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Monday Mailing

Year 24 • Issue 32 21 May 2018

1. Western States Lead the Fight to Maintain Net Neutrality 2. People 4 Simple Things Your Town can do Right Now to Make Life Easier for Small Scale Developers 3. Food Apartheid: The Root of the Problem with America's Groceries 4. Travel Oregon Competitive Grants Program 5. Housing Planning Assistance Funding Available 6. Tourism Spending in Oregon Experiences Eighth Consecutive Year of Robust Growth 7. 2016 TGM Planning Grant Applications Now Available 8. Planning for Shared Mobility 9. The Vehicle of the Future Has Two Wheels and Handlebars 10. These Simple Devices Turn Every Sign Post Into A Bike Rack 11. Recreation Is Bigger Share of U.S. Economy than Ag or Mining, Report Says 1. Western States Lead the Fight to Maintain Net Neutrality Late last year, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to disband protections for net neutrality, the principle that internet service providers cannot choose which websites to favor or block. The change gives internet service providers more opportunity to make money, but may hurt smaller businesses and internet users along the way.

Even though the West is home to some of the most important players in the tech industry, its rural areas often suffer from lack of internet access — a problem some argue could be solved by loosening net neutrality regulations. Open internet advocates, however, believe that net neutrality is essential to the free exchange of ideas and information on the internet.

Quote of the Week: You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. ~Rabindranath Tagore Oregon Fast Fact: Hells Canyon is the deepest river-carved gorge in North America. At 7,913 feet, it’s deeper than the Grand Canyon.

To access the full story, click here.

2. ‘4 Simple Things Your Town can do Right Now to Make Life Easier for Small Scale Developers Small-scale developers are the entrepreneurial spirits quietly working to make towns stronger across America. They’re young people like my colleague Kea, who just bought a four-family apartment near her home in St. Louis and is fixing it up for affordable, high-quality housing.

They’re seasoned developers like Monte Anderson who, rather than taking the easy path of luxury real estate, chose to stay in their struggling neighborhoods and fill empty storefronts and apartments with new businesses and families.

Taking a structure to the next increment of development is how we create lasting wealth that will support a town for generations to come.

To access the full story, click here.

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3. Food Apartheid: The Root of the Problem with America's Groceries Boosted America’s sustainable food movement has been steadily growing, challenging consumers to truly consider where our food comes from, and inspiring people to farm, eat local, and rethink our approaches to food policy. But at the same time, the movement is predominantly white, and often neglects the needs and root problems of diverse communities.

Issues of economic inequality and systemic racism permeate our national food system. The movement’s primary focus has been on finding solutions to “food deserts” – defined as areas empty of good-quality, affordable fresh food – by working to ensure that affected neighborhoods have better access. But some advocates, and studies, have argued that the proximity of a well-stocked grocery store is not enough of a solution given this country’s elaborate food problems.

To access the full story, click here.

4. Travel Oregon Competitive Grants Program The Travel Oregon Competitive Grants Program awards eligible applicants for projects that contribute to the development and improvement of local communities throughout the state. These projects support Travel Oregon’s mission of ‘a better life for Oregonians through strong, sustainable local economies.’ To be eligible for funding, projects must be for tourism purposes and demonstrate a direct tie to the mission of Travel Oregon.

Travel Oregon’s 2018-2020 Competitive Medium Grants program is accepting applications until 5 p.m. on June 6, 2018. Learn more by reading the 2018-2020 Competitive Medium Grants Guidelines and by visiting the Grants Application Documents page.

5. Housing Planning Assistance Funding Available The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) is accepting requests for assistance related to housing planning. The deadline to apply is June 15.

Approximately $1.7 million in assistance money is available, but it must be used by June 30, 2019.

DLCD is focused on funding the following types of projects: Completion of a housing needs analysis; Code audits of zoning and development codes to identify barriers to development; Updates to revise codes to allow for clear and objective paths to housing approvals; and Housing strategy implementation plans.

All cities are eligible to apply, but the funds will be prioritized: First for cities with a population greater than 10,000 and a severely rent-burdened population; Second, to any city with a large severely rent-burden population; and Third, to large cities with high population growth rates.

To determine what housing needs look like across the state, DLCD is actively requesting applications from all cities that believe this type of assistance will help.

For more information, click here.

6. Tourism Spending in Oregon Experiences Eighth Consecutive Year of Robust Growth Travel Oregon announced that 2017 was the travel industry’s eighth consecutive year of strong growth and economic impact, generating record revenues for the state. Independent findings by Dean Runyan Associates indicate that travel-related spending throughout the state increased by $500 million last year, reaching a record $11.8 billion, while the number of Oregonians directly employed in the industry rose to 112,200, a 2.2 percent increase over the prior year.

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“From destination marketing to regional investments in tourism and matching grant programs, everything we do at Travel Oregon is aimed at improving the lives of all Oregonians,” said Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO. “This report affirms the impact of our mission - to drive economic development, enhance communities and create jobs through tourism in every corner of the state.”

