Think Regionally
24 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsThink Regionally is a new podcast from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). Local government, business, and non-profit leaders join host Robert McCartney to raise awareness about the region's biggest challenges and focus on solutions.
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Episodes
Improving community health through air quality initiatives
April 09, 2024 19:49 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBSEASON 3: EPISODE 5 IS NOW LIVE In recent years, metropolitan Washington has seen tremendous improvements in its air quality—down from upwards of 80 unhealthy air days each year in the 1990s to an average of ten as of 2023. But last year's Canadian wildfires emphasized that good air quality is not a guarantee, and it can be easily impacted by increasing environmental threats driven by climate change. Air quality is not just an environmental challenge, but a health one. When the air quali...
The biking boom: Expanding bicycling in the DMV
March 13, 2024 13:29 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBOver the last several decades, residents have increasingly turned to biking to improve fitness, reduce car pollution, and avoid escalating gas prices. Local governments and planners are encouraging the trend. In our region, they’re building hundreds of miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails and adding bicycle lanes to streets. For example, the Transportation Planning Board at COG has adopted the National Capital Trail Network Map, a planning priority for a seamless pedestrian and bicycle sys...
Ensuring fair housing across communities
February 14, 2024 15:27 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWorking through COG, area jurisdictions joined together this year in a monumental decision to create the first regional fair housing plan in a generation. Since the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, we've made significant strides to reverse patterns of housing discrimination and racial segregation. But, the Fair Housing Plan sheds light on very real instances of discrimination in the housing process today. Reverberating impacts of exclusionary zoning practices, as well as housing affo...
Strengthening food security for a more resilient region
December 12, 2023 14:12 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBAccess to an adequate food supply remains a challenge for many low- to middle-income families. The Capital Area Food Bank reports that a third of households in the metropolitan Washington region face food insecurity, uncertain about having enough to eat. To address this issue, local officials are actively working together to advocate for the restoration and potential expansion of federal funding for nutrition programs. Simultaneously, they are working with partners to implement strategies ...
Enhancing public safety through regional collaboration
November 01, 2023 16:05 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MBCrime does not respect municipal boundaries, so area public safety agencies collaborate closely through COG and other regionwide initiatives to track crime trends, communicate during real-time emergencies, and launch innovative programs to target crime and protect public wellbeing. COG's Annual Report on Crime and Crime Control, released recently, highlighted a troubling trend in rising property crime, but includes promising information on regionwide coordination among our local, state, and ...
The region then and now: reflections from COG's longest serving board member
July 12, 2023 14:40 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBPenny Gross joined the COG Board in 1996, the same year she was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Since then, she's been a central figure at COG as regional leaders have worked together to tackle issues such as the health of the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways, public safety, Metro, and more. In this episode of COG's podcast, Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with Gross to reflect on the biggest topics in the region then and now, how regional collaborat...
Episode 8: The region then and now—reflections from COG's longest serving board member
July 12, 2023 14:40 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBPenny Gross joined the COG Board in 1996, the same year she was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Since then, she's been a central figure at COG as regional leaders have worked together to tackle issues such as the health of the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways, public safety, Metro, and more. In this episode of COG's podcast, Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with Gross to reflect on the biggest topics in the region then and now, how regional collaborat...
Episode 7: Advancing climate resiliency in the DMV
June 13, 2023 17:57 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBClimate change is happening, so as we work towards our goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promote environmental stewardship, our region must also prepare for an increase in extreme weather intensified by global warming. Recent storms have served as a warning that our transportation network, utilities, and neighborhoods must all adapt to withstand any number of unprecedented weather events for the region–including flooding, drought, high winds, and more. In this episode of Think ...
Episode 6: Planning for the future
May 01, 2023 15:47 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBIn December 2022, the COG Board selected Clark Mercer as the organization's new Executive Director, the sixth chief executive since COG’s founding in 1957. Mercer began serving in his official capacity at COG in January 2023, during what is already shaping up to be a pivotal time for the region. In this special episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with Mercer to discuss his background as Chief of Staff to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, and the roles he sees COG pl...
Prioritizing Safety on our Region's Roadways
March 13, 2023 14:22 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBThe United States trails behind similarly industrialized countries when it comes to preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries, and the metropolitan Washington region is no exception. Leaders in our region are looking to change that. In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney hears from guests on region-wide efforts to improve roadway safety, including redesigning streets so that all users co-exist safely within our transportation networks, using equity to target hi...
Episode 5: Prioritizing Safety on our Region's Roadways
March 13, 2023 14:22 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBThe United States trails behind similarly industrialized countries when it comes to preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries, and the metropolitan Washington region is no exception. Leaders in our region are looking to change that. In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney hears from guests on region-wide efforts to improve roadway safety, including redesigning streets so that all users co-exist safely within our transportation networks, using equity to target hi...
Episode 4: Building momentum in 2023
January 30, 2023 15:14 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBIn 2022, area officials on the COG Board of Directors outlined bold priorities in COG's Region United: Metropolitan Planning Framework for 2030, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating housing production, creating transit-oriented communities, and advancing racial equity. On this special episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney talks with newly elected COG Board Chair and Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart on her vision for the region's work in 20...
