Nano Cities

With as vastly complex as metropolitan areas are, it takes some creativity to get your mind around them. But the pay off appears to be worth the effort. .:.

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Shock and Awe>Houston and Dallas Top 5 for Green Buildings

Texas comes away big winner in ranking of Top 10 cities for green buildings, which focuses on commercial and industrial buildings that cut down on greenhouse gases and energy requirements. Such structures can account for 45% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of energy use. .:.

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Innovation Clusters - UPDATED

Non-Energy Clusters

1. Austin Technology Incubator
2. Biotech Initiative
3. Houston Technology Center
4. IC2 Institute [Austin]
5. Metroplex Technology Business Council
6. Music Industry [Statewide, Portal]
7. Nanotechnology Initiative [Statewide, Portal]
8. New Media Consortium [Austin, Portal]
9. Rural Alliance for Renewable Energy (RARE)
10. Social Media Club [Austin]
11. Telecom Corridor [Richardson; Portal]

Clean Tech & Energy

1. National Algae Association
2. Energy Corridor [Houston]
3. SEED Coalition (Sustainable Energy and Economic Development)
4. Solar San Antonio (SSA)
5. Solar Energy Society (TXSES)
6. Solar Energy [Austin, Portal]
7. Renewable Energy, Texas Land Office [portal]
8. Renewable Energy Industry Association [TX; Portal]
9. Renewable Energy Association of Central Texas (REACT)
10. Metropolitan Partnership for Energy [San Antonio]
11. Infinite Power of Texas [renewables]
12. Houston Renewable Energy Group
13. El Paso Solar Energy Association (EPSEA)
14. Clean Energy Incubator [Austin]
15. Alternative Energy Institute

Industry Studies

1. Aerospace & Defense [TX; PDF]
2. Automotive Manufacturing [TX; PDF]
3. Aviation & Aerospace [TX; PDF]
4. Biotechnology [TX; PDF]
5. Energy Production [Energy Information Agency]
6. Energy Report [comprehensive; TX Comptroller; 2008]
7. Nanotechnology [TX; PDF]
8. Renewable Energy [Energy Conservation Office; 2008]
9. Semiconductors [TX; PDF]

Information Infrastructure

1. Media - All Cities, All Media
2. Media - Statewide
3. Power - Daily Wholesale Market Data [2004-]
4. Power - Market Directories [multiple lists]
5. Power - State of the Market Reports
6. Telecom - Area Codes [map]
7. Telecom - Cable Providers [list]
8. Telecom - Competitive LECs [list]
9. Telecom - Incumbenet LECs [list]
10. Telecom - Long Distance Carriers [list]
11. Telecom - Municipal Providers
12. Telecom - Payphone Providers [list]

Transportation Infrastructure

1. Texas Railroads [AAR.org]
2. National Bridge Inventory [FHWA.dot.gov]
3. Ports Directory [TexasPorts.org]
4. 2008 Texas Transportation Report [BTS.gov]
5. Texas Energy Production Report [EIA.gov]
6. Texas Ports - map [WorldPortSource.com]

Regional Focus

1. Atlanta [Council on Competitiveness, report]
2. Biobusiness Alliance [Minnesota]
3. Cambridge Investment Research [Cambridge, England]
4. Great North Alliance [Minneapolis-St. Paul]
5. Indiana Business Research Center [Kelley School of Business; good comparative data v. other states]
6. MBBNet [Minnesota, biomedical portal]
7. Minneapolis-St. Paul [biotech & biomedical]
8. Pittsburgh [Council on Competitiveness, report]
9. Research Triangle [Council on Competitiveness, report]
10. San Diego [Council on Competitiveness, report]
11. Wichita [Council on Competitiveness, report]
12. World Financial Centers, Top 50 [PDF]

U.S.A.

1. Demography of Clusters [overview of cluster iniatives, PDF]
2. Clusters of Innovation Initiative: Regional Foundations of U.S. Competitiveness [Council on Competitiveness, report]
3. Clusters of Innovation Initiative [multiple MSAs]
4. U.S. Clusters [4MB+ PDF]
5. The Cluster Initiative Greenbook [how-to, 2MB PDF, free registration req.]
6. Harvard Clusters Database [833 worldwide clusters, PDF]

Thinktanks

1. America 2050 Project [megas, national]
2. Brookings Institution [business location]
3. Council on Competitivness [international, regional and local]
4. Cyberstates [clusters, high technology]
5. Harvard Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness [industry clusters]
6. Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech [megas, national & international]
7. Milken Institute [regional economics]
8. The Citistates Group [regional biz thinktank]

Megapolitan Case Studies & Reports-Updated

Texas


• The Texas Triangle as Megalopolis [Houston Business]


• The Simple Economics of the Texas Triangle [Houston Business; PDF]


• Texas Urban Triangle [Texas A&M; 35MB, 150pg PDF]


• Opportunity Urbanism [Houston] (43pg PDF)


• Megaregions: Literature Review of the Implications for U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Transportation Planning [FHWA.dot.gov]


• Economic Progress in the Texas Economy [Houston Business, PDF]


• Economic Development Opportunities For U.S. Mega-Regions


• Connecting the Texas Triangle [whitepaper; RPA.org]


• Beyond the Metroplex [Dallas-Fort Worth]


• Austin-San Antonio Metroplex


• America 2050: Texas Triangle


United States


• Beyond Megalopolis [U.S. megapolitan areas, PDF]


• Bright Lights, Big City [NASA study of urbanization]


• Cascadian Ecopolis [Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, 2MB+ PDF]


• Do Regional Economies Need Regional Coordination? (Edward Glaser) [3MB+ PDF]


• Megalopolis Unbound [Northeast, 8MB+ PDF]


• Nor Cal - California's mega of the north


• Opportunity Urbanism (Houston) by Joel Kotkin [43pg PDF]


• The New Megalopolis (Newseek.com) [good overview]


• Third California by Joel Kotkin [20pg PDF]