feb05smarttalk

According to Thomas Hobbes "Life is Nasty Brutish and Short". This quote rings true for the thousands of working families suffering high taxes and painfully priced housing. We are losing our young energy, saying early goodbyes to our seasoned neighbors, and painfully squeezing far too many in between.

The Rauch Foundation's widely publicized report reinforces this fact and reminds us that Long Island needs new solutions if it's going to continue functioning. We need to provide homes for the entry, mid-level and blue collar workers that are the backbone of our economy. We need to give our young a decent chance at life here, and we'd all benefit from retaining the senior citizens who finally have time to give back to their communities. They and Long Island's businesses are depending on us to provide this.

....And this, we all know, has generated enough controversy to make our collective heads spin. How do we provide what's needed without hurting the property values of those who have struggled to achieve a place in our existing housing structure? How do we sensibly grow our economy and widen our housing stock without jeapordizing our fragile environment? How do we overcome the stigma of "affordable housing" to calm and disprove the deep-seated fears of our stalwart civic associations? These are the tough questions that are being debated at water coolers and diners throughout our region. So where are the solutions?

Vision Long Island has been working for almost a decade now to research and report back to Long Island the most broadly successful answers the nation has to offer. Eight years and over 1,000 public and private meetings later our political leaders, housing advocates and, yes, even our civic organizations are listening. In the last few weeks both County Executives have released new visions for their Counties that incorporate planning initiatives that have been discussed only conceptually for quite some time. Senator Hillary Clinton also recently announced legislation that, if passed, should help Long Island's commercial corridors. Most importantly, many local municipalities are taking a lead in advancing innovative Smart Growth projects. Witness the new Brookhaven J6 zoning category to create a mixed-use Main Street Business District in the Mastic-Shirley corridor of Montauk Highway. Amazingly, the community itself directed this change!

On the books now are over 15,000 units of housing planned in the Smart Growth fashion. 4,000 of these units are planned to be developed as affordable. Admittedly, as a recent Newsday editorial illustrates (Check it out here) the majority of these are coming from major proposals like the Heartland community in Brentwood. However, revilatization and in-fill provides a golden opportunity to create smaller projects of maybe 50-100 units in any number of downtowns on Long Island. There is room for quality, moderately priced housing development on Long Island. It doesn't have to devour our last precious spaces, and it can be sited to minimize traffic generation.

Of course, fear retains its seat as the reigning emotion of the day. The backlash to some of these concepts is only just beginning. In a recent presentation a gentleman voiced his opinion that the Smart Growth movement was "Planning today for the slums of tomorrow". It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, if Long Island's economy is going to thrive, it can't be that way. We need a balanced housing stock. There are good solutions.

Lessons from successes stories nation-wide teach us that mixed-income, mixed-use communities benefit everyone. The key? Emphasis on quality design, focus on high standards, and massive public education and participation. We need to plan not for but WITH Long Island communities. They need to see what's possible and offer their insight to shape these ideas to fit Long Island. Enlightened community leaders see this and are taking the initiative by organizing their own planning sessions to address land use issues, advance good community design, and prioritize areas for quality development and preservation.

And you know what? Their governments are starting to listen and play their proper role in supporting these efforts. They know era of the top down planner is over. The time for community revitalization reflecting the needs and insights of ALL stakeholders has begun.

Henry Ford, one of the greatest innovators to usher in the last chapter of American history, said something that suits this new chapter quite well, "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."

We wish and will due our best to ensure Long Island only the best of success.

Check out the full op-ed here.

Eric Alexander, Director

Katheryn Laible, Communications Director

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VLI NEWS & EVENTS

EVENTS

Smart Financing: March 21st from 12:00-2:00PM

As developers become more and more willing to take the leap and try Smart Growth, financing becomes critical. To address this issue, Vision Long Island, Congressman Steve Israel and John Coffey of Commerce Bank invite you to join us for an informative, interactive look at the needs and possibilities in Financing Smart Growth. Features will include an examination of local and national models.

