Dave Van Hattum, who is the policy and advocacy program manager at
Transit for Livable Communities and Jim Erkel, the land use and transportation program director at the
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, co-wrote a recent Star Tribune
editorial urging the Twin Cities to pull together as a region to stay competitive.
Van Huttum and Erkel, along with Ann Canby of the
Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, are the authors of a report about regional governance titled "Planning to Succeed?"
In their editorial, they state: "Today, we hear from some quarters that we don't need a strong regional vision, that local control is the key to success." They argue that that kind of thinking could put the metro area behind others across the country while also shortchanging its ability to respond to changing needs.
The market is shifting to more walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods. "To compete with other regions, we need to ensure that the money we spend on transit, roads, airports, and sewers maximizes efficiency."