In This Issue:

– Spotlight on the Region: The Regional Assembly Edition

– Calendar

A Bright and Green Future:
Climate Change + Energy + Growth for the Tri-State Metropolitan Region

Assembly Chairman:
Theodore Roosevelt IV
Chairman, Lehman Brothers’ Council on Climate Change

Keynote Speakers:
Gary D. Rose
Chief, Office of Economic Growth
The State of New Jersey

The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City

Spotlight on the Region: Regional Assembly Edition
RPA’s Regional Assembly, its annual gathering where people from the civic, business and political worlds gather to discuss the Tri-State Region’s challenges and opportunities, will be held this Friday, May 4, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on the subject of climate change, energy supply and economic growth.

Titled “A Bright and Green Future: Climate Change, Energy and Growth in the Tri-State Metropolitan Region,” this year’s assembly topic could not come at a more opportune time. The Assembly is being held less than two weeks after Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his PLANYC 2030, an unprecedented collection of 127 proposals, ranging from congestion pricing to power plant construction, all intended to both improve the life of the city and reduce its overall impact on the environment. Elements of PLANYC 2030 will be discussed at the Regional Assembly, and Mayor Bloomberg will give the keynote speech at lunch. The Mayor’s initiatives are on the leading edge of what appear to be bolder attempts to deal with climate change and global warming.

The day starts with breakfast at 8:00 am, followed by introductory remarks by RPA President Robert Yaro. Gary Rose, Chief of the Office of Economic Growth for the State of New Jersey, will give the keynote address at 9:00 am. (Mr. Rose replaces Governor Jon Corzine, who is unable to attend because of serious injuries sustained in a recent automobile accident.) A plenary panel discussion afterward will be moderated by WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer and will include Majora Carter of Sustainable South Bronx; Jami A. Miscik, Global Head of Sovereign Risk at Lehman Brothers and former Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA; Paul Roberts, author of The End of Oil; and Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Climate Change.

After the plenary panel, a series of workshops on clean power generation, facilities siting, sustainable building design, transportation, market-based approaches to carbon reduction, sustaining water resources and other subjects will be held, all from the perspective of sustainability within both New York City and the region. These panels provide an opportunity for participants to learn from and debate experts in diverse topics.

At lunchtime, Mayor Bloomberg will outline the recommendations from his ambitious PLANYC 2030 proposals for New York City. PLANYC 2030 offers a comprehensive set of proposals to address New York’s long-term needs for clean air and water, access to open space, and new investments to allow us to continue to grow and prosper. RPA is proud to work with the Mayor and his administration on this historic effort.

Following the lunch program, there is a new addition to the Regional Assembly program to focus on the most controversial – and perhaps most important – element of the Mayor’s plan. A panel of experts will discuss the proposals to fund more than $30 billion in mass transit improvements in part by a toll on all cars and trucks coming into Manhattan during weekday business hours. Called congestion pricing, this recommendation is probably the most talked about and least understood element of the Mayor’s plan. We’re very pleased to have Brian Lehrer once again moderating that discussion, which will include Kathy Wylde, President of the New York City Partnership; Walter McCaffrey of Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free; New York City Councilman John Liu; Julia Vitullo-Martin from the Manhattan Institute; and the incoming Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, Janette Sadik-Khan.

For more information or to order tickets, go to www.rpa.org or call 212-2253-2727 x 317.
– RPA Staff

Questions or comments on what’s in this issue? Send them to the editor of Spotlight On The Region, Alex Marshall at alex@rpa.org

May 2, 6:30 pm
We Got Park: The Biggest Park Expansion Since Moses. Robert Moses had a profound and lasting effect on the parks and recreational facilities of New York City. Under the present Commissioner of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Adrian Benepe, New York's parks are undergoing an unprecedented transformation and expansion. Commissioner Benepe will present an illustrated talk about how the NYC DPR is reinforcing the positive elements in the legacy of Robert Moses and reinventing the parks system for the 21st century. He will be followed by Bronx Borough President and Urban Planner, Adolfo Carrión, who will join landscape architects James Corner, Director of Field Operations for the DPR, and Michael Van Valkenburgh of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, in a discussion moderated by Charles McKinney, Chief of Design for the DPR. Presented in conjunction with Robert Moses and the Modern City: Remaking the Metropolis. Reservations required. Info: www.mcny.org

Friday, May 4, 8 am to 4 pm
Regional Plan Association's 17th annual Regional Assembly: A Bright, Green Future: Climate Change, Energy and Growth in the Tri-State Metropolitan Region. The Waldorf-Astoria, New York. Information on RPA website at www.rpa.org. Or, download a complete registration brochure here, and a PRINTABLE, faxable one here.

May 23, 6:30 pm
New York Neighborhoods and the Impact of Development Since Robert Moses's time, there has been a paradigm shift in the way development takes place in New York City. This panel will address the nature of that shift and discuss how present-day developers and public agencies address such key issues as the design and scale of projects, local participation in decision making, and the role of historic preservation in the future of our communities. Richard A. Kahan, Winner of the Robert Moses Achievement Award, and President, The Urban Assembly, will be joined by Paul Goldberger, author and architecture critic for The New Yorker,
Michael Kwartler, principal of Michael Kwartler and Associates, and
founding director of the Environmental Simulation Center, and Robert Tierney, Chairman, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Reservations required. Info: www.mcny.org

Wednesday, May 23, 8 am to 7 pm
Our Towns, Our Land, Our Heritage: Sustaining NJ's Legacy: The 2007 Annual NJ Historic Preservation Conference. Drew University, Madison, NJ.
LINK: www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/4sustain/Conference2007/postconf2007.htm