Visit http://www.visionlongisland.org for more information.

Call for Nominations: 2005 Smart Growth Awards!!

The deadline for Nominations for the 2005 Smart Growth Awards has been extended to March 1st. Award categories will be based on principles of Smart Growth, such as the inclusion of affordable housing, "green" building practices and open space preservation, downtown revitalization and pedestrian safety/traffic calming initiatives.

The Awards event, which will occur June 17th from 11:30-2:00, is a valuable networking opportunity that annually draws over 300 participants from across the Island. Sponsorship packages are available, with benefits including full page advertisements featuring your logo in the Long Island Business News both before and after the event, as well as in our own journal and marketing materials.

Visit http://www.visionlongisland.org for more information and a nomination form.

Vision Long Island Promotes Downtown Shopping

Over the holidays, VISION partnered with local businesses, government and residents to commence a campaign supporting Long Island’s downtowns. A variety of local news sources, including News12, WINS and Newsday, covered the effort. Vision Long Island offers a starting directory of "favorite shops" n its website, listing 60 stores in thirty downtowns in Nassau and thirty in Suffolk County. Each store represented a different category of shopping from clothing and shoes to books and camera’s. Visit http://www.visionlongisland.org for details.

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TOWN NEWS

Mastic-Shirley Vision Advances as Brookhaven Finalizes its J-6 “Main Street Business District” Zone and Residents Turn Out to Support Proposed Roundabouts

Community Stakeholders are pleased with the final passage of zoning in the Town of Brookhaven that will allow for the development of mixed-use pedestrian-oriented retail centers. This zoning option, which has not been available in the Town since 1957, will legalize implementation of the vision created by the Mastics and Shirley communities 2 years ago.

On a related note, residents recently turned out in force at public hearings to support proposed roundabouts. These small, functional cousins of traffic circles are intended to make the road safer for pedestrians while improving traffic flow.

To learn more about the Mastic-Shirley vision, visit http://www.visionlongisland.org/projects/proj_mastic.htm

To learn more about the new zoning category, check out this page on the Town of Brookhaven's Website

HUNTINGTON STATION

An Historic Redevelopment

Rob Ripp, Chairman of the Huntington Economic Development Corporation recently wrote to report that the Huntington ZBA has approved the Economic Development Corporation's application for the Northridge Street Site on New York Avenue in Huntington Station . This landmark approval heralds the first new commercial development that fits the historic "village" that once existed in Huntington Station .

The building will be crafted in the image of the Huntington Station Firehouse that once existed across the street. It will incorporate approximately 15,000 square feet of new retail and cultural space on its two floors. The EDC is now in the process of selecting an architect and expects that plans, building department approvals, and a developer will be selected during the first half of 2005.

LAKE RONKONKOMA

Community Turns Out to Shape a Vision for Portion Road
Vision Long Island has been working with Suffolk County, the Town of Brookhaven and the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization to plan a charrette for a stretch of Portion Road (CR-16) in Lake Ronkonkoma. The primary issue facing this region is a controversial road widening proposal.

The event finally occured last October when over 600 community stakeholders came together to craft a vision that will serve as a basis for transportation and land use planning along the corridor. The work products were extraordinarily well received by local civic organizations, the chamber of commerce and Town and County officials.

Learn more from the http://www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org/vision.html

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LONG ISLAND NEWS

Rauch Foundation Launches the Long Island Index 2005

Business, government and community leaders recently gathered together at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for the formal release of the Long Island Index 2005: Working Together in New Ways for Long Island's Future. The Rauch Foundation is pleased to announce that the recent report "suggests that Long Islanders now fully understand the threats to our economy and communities due to the lack of affordable housing and a majority of them support government action and new land use policies to correct this problem."

Learn more about the Long Island Index at www.longisland index.org

Nassau County Executive Unveils His Vision for the Nassau Hub

Late last month, County Executive Tom Suozzi presented ambitious plans for the Nassau Hub, an area he has dubbed the "Nassau Centre". The Hub area is bordered by Hempstead Turnpike (NY-24) to the south, Clinton Road to the west, Old Country Road to the north and Merrick Avenue to the east. It includes such key locations as the Nassau Coliseum and Hofstra University.

