SmartRegions.us brings together a whole-systems approach for developing an integrated healthy urban-rural way of life for the new age.

The Vision

We’re moving beyond the 50-year-old trend of isolating towns and cities, the goal is to focus on the concept of “nested” cities, or reinforcing regional trade centers throughout urban locals by linking small towns within their respective service area; integration is key, and is one of the fundamentals of telecommuting – seeking to equalize physical and virtual access to as many services as possible, as well as being supported by Smart Regions. If you share our ideology, and look to seek innovation on a knowledge-based framework, then you’re in the right place.For more information on breaking the status quo, please check out the following reads:
13 Ways to Kill Your Community

Slaying the Status Quo

The Knowledge Pyramid for Smart Regional Design

knowledge Pyramid

The Knowledge Pyramid defines what should be a universal goal: to make better decisions by fully understanding the relevant information.  

Relevant is perhaps the key word; if the decision is based upon a ‘vertical’ orientation, information that is outside of the ‘vertical’ is dismissed.  A fatal flaw, if the decisions that are being made affect individuals outside of the ‘vertical’.

Today we are besieged with spin, polls and reports that are written to carry a political message.  We are operating in the “Noise and mis-information” level of the pyramid. The Smart Region incorporates the Regional Monitor which hopefully will at least reach the Information level.  Knowledge will only be achieved if all relevant, objectively collected data, is processed by leaders that are committed to the pursuit of the common good.

Clarifying Urban Problems, Defining Rural Solutions

Until we break out of the Industrial Age paradigm, it will be impossible to move forward. The new focus on Community Development is becoming more apparent but it continues to be done within the context of an Economic Development model that looks at activity as a zero sum game. It is not. Once the Smart Region is properly defined, we can begin to identify synergies that can actually solve problems.

Creating Urban-Rural Integration for Sustainability & Renewal

It is unfortunate that vertical funding is so disruptive to the concept of Urban -Rural integration. First government split the market by providing broadband to rural hospitals, schools, agencies etc. With about half of the market for broadband isolated, many communities did not have a critical mass to support broadband extensions to serve the rest of the community. Rather than correcting this problem, the government split the market again by funding the large system providers to deliver broadband to the rest of the community.

The ability to achieve an economic model that can sustain small town America is linked to the ability to create the Community TeleCenter Network as a switching mechanism for broadband in the community. Rather than funding profits for the providers, the revenue should be used to fund the advocacy capabilities described on this website. Losing this revenue will greatly minimize the potential to revitalize rural America and integrate the urban-rural economies.

Recent Posts From SmartRegions.US Blog

“For an urban area to become a smart city is not enough; it must become an intelligent city, a wise city. It must support the rural areas that so fundamentally support the metropolis. In this time of great change only the community can overcome the obsolete policies, silo perspectives and devotion to the status quo. It must accept the challenge to provide the creativity, openness and strategic leadership that is necessary to achieve complete integration and to provide equality of technological access and opportunity throughout the Smart Region.”  John Sanger

 

 John is the SmartRegions.US founder and author of the book 
Slaying the Status Quo – Evolving Smart Cities into Smart Regions