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CCSU Institutes
Helps Solve Municipal/Regional Problems In November 2005, a Transportation Finance Summit held was at CCSU, co-sponsored by IMRP, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the Regional Plan Association and the Capital Regional Conference of Governments. The focus of the conference was innovative funding mechanisms that would support new transportation initiatives. Conference guests included several experts in the area of transportation finance and key legislative leaders. The white papers produced by the IMRP and its co-sponsors were disseminated to the members of the general assembly and received extensive media coverage. This conference gave impetus to greater public support for transportation funding that resulted in a $2 billion allocation from the governor and legislature for Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure. Two local projects benefited from these funds: the commuter rail service on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line and the New Britain-Hartford busway. The IMRP and its transportation conference co-sponsors are planning a second conference for November 2006 that will build upon and complement last year’s work. This year’s conference will be devoted to Transportation Oriented Development (TOD). TOD is the planned economic development of property at the site of transportation nodes, such as bus stops and train stations. New Britain and surrounding communities may benefit from the experience of other municipalities and states that have successfully used TOD to revive the older sections of their towns and cities. A conference goal will be to create a process for municipalities to continue planning and learning together. In addition to the collaborations with regional and community organizations mentioned above, the IMRP provides services to government and business entities as well, including the MetroHartford Alliance and the State’s Office for Workforce Competitiveness. An ongoing collaboration with the State’s Office for Workforce Competitiveness and CCSU’s Center for Public Policy and Social Research includes a project to identify the skills and education needed by Connecticut workers to keep the state competitive in the global economy. This information is of critical importance to the entire state, but particularly relevant to urban areas, like New Britain, from where most of Connecticut’s future workforce will come. The IMRP draws upon the resources and expertise of CCSU’s faculty, staff, students, and other public policy and applied research institutes under CCSU’s Center for Public Policy and Social Research.
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The
Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) at CCSU facilitates
regional solutions to common problems facing municipalities. The IMRP
brings together CCSU faculty, staff, and students with state and
national experts to provide immediate and long-range options for
concerns such as taxes, housing, transportation, workforce development
and education. Community, municipal, and state leaders routinely attend
IMRP conferences, forums and symposia where research and ideas are
presented that help shape policy decisions at the local, regional, and
state level. The following are some examples of the way the IMRP works
to have a positive impact on Connecticut’s communities.