| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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Mayor Slay Introduces Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative to Upper Miss Association
| On May 23, Mayor Francis Slay of St. Louis presented on the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) to the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) Board. Mayor Slay was invited by UMRBA to give a presentation on the formation, purpose, and aims of MRCTI. In particular, Mayor Slay outlined for the UMRBA board the broad vision that is bringing mayors together around the waterway. MRCTI aims to increase resources available for the Mississippi River, reform the National Flood Insurance Program, and motivate a more sustainable vision of the waterway as a living system we depend on, but which also depends on us. Present were governor-appointed representatives from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. Also in attendance was Major General John Peabody, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division. Other stakeholders included representatives from the Great Lakes Commission, U.S. Geological Service, the Fish & Wildlife Service, Council on Environmental Quality, the Nature Conservancy, and the Waterways Council. All expressed support for Mayor Slay's efforts and the MRCTI.
For more information, contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director, Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Audio Conference Recap: Smaller Cities That Think Big
| The "Smaller Cities That Think Big" audio conference took place on May 29. Over 400 people from a variety of sectors registered for the call, which was organized by the Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia Federal Reserve Banks. The session highlighted research conducted by these banks on older industrial cities in their districts, with a particular focus on smaller cities. Federal Reserve speakers included: Jeremiah Boyle (Chicago); Yolanda Kodrzycki (Boston); and Alan Mallach (Philadelphia). Each speaker used a variety of quantitative metrics and qualitative methods to examine a set of comparable cities, looking at commonalities among those that might be considered "resurgent," i.e. transitioning well to a post-industrial economy. More successful cities commonly demonstrated: leadership from multiple sectors and collaboration across sectors; an active role of higher education in partnering with the city; long-term strategies and visions for the city's future; and regional cooperation/thinking. Presentation materials and an audio file of the session are available here.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Technical Assistance Available for Energy Efficiency Activities at the Local Level
| The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), in partnership with the Surdna Foundation, is offering technical assistance services over the next 12 months to local governments and other local stakeholders around the U.S. on energy efficiency policy and program implementation. ACEEE staff will provide research, subject matter expertise, and other technical assistance resources for priority projects. Technical Assistance products may range from structured conference calls for identifying strategies on particular issues, to memos, fact sheets, spreadsheet analyses, or presentations to a stakeholder audience. Requests for technical assistance will be accepted on a rolling basis (first-come, first-served) from May 2012 through June 2013. Eric Mackres is ACEEE's contact on this program.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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