Town Hall Meetings, by SAMHSA

ASPA, by William Hatcher

Previously, I discussed the reasons why town and gown partnerships are difficult to sustain. Conflicts arising due to taxation issues, land-use decisions and traffic congestion are just a few reasons. MPA programs are well-suited to take a leading role in helping cultivate town and gowns in our communities. MPA faculty can offer local communities a wealth of administrative expertise. Faculty members can construct beneficial service learning projects for their students to work with local partners. Organizations outside the community can also help build local town-and-gown partner-ships. For instance, the ITGA has helped local governments realize the importance of collaborating with institutions of higher learning. An example includes The City of Fairfax, Va., and George Mason University are working together to build a sustainable downtown. See more examples.  

Pittsburgh Post Gazette, by Robert Zullo

Major changes to how the city manages nightlife on the boisterous South Side, including night-time metered parking, new policing strategies and transportation initiatives, will be included in a pilot program expected to be rolled out today by city council President Bruce Kraus and Mayor Bill Peduto. The goal is to eventually replace secondary employment by police at bars and clubs with assignments outside problem areas. The announcement comes as the city's new nighttime economy manager, Allison Harnden, a former entertainment and nightlife consultant who started Nov. 2 and spent six years as vice president of the nonprofit Responsible Hospitality Institute, gets settled into the job. The California-based institute, which advises cities and businesses on planning "safe and vibrant places to socialize," was hired by the city to prepare the $300,000 Pittsburg Sociable City Plan. 

Washington Business Journal, by Tina Reed

UMD has started its next capital fundraising campaign with an eye on raising more than $1 billion. President Wallace Loh said he hopes to build on his recent success, raising more than the record-setting multiyear "Great Expectations" campaign. The money is being raised, in part, to pursue strategy to revitalize the area around the university's College Park campus into an attractive place for innovation, he said. He also plans to put a large amount of money toward need-based financial aid. Loh invested between $3 million and $4 million to hire 35 fundraisers, an expenditure that was initially met with complaints, he said. "My answer is, look at the results. Three years later, we're raising $200 million." Loh said his goal is to make Maryland a top 10 public research university in the nation by 2020. Much of the university's focus has shifted to redevelopment projects in College Park.    

The Daily Campus, by Kyle Constable

Town council members spent more than an hour dis-cussing and debating whether regulation or outright restriction on rental development in Mansfield is nec-essary. Two Mansfield town officials and one UConn off-campus housing official recommended stronger pen-alties for problem landlords, discouraging future residential-to-rental conversion and better enforcement. "Recommendations included pursuing injunctive relief in court against landlords of nuisance properties, incentivizing living in apartment com-plexes instead of single-family neighborhoods and applying fines of $150 per day for zoning violations. The presenters, Mansfield Planning and Development Director Linda Painter, Building and Housing Inspection Director Michael Ninteau and UConn Off-Campus Student Director John Armstrong, gave a presentation on town regulations and university policies.

UpNorthLive.com, by Charlie Lapastora

A growing and impressive group of professionals from campus communities across the globe continue to network and share strategies for improving town and gown relations. Join us on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

The ITGA strengthens town and gown partnerships by providing a network of professionals and resources, identifying and sharing leading practices, innovative solutions and professional development opportunities for municipality and university communities.