Vision Long Island has been working with the County, the Long Island Neighborhood Network, the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce and others to help shape and advance these proposals. The broad array of features presented by Suozzi included new office buildings, tourist attractions such as a zoo at Eisenhower Park and improvements to Museum Row, corridor revitalization, a greenbelt, and a needed new transit system.

Said Suozzi, "We will concentrate on strengthening our downtowns, encouraging investment in our emerging minority commercial districts, recycling our Brownfields, and addressing our traffic woes in the short-term as we plan for a new, streamlined transit system for the Nassau Centre."

Check out the press release at Nassau County's website

Suffolk County Executive's State of the County Addresses Yaphank Site

In his recent State of the County address, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy suggested bold proposals for a 400-acre county owned site in Yaphank. In addition to a call for recommendations for a major sports, recreation or entertainment complex on a portion of the property, he proposed setting aside a third of the site for the creation of a mixed-use, employer assisted workforce housing community with over 1,000 affordable units.

You can check out Levy's entire address here: http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/pressreleases.cfm?ID=1240&dept=19

Hillary Clinton and the Long Island Housing Partnership Discuss Suburban Evolution

On February 7th, hundreds of Long Islanders attended the Long Island Housing Partnership's annual symposium, which centered this year on Smart Growth concepts. US Senator Hillary Clinton and US Congressman Peter King moderated this discussion of brownfields, affordable housing, transportation, downtown revitalization and environmental preservation. At the event, Senator Clinton announced plans to introduce "SCORE" legislation that would provide financial incentives for the redevelopment of commercial corridors. A version of the bill will be sponsored by Congressman Peter King and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy in the coming months.

Update on the Draft Management Plan for the North Shore Heritage Area

Prepping Long Island for the public hearing portion, Newsday recently reported on the draft management plan submitted by the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area Planning Commission. The purpose of the Commission is to promote tourism and historic preservation in the North Shore Heritage Area, which encompasses the area north of Routes 25 and 495 from Great Neck to Orient Point.

This is the fist state-recognized heritage area on Long Island . Recommendations include a waterfront trail with additional access to the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay, improved recreational facilities, the creation of historic districts and the re-use of historic buildings. Comments from the public hearings will now be submitted to the state parks and municipalities for approval. Once approved, a non-profit organization will be formed to manage the trail with funds provided from private sources. Implementation of recommendations is anticipated to be a long term public-private endeavor.

Read the entire Newsday article at http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-lihero02x4132280feb02,0,1617499.story

Housing-Related Studies Stir Debate in Long Island , N.Y.

From the February 2 nd , Knowledgeplex Week in Review

Knowledgeplex gave Long Island national coverage with this report: In New York 's Suffolk and Nassau counties, officials vowed to advocate low-cost housing initiatives, citing a recent survey showing increasing support for affordable housing among Long Islanders, reported Newsday . According to the poll commissioned by the Rauch Foundation, two-thirds of the 805 Long Islanders surveyed said they would support government-sponsored affordable housing projects, despite concerns about traffic congestion and other potential impacts. Though one local leader saw the poll results as a "window of opportunity" for affordable housing initiatives, others questioned the respondents' truthfulness, the article said. Some people who say they back affordable housing may nevertheless oppose projects in their neighborhoods, a county official said.

Long Island policy groups disagree about whether "young adults continue to leave the region in droves," noted an article in the Long Island Business News . The 2005 Long Island Index cited the lack of affordable housing as a key reason that a fifth of Long Islanders aged 18-34 left the region from 1990 to 2000, the article said. But a report by the Long Island Regional Planning Board found no mass youth exodus. The area lost just 40 people in the 20-34 age group from 2000 to 2003, the board said. According to the article, the two groups studied different data sets, with the LIRPB attributing the decrease in young adults to fluctuating birth rates. However, the LIRPB still supports more affordable housing as a way to build a "balanced housing inventory," said the group's executive director."

