From the halls of Congress to City Hall we keep hearing about the need to invest in infrastructure.  Indeed, throughout the 2016 election campaign — and to the present – it seems that investment in infrastructure, at least in concept, ...

Tagged with: infrastructure Joe Nathanson regional perspectives

Recently, while working on an assignment in an office building in downtown Columbia, I was reminded how pedestrian-unfriendly this part of the planned new town can be. It is helpful to pay full attention to the traffic and to be fleet of foot to run across Little Patuxent Parkway to grab a sandwich. While Columbia’s villages were designed for children to be able to walk or bike safely to their schools, the downtown was designed primarily to accommodate the circulation and storage of automobiles.

Tagged with: Business Joe Nathanson maryland regional perspectives

Atlanta-area voters went to the polls Tuesday to determine whether they were willing to add another penny to their sales tax for 10 years to generate $8.5 billion for the region’s overburdened transportation network. The referendum was the outcome of ...

Tagged with: Baltimore Business Central Maryland Transportation Alliance Joe Nathanson maryland regional perspectives

Periodically, various academics and think tank professionals have taken a look at the health of Baltimore’s economy. A study by the Washington-based Brookings Institution authored by Jennifer Vey is the latest, and it brings a refreshing new perspective to this ...

Tagged with: Annie E. Casey Foundation Associated Black Charities Baltimore Economy Joe Nathanson maryland regional perspectives

A recent meeting with Rich Josephson at the state planning department gave me a window into the next steps in Maryland’s long-running campaign to manage its land wisely. Josephson, as director of planning services, is the Maryland Department of Planning’s ...

Tagged with: Business General Assembly Government Joe Nathanson maryland Maryland Department of Planning planmaryland regional perspectives

In recent weeks much of the nation was focused on the intense wrangling within the U.S. Congress over the need to raise this country’s statutory debt limit. There was something of the theater of the absurd in these negotiations. After ...

Tagged with: Congress housing Joe Nathanson maryland regional perspectives u.s. treasury department

You’ve been in this situation: You’re driving around in circles looking for parking in a crowded downtown, wasting time, wasting gas and testing your patience. What if you could pull to the side, check your smartphone and determine the location ...

Tagged with: Charm City Circulator ibm information Joe Nathanson maryland transit administration mta regional perspectives Transportation u.s. department of transportation

In the drama over the federal budget for fiscal year 2011, one small line item, the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grant program, was zeroed out on the Thursday before the agreement was reached. Not only were no dollars to be ...

Tagged with: federal grants Joe Nathanson regional perspectives

The slide presentation by Laurie Feinberg to a small group of planning and real estate development professionals began with an eclectic set of images: the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, at 11 years old, was on the cover of ...

Tagged with: Joe Nathanson regional perspectives