U.S. cities for the 21st century - Experts call for a new federal role in metropolitan development, one with fewer strings attached.
| June 16, 2008 |  View for printing |
Over the next two years, Chicago plans to introduce a pilot high-speed bus program, complete with dedicated lanes and permanent boarding kiosks, as well as a downtown congestion pricing plan for those who still drive – all paid for with a $153 million federal grant the city received.
It's the sort of federal incentive that some urban experts would like to see more of: designed to help spur large-scale, creative thinking about a metropolitan area's infrastructure or economic development without dictating the form it should take.
Crafting a new federal role for metropolitan America – one that recognizes the importance not just of cities but entire metropolitan areas, together with the idiosyncrasies and differing strengths of each region – is at the heart of a major report the Brookings Institution released Thursday at a summit of mayors, county officials, and business and civic leaders in Washington.
Ultimately, its goal is to revolutionize the way the US views its metropolises.
By Amanda Paulson | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Full Story: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0613/p03s01-usgn.html
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