As Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, Adolfo Carrion brings long overdue attention to the urban areas where 80 percent of the American people live and work. He comes to the position with knowledge of cities earned in his two terms as Bronx Borough President, as a…

It’s an exciting time for change agents working toward more livable communities, with leadership at the federal level finding new ways to collaborate across the issues of transportation, housing and land use.

And Rail~volution, a national conference kicking off today, will offer insight into that process with a dynamic conversation…

Reviews of Monday's remarks by the president on his plans for urban America have been mixed.  Some have praised simply the attention he gave to the subject while other have criticized the apparent lack of muscular policy response on behalf of cities.

I read it this way.  It is still…

The Washington Post has the story we weren't supposed to discuss.  Monday the White House convenes a meeting to push forward on a national urban policy agenda.  White House Office of Urban Affairs Director Adolfo Carrion promises a "bottom up" approach to help for cities. Not clear is how…

"Obama is less interested in rejuvenating urban policy than he is in reshaping its very dimensions."  Check out this article by Alan Greenblatt in this month's issue of GOVERNING for more on the Administration's view on cities.

Find it here in The Washington Post.  It's a speech worth reading.  There is far more here than the sound bite running in the cable news loop

Great news from our new Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrión.   He told The Washington Post that he wants cities to become economic centers that can pull the country out of a recession and improve American competitiveness in a global market.

"Carrión…

ABC News is reporting that Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion is being named as Director of the White House Office on Urban Policy.  The New York Daily News reported yesterday that he was being named and will report directly to the President.

Have you seen Arlington, Virgina's Car-Free Diet campaign?  Very clever.

The President-elect is clued in on why cities matter.  See him extol Jane Jacobs on the campaign trail.  Now, let's hope for a great pick as Urban Policy Czar.

As the discussion on the stimulus heats up, some projects submitted by mayors are being used to demonstrate how foolish it would be to funnel stimulus money directly to cities.  The proposed Las Vegas Museum of the Mob is this morning's poster child for stupid submissions.  (Sadly, new roads and…

From Thursday Washington Post:  Bronx politician Adolfo Carrion Jr. is expected to serve in another new White House post, implementing Obama's education and housing agenda for cities.

He has been "expected" for weeks.  Can we get on with it?

(And U.S. Chamber President Tom Donahue may want…

This morning's NYT carried a full page of pictures and bios on President-elect Barack Obama's key appointments.  The last one on the page:  Aldolfo Carrion to lead the Office of Urban Policy.  Just one problem:  To my knowledge Obama hasn't yet made that announcement.  U.S. mayors met with Valerie Jarrett,…

Mayors meet in Chicago Thursday with Valerie Jarrett, White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison.  Jarrett is expected also to have the new Office of Urban Policy reporting to her.  Reports are that mayors will at minimum describe the type candidate they…

"How do we recapture the value of the investments we've already made?" 

If ever there were a time in the life of this nation to ask that question, it is now.  And if asked in a public sense, the answer leads inevitably to the need to re-focus on cities.