Global Trends, Local Impacts

I was looking at the maps available at Mapping Worlds and I came across this visualization of the world's population:



I'm becoming more intrigued by global change and the impacts those changes are having and will continue to have on local communities. Getting our arms around these issues may require rethinking what we're measuring and how we expect those trend lines to move in the future.

That's why I'm so excited about an upcoming conference, Global Trends, Local Impacts, being put on by the National Association of Planning Councils. Someone once told me that truth=facts+context, and when we look at our local communities, to get at the truth we really need to get at the global context within which we hope our communities can thrive.

Earlier I had posted this video about some of the shifts happening in the world today. I recently attended a presentation in Tulsa, Oklahoma that added on to the global trends in population demographics, workforce, technology, and more that are reshaping the world as we watch.

Mark your calendars for May 7-9, 2008, in beautiful Clearwater Beach, Florida. I hope to see you there!