SmartRegions.us brings together a whole-systems approach for developing an integrated healthy urban-rural way of life for the new age.

The Vision

We’re moving beyond the 50-year-old trend of isolating towns and cities, the goal is to focus on the concept of “nested” cities, or reinforcing regional trade centers throughout urban locals by linking small towns within their respective service area; integration is key, and is one of the fundamentals of telecommuting – seeking to equalize physical and virtual access to as many services as possible, as well as being supported by Smart Regions. If you share our ideology, and look to seek innovation on a knowledge-based framework, then you’re in the right place.For more information on breaking the status quo, please check out the following reads:
13 Ways to Kill Your Community
Slaying the Status Quo

The Knowledge Pyramid for Smart Regional Design

The Knowledge Pyramid defines what should be a universal goal: to make better decisions by fully understanding the relevant information.

Relevant is perhaps the key word; if the decision is based upon a ‘vertical’ orientation, information that is outside of the ‘vertical’ is dismissed. A fatal flaw, if the decisions that are being made affect individuals outside of the ‘vertical’.

Today we are besieged with spin, polls and reports that are written to carry a political message. We are operating in the “Noise and mis-information” level of the pyramid. The Smart Region incorporates the Regional Monitor which hopefully will at least reach the Information level. Knowledge will only be achieved if all relevant, objectively collected data, is processed by leaders that are committed to the pursuit of the common good.

Clarifying Urban Problems, Defining Rural Solutions

Until we break out of the Industrial Age paradigm, it will be impossible to move forward. The new focus on Community Development is becoming more apparent but it continues to be done within the context of an Economic Development model that looks at activity as a zero sum game. It is not. Once the Smart Region is properly defined, we can begin to identify synergies that can actually solve problems.

1. THE PROBLEM

1. The Problem

The Industrial Age has left a number of problems unsolved, and while the Information Age offers solutions, policy makers have yet to engage on their application. As important as the Internet of Things (IoT) is in gathering data, the Suite of Applications (SoA) is perhaps more important in enhancing our Quality of Life. Age old ‘turf’ battles, special interest alliances and the ‘old-boy network’ all must adapt to the new realities.

2-STATUS QUO CHALLENGES

2. Status Quo Challenges

Unlike the speed of technological change society’s ability to understand the impacts of these changes has been very slow. Decision-making, in the public, private and community sectors all must evolve, and all must integrate around a set of principles for the future. Redundant activities, must consolidate while not losing the ability to experiment with alternative approaches. Decision-making must embrace better data, better information and better participation. The focus needs to be on …

3. COMMUNITY DEMAND

3. Community Demand

The community which, presumably feels powerless in the face of the bureaucracy, must learn to focus its real power. It is ironic that the community sector appears to be the weakest of the three sectors when in fact it has the potential to be the most powerful. The public sector depends upon the taxes paid by the community and the private sector depends upon the purchasing patterns of the community as well. New tools and strategies are needed to …

4. IMPLEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

4. Implementation Responsibilities

All three sectors must be engaged in the Smart Region’s development. It’s fundamental focus is on behavioral changes that equalize opportunities throughout the metro areas service area and establishing an accountability process to inform the public about what is being contemplated and the community in turn must provide structured input into the process. It also must ensure that programs are properly evaluated and modified as needed to …

5. SOCIAL IMPACTS

5. Social Impacts

Once the focus changes from the workplace to the neighborhoods throughout the Smart Region, the world will change. This is not to minimize the collaborative nature of work but rather to reinforce the collaborative neighborhoods. Just as preserving a corporate culture is critical, so too is establishing a neighborhood culture. When this occurs, more energy, resources and creativity can be applied to strengthening the social fabric of …

6. ECONOMIC VALIDATION

6. Economic Validation

Acknowledging that a macro-economic analysis is required to prove our theory we believe that a population redistribution based upon a ‘Freedom of Residential Choice’ would save government money while enhancing profitability and competitiveness throughout the Smart Region. In the rural areas, we are paying to support healthcare and other services due to the declining rural population; in the urban areas we pay for mass transit and other urban services because of …

Creating Urban-Rural Integration for Sustainability & Renewal

It is unfortunate that vertical funding is so disruptive to the concept of Urban -Rural integration. First government split the market by providing broadband to rural hospitals, schools, agencies etc. With about half of the market for broadband isolated, many communities did not have a critical mass to support broadband extensions to serve the rest of the community. Rather than correcting this problem, the government split the market again by funding the large system providers to deliver broadband to the rest of the community.

The ability to achieve an economic model that can sustain small town America is linked to the ability to create the Community TeleCenter Network as a switching mechanism for broadband in the community. Rather than funding profits for the providers, the revenue should be used to fund the advocacy capabilities described on this website. Losing this revenue will greatly minimize the potential to revitalize rural America and integrate the urban-rural economies.

7. REGIONAL VISION

7. Regional Vision

A Smart Region incorporates the following six adaptations:

Provide seamless transit throughout its service area. Powered by solar panels on the guide way, the system would not consume energy or emit emissions.
The network of Community Tele-centers would provide bandwidth throughout the system and would be supported by high tech …

8. INTEGRATED APPROACH

8. Integrated Approach

Community leadership, transit and full technological support. Neighborhood revitalization, whether it is a rural small town or urban neighborhood, creating an adult presence and a balanced demographic is fundamental. A prime concern about telework is that it isolates the worker. To the contrary, it is an opportunity for the non-profit organizations to reach out to these workers and meet their social needs by engaging them in working for …

9. CHALLENGE URBANISM

9. Challenges Urbanism

Fighting congestion supports the suburban development, densification and transit supports the urban concentration. There clearly is not enough funding to address both issues and current activities merely increase emissions as trucks remain locked in the congestion. Add Climate Change to the mix and urban and suburban solutions both expand the problem.

10. RURAL EMPOWERMENT

10. Rural Empowerment

Continued demographic decline is the challenge; attracting young families is the answer; but how do you do it? Creation of an integrating infrastructure to support the SoTA (Suite of Telecommuting Applications) requires technology, transportation and a physical focal point for supporting access and understanding of each application. [normal age curve for the country vs for rural America < 15,000 population].

11. REGIONAL UNIFICATION

11. Regional Unification

The redefinition of the Smart Region based upon the cultural and economic orientation to a urban center rather than a political jurisdiction definition is fundamentally important. All leaders must embrace it to be successful. The Community must be the driving force behind the following evolution, as the following five points:

A multi-tiered vision must be established i.e., the Smart Region Level, the Urban Level the Regional Trade Center Level and the Neighborhood …

12. GEOPOLITICAL OPPORTUNITY

12. Geopolitical Opportunity

A fully integrated Smart Region is a more competitive region. In an ideal world the political leadership would recognize this unique and innovative entity and begin a process to make a more competitive outcome throughout the Smart Region.