RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
David L. Caprara, October 16, 2009, The Brookings Institution
By highlighting the critical role of volunteerism in addressing challenges at home and abroad, President Obama spoke to American community service participation at a forum Friday hosted by former President George H. W. Bush and the Points of Light Institute. David Caprara says the bipartisan nature of America’s vibrant service movement is urgently needed. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Katz, October 15, 2009, University of Washington
At a gathering at the University of Washington, Bruce Katz described the elements of a low-carbon, innovation-led and export-oriented economy that is coming to view in the midst of the Great Recession. While the Seattle metropolis has many of the assets necessary to take part in this next economy, it needs renewed civic collaboration, governance reform, and a partnership with the "two Washingtons," Olympia, and D.C., to achieve productive, inclusive, and sustainable growth.
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RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Audrey Singer and Andrew Reamer, October 12, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Preparations for April’s 2010 census are well underway but a last-minute amendment introduced by Sens. David Vitter (R-LA) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) threatens to derail it. In order to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the apportionment process, the Senators want to bar the Census Bureau from moving ahead unless it adds questions on citizenship and immigration status. Audrey Singer and Andrew Reamer say that the Senate should reject this amendment because it would result in inaccuracy, increased costs, and ironically disrupt the apportionment process. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Katz, September 23, 2009, Humphrey Center, University of Minnesota
At the Regional Policy Conference at the University of Minnesota, Bruce Katz discussed the importance of competitiveness, sustainable growth and metropolitan governance in the current difficult economic and fiscal environment in the state of Minnesota and across the country. These forces compel the U.S. to rethink how we grow and demand a new approach to metropolitan governance that is multi-jurisdictional, multi-dimensional, accountable and transparent. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Amy Liu and Nigel Holmes, August 27, 2009, The New York Times
In this New York Times “op-chart” Amy Liu analyzes the current state of the New Orleans region four years after Hurricane Katrina. Though rebuilding has blunted some of the recession’s effects, she notes that the city and region still face substantial housing, employment, and environmental challenges. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Amy Liu and Allison Plyer, July 30, 2009, The Brookings Institution and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center
Though New Orleans has been somewhat shielded from the recession due to its industry composition and ongoing rebuilding activities, four years after Katrina the region still faces major challenges due to blight, unaffordable housing, and vulnerable flood protection. New federal leadership must commit and sustain its partnership with state and local leaders by delivering on key milestones in innovation, infrastructure, human capital, and sustainable communities to help greater New Orleans move past "disaster recovery" and boldly build a more prosperous future. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Margery A. Turner and Alan Berube, July 28, 2009, The Urban Institute
Margery Turner and Alan Berube explore how federal policy-makers—particularly at the Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development—can promote local innovations that address the myriad connections between schools and housing, and provide better residential and educational environments for lower-income parents and students. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Katz, June 08, 2009, Restoring Prosperity to Cleveland “Mini Summit”
At a “Restoring Prosperity” gathering at Cleveland State University, Bruce Katz called upon Ohio’s leaders to take bold measures to stabilize the state’s economy by focusing on core communities—home to the assets that are key to recovery. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alan Mallach, June 05, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Facing the worst foreclosure crisis since the Great Depression, the state of Ohio has responded by focusing on helping individuals keep their homes. Ohio must direct more attention and more resources to the devastating effects that foreclosures are having on entire communities, from the urban neighborhoods of Cleveland or Cincinnati to suburban and rural communities across the state. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Robert Puentes and Emilia Istrate, April 24, 2009, Newsday
Transit agencies across the United States are facing service cutbacks and fare increases in order to close their budget gaps. The largest, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is no exception. Robert Puentes and Emilia Istrate offer recommendations for closing the MTA’s budget gap. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Martha Ross, April 20, 2009, Council of the District of Columbia Committee on Housing and Workforce Development
Testifying before the Council of the District of Columbia, Martha Ross called for renewed attention to programs connecting young people to job training and the labor market, urging attention to program quality rather than just numbers served. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Amy Liu, March 03, 2009, House Committee on Homeland Security
Hurricane Katrina illustrated that a strong federal-state-local partnership is needed for post-disaster recovery. Amy Liu told a House Homeland Security panel that federal leaders should reward states and localities for achieving a clear set of outcomes that lead to a prosperous recovery, not just over-regulate them with distrust. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
David L. Caprara, February 25, 2009, U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor
In testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, David Caprara spoke to the effectiveness of international volunteering and how it is an essential element of the U.S. response to critical challenges at home and abroad. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Andrew Reamer, February 17, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Congressional Black Caucus and Hispanic advocacy groups cried foul over Sen. Judd Gregg’s abortive nomination for Commerce Secretary because of census concerns, while conservative groups pilloried White House moves to assuage them. Andrew Reamer argues that both sides’ concerns would be best addressed by focusing on the Census Bureau itself. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alan Mallach, February 03, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The wave of home mortgage foreclosures that began in 2006 continues to surge, greatly destabilizing neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the United States. However, the federal government has played a limited role to date in blunting its effects. This Blueprint policy brief argues for carefully-targeted federal policies to assist states and localities in mitigating the community-level impacts of foreclosure, and creating the conditions for ultimate housing market recovery. Read More