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

Kyoto Delegation Both Impressed and Confused by Competing Government Entities

by Kyle Curtis
First Stop Portland

On Wednesday, September 2nd, First Stop Portland accompanied a delegation of municipal leaders visiting from Kyoto, Japan.

Metro attorney Dan Cooper

Currently, Kyoto prefecture and other prefectures in southwest Japan are developing a regional governance structure and were interested in learning about the jurisdictional and legal authority of Metro. The delegation attended a presentation from Metro attorney Dan Cooper which outlined the role Metro plays in regional governance. Dan explained the unique characteristics that helped shape the development of the Portland metropolitan region and continue to shape planning for the region's future.  In the Q & A session that followed, the delegation inquired about Metro's budget and how revenues were raised.  One delegate asked whether Metro ever combined small or local governments under its jurisdiction and Cooper replied that this was not a consideration for Metro. Although I am not aware of the details of the regional governance being developed by Kyoto and its neighboring prefectures, the fact that this question was asked leads me to assume that the idea of combining small governments is under consideration by Japanese municipal leaders.