Episode 3: Addressing homelessness with innovation and collaboration
December 14, 2022 04:47 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBThe number of people experiencing homelessness in metropolitan Washington has been steadily declining thanks to innovative programs to house those in need. Despite this progress, area leaders stress that in our large, expensive, and growing region, there's still more work to do. In this episode, host Robert McCartney talks with some of the region's biggest champions for housing and homeless services about the progress made over the last few years and key actions and strategies to prevent an...
Episode 2: Taking action on economic inequities
November 21, 2022 15:29 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBFor the past two years, the region has seen an increase in area governments, businesses, and non-profits recognizing and committing to address the economic inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national reckoning on race. Regional leaders understand that each sector has a part to play in the journey to make metropolitan Washington a more equitable region for all residents to work, live, and play.
Episode 1: A holistic approach to addressing health inequities
October 24, 2022 13:58 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBData shows life expectancy across the metropolitan Washington region can differ drastically within a single city or county, from neighborhood to neighborhood. Health experts Dr. Reuben Varghese and Dr. Steven Woolf join host Robert McCartney to diagnose factors that lead to different health outcomes and explore solutions.
Episode 9: The Future of the Economy (Part III)
July 13, 2022 04:00 - 19 minutes - 26.1 MBMetropolitan Washington is home to a very highly educated workforce and attracts investment from some of the largest technology companies in the world, competing with similar metro regions like Silicon Valley and New York. The region also faces many of the same challenges as its competitors such as high-priced housing, traffic congestion, and widening inequality.
Episode 8: The Future of Transit (Part II)
June 15, 2022 21:01 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBThe area’s elected officials and other leaders are looking to rely more on public transit as we plan for the future. That means expanding and improving service on Metrorail, bus lines, and commuter rail. The challenge is that it's expensive both to build and operate transit. Plus, it takes a long time to construct or renovate rail lines, bridges, and tunnels, and to alter roadways to allow for express bus service. Three regional leaders join host Robert McCartney to discuss big ideas (and c...
Episode 7: Picturing a post-COVID region (Part I)
May 04, 2022 13:07 - 11 minutes - 16.3 MBEven as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, it will have long-lasting impacts on our region. One of the biggest changes is likely to be an increase in people teleworking, significantly affecting not only how people work, but also where they choose to live and where companies locate jobs. Our next three episodes will focus on what local leaders should consider as they plan for the future of the region's economy, transportation system, and more. In this episode, host Robert McCartney is joined by t...
Episode 6: Electric Vehicles in the DMV
April 04, 2022 13:34 - 18 minutes - 26.1 MBMetropolitan Washington’s elected officials formally committed more than a decade ago to fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But how far have we come as a region? And what must we do to fulfill the regional goal of a 50 percent reduction by 2030? Moving to electric vehicles and alternative fuels is one important solution, planners, experts, and officials tell host Robert McCartney on this episode of Think Regionally. With a regional push, a widespread, reliable electri...
Episode 5: Pressing for progress on housing
February 28, 2022 01:53 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBOfficials in metropolitan Washington set shared housing targets in 2019 to ensure all residents have quality housing they can afford. Meeting the targets is essential for the region’s economy, as employers say it’s hard to find and keep workers because housing is so expensive. And progress on housing also contributes to regional priorities related to transportation and climate change. In this episode, host Robert McCartney talks with three leaders in the government, business, and non-profit ...
Episode 4: Moving the needle on climate, housing, transit, & equity goals
January 31, 2022 01:59 - 13 minutes - 18.3 MBAt the start of 2022, metropolitan Washington faces a double challenge. First, the region continues to battle COVID-19. At the same time, area leaders must keep an eye on the future. They have set ambitious goals to address the region’s most pressing challenges related to climate, housing, transit, and equity. On this special episode of Think Regionally, COG Board of Directors Chair Christian Dorsey of Arlington County talks about how the region can move the needle on this work. mwcog.org/th...
Episode 3: Feeding our region
December 17, 2021 15:36 - 19 minutes - 26.6 MBMetropolitan Washington is one of the wealthiest metropolitan areas in the nation, but about one out of ten households isn’t sure where its next meal is coming from. And that figure is higher for communities of color and families with children. This episode of Think Regionally is all about food insecurity—what it is, why it is happening, and some ways area officials, organizations, and farmers are working to address it. mwcog.org/thinkregionally
Episode 2: Strengthening our communities through connections to transit
November 18, 2021 01:29 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MBMetropolitan Washington’s population is expected to grow by more than 10 percent by the end of this decade. That’s an increase of almost 600,000 people! Where are we going to put them? What does that mean for congestion? How do we ensure that they benefit from the investments this region is making in transit and economic development? This episode is all about the strategy to plan more housing, more communities, near high-capacity transit.
Episode 1: How do we move the region toward racial and economic equity?
October 12, 2021 20:37 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBMetropolitan Washington is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, but that prosperity is not shared equally. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the region's social and economic disparities. This inaugural episode explores the social, economic, and racial divisions that are decades—or even centuries—old. It considers how local governments can help overcome the gaps by targeting resources at geographic areas that have lagged behind the rest of the region. mwcog.org/thinkregionally