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Salons at Stowe

 

Thinking Regionally:

Providing Greater Access to Opportunity

May 7, 2015

Featured guests Xiangming Chen, Director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies at Trinity College and Susan Dunn, Executive Director of the United Way of Northeastern CT, led a conversation on regionalism in Greater Hartford. With assistance from the Metro Hartford Progress Report, an annual report by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving analyzing education, poverty, and housing trends in the region, the conversation focused on the benefits of regional services and resources.

 
 
Regionalism means area-wide delivery of services, rather than town, city or municipal-based services. , Connecticut, with over 160 towns and cities, does not share services regionally. Many services, like education, are funded by property taxes which vary by town. As a result, Connecticut has greater economic and class inequality between towns and cities compared to other states. Featured guests remarked that there are ways to create regional or shared support for services, which will help alleviate some of the inequities.
 
 
Inspiration to Action

  • Talk about regionalism and work to dispel myths about it
  • Visit neighboring communities, towns, and cities and use regional resources like public transportation
  • Get involved in your community and your surrounding communities — volunteer, tutor, mentor etc.
  • Participate in local and state politics
Location Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
Doors Open 5 - 7 PM
Program 5 - 7 PM