Blueprint America
WHRO, through its Center for Regional Citizenship, joined ten PBS partner stations to support Blueprint America's "Livable Future: Local Solutions" project, reporting on local, state, and federal efforts to use transportation and transportation policy to create more equitable, convenient, greener, cleaner, and healthier communities.
Blueprint America was developed and produced by Thirteen/WNET as a unique and major national broadcast initiative focusing on the nation's decaying, neglected, and under-funded infrastructure. Now more than ever, it is crucial to understand how decisions about money spent on infrastructure can affect our ways of life, our economic growth and energy security, and our ability to deal with climate change.
Blueprint America created two primetime PBS broadcasts, "Road to the Future" and "Beyond the Motor City." The suggested discussion questions may be used by local viewers as a guide to consider how the Hampton Roads region addresses transportation issues and works to create a more livable future.
The CRC partnered with the Healthy Portsmouth initiative to create two videos that draw attention to the relationship between transportation and health. The City of Portsmouth is engaging diverse stakeholders to assess community infrastructure and promote more walkable and bikeable communities.
Watch "Livable Future: Local Solutions" (2010)
Watch "Livable Future: Local Solutions in Portsmouth" (2010)
Road to the Future
- Did the program change your mind or alter your views about transportation in Hampton Roads?
- How would you describe a “livable” community?
- How does transportation help to shape the culture of the community?
- What did you learn that could be relevant to Hampton Roads?
- Ideally, how do we want to travel from place to place in Hampton Roads?
- How should we decide where to invest transportation funds?
- What role should the community play in transportation planning?
Beyond the Motor City
- What most impressed you about the transformation of Detroit? What was discouraging?
- What lessons could Hampton Roads learn from Detroit?
- How does transportation and transportation policy impact other aspects of the community (i.e. housing, environment, health, culture, etc.)?
- What do you think about the idea of “mega regions.” How do you feel about Hampton Roads being part of a mega region?
- How should our country address issues associated with our decaying, neglected and underfunded infrastructure?
- What should our transportation future look like?
Major Support for the Blueprint America Livable Future: Local Solutions project is provided by The Rockefeller Foundation