The report, which provides detailed estimates of statewide, regional and county travel impact, includes the following findings: •

• • • • • •

Visitors to Oregon generated $11.8 billion in revenue for the state in 2017. This represents a 4.7 percent increase in spending in real dollars compared to the previous year and marked the eighth straight year of growth.

Last year, Oregon destinations hosted 28.8 million overnight visitors, with hotel room revenue throughout the state increasing by 8 percent.

Domestic visitor air arrivals to Oregon increased by 5.5 percent over the previous year.

The travel industry added more than 2,700 new jobs in 2017, a 2.2 percent increase over the prior year, bringing total statewide travel industry jobs to 112,200.

Secondary impacts from the re-spending of travel-generated revenues by businesses and employees were equivalent to 58,300 jobs in 2017, with earnings of $2.8 billion.

The travel industry’s gross domestic product was $5 billion in 2017.

The travel industry is one of the top three export-oriented industries in rural Oregon counties.

The findings reported by Dean Runyan Associates confirm the economic significance of the travel industry in Oregon.

To read the full report, including specific regional and county breakouts, click here.

7. 3 Cities, 3 Terrible Commutes In the vast valley of the Mexico City metro area, home to more than 21 million people, short commutes are a rare luxury. According to the latest government survey, the average trip to work takes 57 minutes, and one out of three morning commutes takes more than an hour. But the truth is that many low-income workers suffer more than that. “I started to think about this problem when my daughter was younger and I hired a woman to help me take care of her,” says documentary filmmaker Luciana Kaplan, who is based in Mexico. “She would tell me that it took her three hours to come to work and then three hours going back. And something always happened to her on the way.”

The woman’s stories kept coming. She fell and injured her collarbone. She got robbed. The subway would break down. It was a constant source of stress. “I started asking more people in the city about this and I noticed that most live this life,” Kaplan says. The filmmaker was so fascinated by the city’s hypercommuters that she ended up devoting more than two years to researching and shooting the film Rush Hour, which was recently screened at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto.

To access the full story, click here.

8. Planning for Shared Mobility Ridesharing. Carsharing. Bikesharing. In the “shared economy,” shared and for-hire vehicle services are on a roll. But what are the rules of the road for these new services? Planning for Shared Mobility offers answers for communities on the move.

This PAS Report, by a pair of UC Berkeley researchers, tracks the path short-term transportation access has taken so far. Authors Adam Cohen and Susan Shaheen look at how shared mobility is shaping — and being shaped by — local plans and policies. The report also shares the tools planners Page 3 of 5

can use to manage mobility, such as zoning, permits, variances, and discretionary review. Profiles of eight cities, from New York to Seattle, show the plans they’ve put in motion and lessons they’ve picked up along the way.

Sharing wheels is more than a convenience, the authors argue. It can boost mobility, cut vehicle emissions, and create links between walking, cycling, and transit. Ready to move forward? Read Planning for Shared Mobility to learn what’s next — and how to roll out the long-term benefits of short-term transportation access.

To access the free report, click here.

9. The Vehicle of the Future Has Two Wheels and Handlebars WHAT’S THE SHINIEST, most exciting new technology for transportation? Well, there are plenty of candidates! We’ve got the self-driving car and drones big enough to carry people. Elon Musk is getting ready to bore hyperloop tunnels. When it comes to moving humans around, the future looks to be merging with sci-fi.

But from where I stand, the most exciting form of transportation technology is more than 100 years old—and it’s probably sitting in your garage. It’s the bicycle. The future of transportation has two thin wheels and handlebars.

Modern tech has transformed the humble two-wheeler, making the bike-share model possible: You check out a bike from a docking station, use it for an hour or so, then return to any other docking station. The concept was tried back in the ’60s but failed miserably because no one could track where the bikes went.

To access the full story, click here.

10. Webinar: A Good Investment: The Benefits of Walkable Communities – June 13 @ 11am.

You can't put a price on a good walk, but you can calculate some of the benefits of walkability. This webinar will explore the benefits that come to individuals and communities when we take steps towards walkable and livable communities for all ages. Learn about the economic and financial power of walkable communities and how to use the information to make your case for safe, accessible, and enjoyable places to walk and be physically active.

Attendees of this webinar: *Learn about the economic and financial benefits that come with walkability *Explore communities that are using walkability to re-imagine their local main streets and downtowns *Get resources and data needed to help make the case for walkability To register for this webinar, click here.

11. Recreation Is Bigger Share of U.S. Economy than Ag or Mining, Report Says The outdoor recreation industry is a critical engine for the national economy, larger in size than the agriculture and fossil fuel mining and drilling sectors, according to a recent Department of Commerce report. The report also said that rural communities and small business owners are a key ingredient in the growing economic engine.

“Businesses need the right data to help them hire, invest and grow,” stated Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross when the report was released. “The historical lack of detailed federal data regarding Page 4 of 5

outdoor recreational activities has handicapped both the private and public sectors. The public will no doubt be surprised at the economic importance of this industry.”

He said the report has “prototype statistics” that measure the impact of boating, fishing, RVing, hunting, camping, hiking, and other activities. The report will provide insights to business executives, small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and government officials as they plan for the future, he said.

To access the full story, click here.

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