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Focus Archive - November 2005

Please note that Focus section links were valid at the time of their original posting. However, since Web sites and addresses change frequently, we cannot guarantee that all links will remain operative.

Visualizing Density (November 22)
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's "Visualizing Density" web site provides an impartial view of various design approaches at various densities, demonstrating that there are many ways to design neighborhoods and meet density goals.

Seattle Explores Alternative Housing Choices (November 22)
A look at two alternative housing types is being considered for Seattle's single family zones - detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and cottage housing. More from the Seattle Department of Planning & Development.

King County's Tobacco Prevention Program Offers I-901 Info (November 22)
The King County/Seattle Public Health Department's Initiative 901 Web page offers residents and business owners answers to frequently asked questions about the initiative's ban on smoking in public places and workplaces.

Planning/Community Development - Alternative Anchors (November 22)
With ambience becoming more important than ever, the gathering place is beginning to replace the anchor. More from Urban Land

Smart Growth Technical Assistance Opportunities (November 22)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and American Institute of Architects (AIA) have developed technical assistance programs to assist communities in meeting their individual development-related challenges.

Safe Neighborhoods Pilot Grant Program (November 22)
The Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) recently announced that it will be requesting competitive grant proposals for the Safe Neighborhoods Through Community Planning Pilot Program. Grant applications are due December 9, 2005.

Making Streets Safer through Mobile Wireless Technologies (November 22)
Properly deployed mobile wireless technologies provide police departments with a powerful, effective tool for protecting life and property. More from The Police Chief.

Technology - Working Wirelessly (November 22)
Local governments nationwide have found innovative ways to leverage wireless networks to increase employee productivity, enhance public safety and improve services. More from American City & County.

No General Increase in 2006 Workers' Compensation Rates (November 22)
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently announced there will be no general increase in workers' compensation premiums for 2006. More from L&I News.

Local Leadership in a World of Shared Power (November 17)
For whom do local government leaders work? Not long ago, this question would have seemed irrelevant because the answer was obvious. More from Public Management Magazine.

Web Sightings – Ending Homelessness (November 17)
Web Sightings – Ending Homelessness This month we’ve selected sites that address issues of homelessness. King County has recently launched a major program to end homelessness:

The Potential of Arts and Culture to Change a City (November 17)
As cities look for sources of competitive advantage and distinctiveness, they are increasingly turning to arts and culture. Guests on this week's Smart City™ radio show are involved in two versions of that story.

Managing Police Training Programs with Limited Resources (November 17)
The police training function is a critical and significant function of any agency that is concerned about quality, productivity, liability, and morale. More from The Police Chief.

Who Lives Downtown (November 17)
A new Brookings Institution study in 44 selected cities from 1970 to 2000 finds that downtown populations grew by 10 percent during the 1990s, a marked resurgence following 20 years of overall decline. More from the Brookings Institution.

Telecommuting - The Quiet Success (November 17)
A recent study from the Reason Foundation, "The Quiet Success: Telecommuniting's Impact on Transportation and Beyond," (Adobe Acrobat Document100kb) shows that people working from home now outnumber mass transit commuters in 27 of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Parking - Winning Downtowns Stack Their Decks (November 17)
So many cities, universities, hospitals, airports, train stations, corporate parks and housing developments are building upscale parking decks that they now represent a mainstream movement in civic design. More from the Michigan Land Use Institute.

The Return of the Grid (November 17)
After centuries of abuse, gridded streets are finally getting some respect. More from Governing.

Telecommunications - Boiling Point (November 17)
Cities and towns build wireless broadband networks for residential use, but Congress is part of the fight now. More from Government Technology.

Geographic Information System - Field of Beams (November 17)
Communities are using a new generation of portable GIS units to expand their GIS mapping. More from American City & County.

Census Bureau Releases First-Ever Daytime Population Data (November 08)
The U.S. Census Bureau has released its first-ever study of daytime populations for all counties and more than 6,400 places across the country, based on Census 2000 data. More from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Emergency Preparedness Planning for Pandemic Influenza (November 08)
MRSC's new Web page on "Emergency Preparedness Planning for Pandemic Influenza" offers information useful to Washington local government officials working on preparedness plans for responding to an influenza pandemic.

