Our favorite policy and news sites

April 16, 2010

Actually, it would be more accurate to say "My favorite policy and news sites" as your Friday Journal editor (that's me) is stepping out from behind the curtain to fill in today. And "favorite" does not imply endorsement or agreement with the views expressed on the sites, it means simply that I find them useful to keep an eye on. This is an idiosyncratic list; please do hold the Economy League harmless for oversights/inclusions with which you take issue. And if you'd like to make sure we (I) know about a great source of information -- particularly about South Jersey and Delaware, please send a note via the Comments.  We'd appreciate it! 

-- Allison Kelsey, Director of Communications

13th Floor blog: http://governing.typepad.com/13thfloor/  State and local government news and analysis by staff writers at Governing magazine.

Above Average Jane blog:  http://aboveavgjane.blogspot.com/  Regional politics and policy issues commentary.

Beth's Blog: http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/  The blog's subtitle is "How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media." Lots of good ideas.

Capitol Ideas blog: http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/  Allentown Morning Call's state house reporterJohn Micek's great Harrisburg blog.

Channel 64:  http://www.phila.gov/channel64/  Attend Philadelphia City Council meetings and hearings from your desk. For wonks and those who've never witnessed how the sausage is made.

Citiwire: http://citiwire.net/   Weekly articles by terrific contributors about taking a regional approach to issues.

Commonwealth Confidential: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/harrisburg_politics/  It's named like a Harry Shearer spoof, but it's the Inquirer's Harrisburg bureau's blog. 

Design Matters Digest: http://www.cdesignc.org/  Sign up for the Community Design Collaborative's monthly newsletter here. While there's some overlap w/Plan Philly, I find that the Collaborative's compilation of planning, architecture, and design events is the best around.

FYI by PLS: http://www.fyibypls.com/  The Pennsylvania Legislative Service is subscription-based, but their blog is free. 

Heard in the Hall blog: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/heardinthehall/  Posts by the Philadelphia City Hall bureau of the Inquirer.

It's Our Money blog: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/our-money/  Short-form, regional scale "Planet Money" for those who know that public radio show. Must-read of late: writer Doron Taussig's diary of his attempt to right a BPT situation in arrears. 

MuckRack Philly: http://muckrack.com/metrophilly   Feed of tweets by journalists in Greater Philadelphia. 

Next American City: http://americancity.org/  There's so much of interest here that I need a snack to read it all. 

Philly Clout blog: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/  I admit it -- I'm a Clout junkie. Breaking news from Philadelphia City Hall and environs all day, several times a day, by the Daily News.

PHLMetropolis: http://www.phlmetropolis.com/  I missed Tom Ferrick's Inquirer column and was thrilled that he started his own publication. 

PlanPhilly: http://planphilly.com/  LOVE it. 

PRNewser: http://www.mediabistro.com/PRNewser/  Mediabistro's PR blog. Even if you don't care about PR, there's a great deal of eye-opening media news here. Worth a scan every few days.

Regional Plan Association: http://www.rpa.org/  Is an outfit focused on NY, NJ, and CT but has articles and research following trends and innovation in regional policy and planning. 

SEPTAwatch blog:  http://septawatch.com/ 

Smarts and Culture: http://maryanndevine.typepad.com/smartsandculture/  Smart arts marketing news and innovations  blog by local consultant.

Sustainable Cities Collective blog: http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/Home/

Technically Philly: http://technicallyphilly.com/  Covers a broader range of industries than I expected. If you're less well-versed in what's going on regionally in bio, digital media, tech startups, cable and internet, technology and more, you can school yourself easily by subscribing to their feed.

The Center for Houston's Future: http://www.centerforhoustonsfuture.org/cfhf.cfm   A nonprofit engaged inalternative futures planning similar to the Economy League's World Class Greater Philadelphia initiative.

Last, but not least, I'd encourage you to follow us on Twitter. Our handle is @EconomyLeague, and it's our aim to tweet about the most interesting developments in the space the Economy League inhabits: infrastructure, workforce and education, governance, and the economy broadly speaking. Preview our Twitter feed here.