The Value of Political Leadership

As we posted earlier,  planners, policy-makers, and business leaders from Fort Worth, Texas, recently toured Portland’s streetcar system looking for inspiration to effectively shape a similar project for their city. The situation in Fort Worth was rather unique in the world of urban [re]development: the necessary resources were at the ready (including a $25M grant from the FTA), public opinion was generally favorable, and the private sector was firmly behind the project; nevertheless, local politicians were dragging their heels.

Adelaide, Australia, let me introduce you to Tsukuba, Japan

Last week, First Stop Portland got a call from the mayor’s office. A parliament member from Adelaide, South Australia, would be in Portland for a day and was interested in taking one of our study tours. Lucky for us, we had already designed a study tour for a delegation visiting from the Social and Environmental Systems division of the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan. With a little finagling, we were able to roll the two groups into one very interesting, very international, opportunity for dialogue about urban transportation and sustainable development.

Researchers from Tsukuba, Japan explore suburban transportation options