Disaster’s Wake (November 08)
The aftermath of Katrina and Rita has states and localities dusting off their disaster-response plans. But there’s more they could and should be doing. More from Governing.

Virtual Village Square (November 08)
What does it take to transform a lackluster municipal Web site into a vibrant community meeting place? More from Government Technology.

We're All in This Together (November 08)
The suburbs are far more tied to their cities than most believe. More from Civic Strategies.

Municipal Broadband Address (November 08)
Jim Baller discusses the barriers that private telecom companies are attempting to erect to keep municipalities from providing broadband services to their communities in his recent keynote address (Adobe Acrobat Document93kb) to the annual "Fiber to the Home" conference.

The New Suburbanism (November 08)
A recent report from the Planning Center, The New Suburbanism - a Realist's Guide to the American Future (Adobe Acrobat Document2343kb), takes as its premise that the solution to the problems of sprawl lies not in trying to force people into ever denser cities, but in improving on the existing suburban or exurban reality.

Quality Control - Development Handbooks vs. Zoning (November 08)
In Sparks, Nevada, development handbooks are taking the place of traditional zoning. More from Planning Magazine.

NACo's Grants Clearinghouse: Your Ticket to Federal Grants (November 08)
The National Association of Counties' (NACo) Grants Clearinghouse offers access to current grant opportunities from federal agencies and private foundations for member counties.

The Wrong Target (November 08)
Could chain stores actually be good for the environment? More from Grist Magazine.

Protecting Residents from Sex Offenders (November 08)
Sex offender information provided on the national and state registries, while vital, is far from foolproof. As local governments know, when it comes to residents' safety, registering sex offenders is only an initial step. More from American City & County.

Smart City - The Future of Civic Engagement (November 03)
As business mergers and acquisitions accelerate and business becomes more global, communities are wondering where the next crop of civic leaders will come from. Guests on this week's Smart City™ radio show talk about the future of civic engagement.

Project for Public Spaces Image Collection (November 03)
After working in over 1000 communities around the world and traveling to thousands more, the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) offers an image collection containing over 10,000 images of great public spaces from around the world. More from PPS.

Twenty Lessons From Maryland’s Smart Growth Initiative (November 03)
The principal spokesman for Maryland’s high-profile Smart Growth Initiative analyzes the program's strengths and weaknesses and offers twenty lessons relevant to state and local governments who are struggling with these complex, stubbornly resistant, and politically explosive issues. More from the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law.

King County Unveils Online Customized Voter Guide (November 03)
King County's new online voter guide allows voters to verify their registration, find their polling place and get information on county, city and ballot measures customized to their address. More from Government Technology.

The Granny Flat Grows Up (November 03)
An award winning Santa Cruz, California, program promotes accessory dwelling units on single-family lots as an alternative to sprawl. More from Metropolis Magazine.

Guidelines for Police Psychological Service (November 03)
The International Association of Chiefs of Police's Psychological Service Section provides guidelines for professional psychological practice to the law enforcement community, including pre-employment and fitness-for-duty evaluations, officer-involved shootings, and peer support. More from The Police Chief.

Performance Audits - Time for a Check Up (November 03)
An independent performance audit can help an agency deliver services more efficiently and effectively. More from Governing.

Wal-Mart Looks to Get Even Bigger (November 03)
Wal-Mart Chief Executive Officer Lee Scott said earlier this year that he expects zoning laws to get tougher in the years to come, so Wal-Mart is eager to ramp up expansion now. More from CNN Money.

The Firefighter's Calculator (November 03)
A new cost-savings calculator by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Foundation helps fire departments determine the dollar value of their services so they can make the case to legislators and local officials for community funding. More from NVFC.

Cities and Counties in the News (November)
Here are the latest news clippings from around the state highlighting current events, trends and other news affecting Washington city and county governments: