It’s been a while since the last edition so we figured it’s time for another Region Forward smorgasbord – a collection of some our favorite and/or most read posts since the previous round.

Here we go…

Greenspace NCR launched earlier this month as a new central hub for policymakers developers and the public on green building and the green economy in metro DC. The Executive Director explains the organization’s goals to Region Forward followers.

In the same way that Friends and Sex and the City made big city life appealing to a generation of young people raised in often monochromatic suburbs NYPB Blue Law & Order and countless other shows and movies made cities appear as the hubs of crime in America. That portrayal is out-dated and inaccurate.

As cities become more appealing (partly due to this reduction in crime) we need to take account for the fact that how we design them can have a major impact on public health. And if whether retiring and city-curious baby boomers decide to move back downtown.

If we don’t take real action soon on climate change we may all be tuning into the Weather Channel rather than HBO or Cinemax to get our horror fix. Similarly why are operating a “new” economy on old (and dirty) power?

As Congress ponders slashing funding for transportation other countries around the world recognize the connection between transportation investment and economic competitiveness.

Speaking of transportation long-term priorities have gotten a lot of attention lately. Three advocates recently made their cases for metro Washington’s transportation future. Should those priorities put cars or people first?

Preservation may be the best way to ensure an adequate supply of affordable transit-oriented housing in the super-expensive DC area.

What is triple-bottom-line planning? It’s weighing environmental and social outcomes in addition to economic outcomes when making planning decisions. Likewise even though putting a price on nature can seem offensive putting a dollar price on the environment may be the only way to spur the action needed to save it.

Is America ready for congestion pricing? It shouldn’t be such a foreign concept considering we employ it in other ways already including here in metro Washington.

And last but certainly not least the Region Forward Coalition kicked off last month with a mandate to put RF into action and make metro DC a better more sustainable place.