 Friends as we add them to our website.  We believe this tool will help you to stay informed of the many important issues facing Pennsylvania's communities every day.


10,000 Friends has also joined the growing network of Twitter where we are connecting with Pennsylvania's political leaders, partner nonprofit organizations, and activists interested in our issues. If you are also a Twitter user, you can follow us @10000friends.

Finally, be sure to check in on the Transportation For Pennsylvania coalition blog to get all the latest transportation news from across Pennsylvania.

 

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania works as an alliance of organizations and individuals committed to promoting land use policies and actions that will enable Pennsylvania to strengthen its diverse urban, suburban and rural communities. Through a diverse coalition focused on a positive agenda, we seek proactive solutions and options for local, regional and state leaders.