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Archive: Richard C.D. Fleming

Inaugural John Parr Award Goes to Citistates Founders

Richard C. D. Fleming / Jul 24 2009

For Release July 24, 2009
Citiwire.net

Richard Fleming “John Parr was an uncommon American citizen.” Those were the words of that my fellow Alliance for Regional Stewardship board member and Citistates colleague, Doug Henton of Collaborative Economics, on the untimely passing of John Parr, a great, boundary-crossing national civic leader. John and his wife Sandy and daughter Chase tragically died in an auto accident in December 2007.

Parr’s lifetime mission was to recognize and motivate others in the arts of community building. He was one of America’s foremost counselors in the area of collaborative government, public/private partnerships, and regional governance. In that tradition, the Alliance for Regional Stewardship, which I am chairing this year, is pleased to announce the John Parr Award, to be bestowed annually by the Alliance for outstanding personal leadership and excellence in advancing regionalism and civic stewardship of metropolitan areas. John himself embodied that ideal through many activities, including his decades of inspirational and practical leadership of the Denver region and his contributions as a co-founder of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. Read More »

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Fed Policy Has Nation’s Feet Stuck in Concrete

Richard C.D. Fleming / Jan 22 2009

For Release January 25, 2009
Citiwire.net

Richard Fleming The federal stimulus package that President Obama and Congress will craft in coming weeks could do immense and permanent good by bringing better balance to this country’s outmoded transportation policies.

For the last 50 years, since President Eisenhower spearheaded the creation of the Interstate Highway System, Uncle Sam has nurtured the construction of new roads and highways. The economic and social benefits for our country have been immense.

But in recent years, the costs–global warming, dependence on foreign oil, sprawl, long commutes, lost productivity, and even social isolation–have also begun to become clear.

To most Americans, the dominance of the automobile may seem completely natural. Automotive transportation offers unparalleled convenience, especially in a country, like ours, where low density, single-family housing predominates. Read More »

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