Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities’ Post

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Charting the path to progress. Where every policy leads to action! Public policy is the backbone of societal development—it shapes the rules by which we live and the quality of our collective life. It has the power to elevate communities, address societal challenges, and create frameworks for sustainable growth and equity. Effective public policy, therefore, is not just a road map for government action but a catalyst for positive change, touching every aspect of our daily lives. Join us as we illuminate the strategies behind each core service, illustrating our commitment to advancing change with every step. Dive deeper into our services by visiting our website in our bio. #PolicyForProgress #PublicPolicy #California

Community Views Webinar | Join us for the 'Living in Australia 2024: National Community Views Survey Key Insights Launch' on Thursday, May 30, from 12:30 p.m. (AEST). The webinar will highlight findings from our recently completed and annually updated Living in Australia survey exploring a range of topics relevant to local government policy and advocacy.   The webinar will... - Outline what Australians believe makes somewhere a good place to live, and how we feel our local areas deliver in that regard. - Quantify local area liveability, and what residents are saying needs to happen to advance quality of life. - Take a deeper look at the community's views on safety, housing, health, cost of living and climate change. - Explore how our values, experiences and needs are changing over-time, play out spatially across the nation, and the influence of demography and life-stage.  - The insights and data from Living in Australia provide spatial benchmarking for councils and other organisations that subscribe to .id’s Community Views Service.    Community Views uses a survey-based approach to inform, monitor and evaluate a diverse range of strategic planning and advocacy activities.   Feel free to get in touch with any questions at views@id.com.au #InformedDecisons #CommunityViews #Liveability #CommunityEngagement #LiveabilityIndex #AustralianLiveability #LocalGovernment #LGAs

Some interesting issues raised here by Daniel Fletcher GAICD, particularly (and apologies for the long post): (i) Local government - like all tiers of government needs to be aware and wary of authoritarian leadership. I would go as far to say especially so in South Australia and Western Australia. The failure in both these states to make voting in local government elections compulsory effectively means a small cabal, if well organised, can effectively organise and manage an election. With compulsory voting, and a much bigger electorate, this becomes much harder. (ii) Incivility is a huge issue. We need to celebrate the civil society we live in - and all the the benefits and privilege's this bestows upon us. Education has a key role here - and local government, especially mayors or presidents and councillors have a central role to play by being visible and accessible to all sections of the community. We need to remember, reinforce and celebrate (are you listening Canberra?) that we live in just 1 of 25 nations classed as a full democracy. For perspective, there are 160 countries which are not full democracies. This dovetails with social cohesion too. Certainly the male, pale and stale perception of local government does nothing to enhance or encourage social cohesion! (iii) CEO turnover ought to be tackled by a combination of a better quality of elected representative who know and appreciate both the role of local government and their role within the system. Alongside this we need CEOs who too understand the foundations of local government and do not see a council as just another corporate entity where they can demonstrate their business 'acumen'. Where you have competent elected representatives and CEOs who understand the importance, scope and scale of local government - then amazing things can happen. We need to identify these beacons of excellence and learn from them! The Institute for Public Policy and Governance can help with each of these points - if you are interested - give them a call!

How can we leverage a shift planning policy to best support national growth and prosperity? Following our response to the consultation, Planning Director, Michael Knott reflects on the proposed National Planning Policy Framework, outlining some important recommendations to promote a healthier sector and well-designed, resilient communities. Explore more in Michael's article: https://ow.ly/if8Z50TLua6 #NewNPPF

🌟 Thriving Grand Rapids: Insights from the Policy Conference 🌟 I had the privilege of attending the Grand Rapids Policy Conference, a dynamic gathering of local and regional thought leaders. Here are my key takeaways: Resilience and Prosperity: The conference celebrated Grand Rapids’ resilience and discussed how to tackle future challenges. We explored ways to ensure a prosperous West Michigan for all. Public-Private Partnerships: Transformative projects lie ahead! The emphasis on public-private partnerships was inspiring. Collaborations can drive innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth. Civil Discourse: Amid heated political debates, the conference highlighted the power of civil discourse. Instead of asking “why,” consider asking “what” and “how.” It fosters understanding and bridges gaps. Let’s keep the conversation going! What’s your biggest takeaway from the conference? 🤝🔍🚀 #GrandRapids #PolicyConference #CommunityProsperity

Health and mobility have the potential to be the key cog in redesigning communities and transforming the way urban development and land use is approached. My colleagues, Greg Rodriguez and Kate Jack recently contributed to the Journal of Public Health and Emergency to share their perspective on how to achieve equity and resilience in any community. Learn more and link to the journal article here: https://lnkd.in/g3nF7Ev4

This graphic, from the State of Natural Capital report launched today by Natural England, shows the actions we need to take urgently to protect and restore clean air and water, healthy food, and our coasts and natural spaces. These are things that underpin our future economic and social wellbeing - if we don't take action, we are putting our own futures at risk. There's a wealth of detail in the report, which you can access at https://lnkd.in/eYfzjhZz

Agree there is much to do to communicate what nature positive is and how it might be implemented before it will gain community and business support.

https://lnkd.in/eunfTBET Link to recent article I have had published in the Commonwealth Round Table quarterly magazine on local government strategies to reach local #resilience with focus on #climateaction