Dear Smart Growth Agenda Supporter:                                        

We are coming off a successful month of press and progress on the Smart Growth Agenda and many of our projects. Click here to see the follow up press release to our Smart Growth press conference and worksession. Clearly we have much to accomplish this year, but we are well positioned to meet many of the goals that were outlined. An editorial in Newsday supported the concept of a Council of Governments, for which we have long been advocating, while local print, LI Business News and extensive News 12 coverage has done much to promote the greater agenda.

Many thanks to all of you who bring your skills, intelligence and resources to the table to advance progressive land use and planning reforms. Without your help, the Smart Growth agenda will not have the strength it needs to see fruition.

Over the last month there has so much activitiy that you probably need a scorecard to keep track of the various efforts. Here is our attempt, recognizing that within about thirty minutes of the release of this e-mail we will be reminded about what we have missed, and who else is making very important actions. We apologize in advance for these omissions:

Regional Planning:
The LI Regional Planning Board is meeting monthly and mapping out a strategic plan and business plan for its future. For meeting minutes and dates which are open to the public click here:

The Regional Plan Association just held its annual regional conference, which focused on climate change and a keynote by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. RPA is working with LIA, Neighborhood Network, Vision Long Island, Sustainable Long Island and many other organizations on a Regional Visioning Project for Long Island. This project should get underway in the latter half of the year.

The LI Regional Council of Governments had a preliminary meeting with many of Long Island's Town Supervisors to introduce the concept of regional planning and coordination among the local officials who have the land use control and authority.

Policies/Regulations/Coalition Building:
The Neighborhood Network is continuing its efforts with the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force. They recently met with the leaders of many religious organizations and congregations across the island to encourage the adoption of clean energy principles for their facilities.

The LI Builders Institute is working with various stakeholders on affordable housing initiatives

The newly formed Campaign for New York's Future recently held a lobby day with its 70 member plus organization to support Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 initiative. Regional Plan Association, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, League of Conservation Voters and Vision Long Island along with many other organizations have signed on. Sustainable Long Island has also been participating and is looking at the plan as well. To learn about Mayor Bloomberg's plan PlaNYC2030, click here:

A very good summary of the Campaign and the plan can be found on the NY League of Conservation Voters web site.

The LI Pine Barrens Society released a report entitled On Course for Failure, which outlines the need for preserving the remaining parcels of open space on Long Island. To read the report click here.

The Town of Brookhaven agreed to put the Community Preservation Fund on the November Ballot in an interesting partnership between ABCO and LIBI. This program was one of the items on the Smart Growth agenda that needs to be implemented in order to slow the pace of greenfield development throughout Brookhaven and to ease development pressure in transition zones.

Catholic Charities, LI Organizing Network, Huntington Housing Coalition and Vision Long Island are planning a conference entitled Community Revitalization and the Working Poor: A Path Out of Poverty of a Path Out to the Community on June 11th 7:30-9:30pm featuring David Rusk and a panel of local leaders. The worksession will begin the conversation on gentrification and housing strategies for working folks.

The Nassau Business and Community Planning Coalition continues to meet as a watchdog, mediator and information source for the Nassau HUB project. Our last meeting included four Village Mayors, twenty leaders from the Chambers of Commerce, and ten other elected officials as well as a number of civic, education and environmental leaders. The next meeting will focus on the latest plan for the Nassau HUB.

Educational/Conferences:
The LI Museum of American Art held an exhibit and daylong conference on Levitown and the Suburban Dream. For more information, visit their website

Real Estate Next held a conference focused on market and demographic changes in the Real Estate Industry, as well as the new residential projects coming down the pipeline. For more information visit their website.

The Energeia Partnership has been working internally on energy and land use issues to train future leaders on these associated issues and systems.

The LI Green Building Council in coordination with CDC of LI, LI Housing Partnership, Neighborhood Network and the United Way of Long Island are holding a conference on Energy Star and affordable housing.

This rather lengthy laundry list makes it clear that progressive changes on issues pertaining to Smart Growth: livability, affordable housing, open space and sustainable development are occuring on a number of fronts and in various partnerships. We encourage you to participate in any or as many of these as possible. To be clear, our job is to connect, promote, support, implement and develop resources around the Smart Growth Agenda for Long Island.

Our Mission to Advance Smart Growth Policies and Projects
1) Set accurate goals with the release of the full Blueprint for Smart Growth. We will need your help in shaping the different sections.

2) Track progress at the Smart Growth Summit which is clearly focused on land use and planning. A report card or progress report will be released at that event in November.

3) Advance projects that follow Smart Growth principles. We will also need to keep track of and advocate for the successful passage of these various projects throughout the region. This is another area where we will need to call on our regional and local leaders to make these changes.

A Smart Growth Leadership Task Force

These efforts to advance Smart Growth policies and projects and many other associated activities need input, coordination and partnerships beyond the ability of any one organization. Therefore, we are putting together a Smart Growth Leadership Task Force that can meet periodically to check status, chart progress and advocate for needed policy changes and project implementation. A form is available that enables you to make comment and sign on to the task force.

With that we need to continue to ask for help. Please:
1) Fill out this form to tell us your thoughts on the Smart Growth Agenda as well as to sign on to the Smart Growth Leadership Task Force.

2) Attend our Smart Growth Awards luncheon. We have an exciting and refreshingly abbreviated program planned for June 15th 11:30-2:00 at the Crest Hollow Country Club. We hope you can join us and encourage other leaders to join the Smart Growth effort as well. Please download the Smart Growth Awards flyer and the registration form, so you may distribute it to your networks of colleagues.

If you have any questions about our programs, upcoming events or any way you can participate please give us a call either at our office 631-261-0242 or my cell at 631-804-9128.

Thanks again for your continued support.

Eric Alexander
Executive Director
Vision Long Island
24 Woodbine Ave., Suite One
Northport, NY 11768
Phone (631) 261-0242
Fax (631) 754-4452
www.visionlongisland.org