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SMART GROWTH EDUCATION AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

California State to Offer Master's Degree Program in Urban Land Redevelopment
In preparation for the huge population growth and housing demand in the Sacramento region and all over California in the next 50 years, this fall California State University (CSU) Sacramento will launch an interdisciplinary master's degree program in "urban land development," which will examine subject issues from both private and government perspectives, helping educate "a new breed" of planning, construction, management and policy professionals, "able to profitably build in a way that discourages sprawl and promotes infill, livable and affordable development."
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4537&state=5

Event: Healthy Cities and Smart Growth: Planning for Healthier Communities
Berkeley , California April 21-22, 2005
Confirmed keynote speakers include Richard Jackson, MD, MPH and Robert Garcia, JD. Conference sessions will focus on the impact of the built environment on health and well-being; and how strategies of the Healthy Cities and Smart Growth movements are being used to improve community livability. Information: http://www.civicpartnerships.org/
Questions: (916) 646-8680.

Funds Available for Second Round of New York Main Street Program

The NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal wants you to know that they are working to stimulate down town preservation and revitalization by providing funds for mixed-use main street/downtown redevelopment.

Learn more here: http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/ocd/nofas/nofa10.htm

Opportunity: Preserve New York (PNY) Grant Program

From the From the Preservation Network News – Winter Edition

The Preservation League of NYS and the NYS Council on the Arts are now offering a 2005 Preserve New York (PNY) Grant Program to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations undertaking historic structure reports, historic landscape reports and cultural resource surveys. This year, the Preservation League is especially encouraging projects that link preservation to smart growth land use planning; neighborhood and “ Main Street ” revitalization; preservation initiatives along rural roads and other historic transportation corridors; and projects that involve the continued use of historic municipal buildings and historic bridges.

A total of $76,600 is available and will be split among all three project types. Grants are likely to range between $3,000 and $15,000 each. Applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, May 2, 2005. To view the full guidelines, please visit the League's website at http://www.preservenys.org/fundingnyscaguidelines.htm. Applicants will be notified by mail in September, 2005.

Record Breaking Homeless Grant

From the Long Island Press

Nearly $11.2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program will be distributed to more than 2,000 homeless LI individuals through 37 different agencies. The funding is "the largest Nassau and Suffolk counties have ever received," according to Joan Noguera, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless (NSCH), which coordinates the annual grant applications. The grant monies will be used to acquire housing, provide mental health and substance abuse treatment, vocational training, job placement services and more. NSCH is a not-for-profit advocacy and information/referral organization for agencies.

Reviving Traditional Communities: Products, Practice, Profits

From the Preservation Network News – Winter Edition

The 2005 Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference will take place in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , April 27 -30. Keynote speaker Tom Hylton, author of Save Our Land, Save Our Towns, will describe the importance to reshaping our attitude about the way we live on the land and the public policy that reflects that attitude.

Learn more about the conference at http://www.traditionalbuildingshow.com/index.shtml

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NEWS FROM THE NATION AND BEYOND*

Waterfront, Industrial Redevelopments Gain Momentum

From the February 2 nd , Knowledgeplex Week in Review

Tourism opportunities, as well as the historic preservation and smart growth movements, are among several factors fueling urban waterfront redevelopments across the United States , reported Public Management . Sixty-nine of the country's 75 largest cities are "on a significant body of water," the article said. The success of waterfront projects depends on a realistic development schedule that generates investment and public support, "yet still prevents important elements from slipping through the cracks," the article said. Key considerations include incorporating safeguards for areas prone to natural disasters, understanding different development regulations, and ensuring public access to and public views of the water, the article said.

Though many cities have been redeveloping industrial land along their waterfronts, "landlocked" Atlanta is pursuing another kind of "industrial reclamation," reported the Christian Science Monitor . The city plans to incorporate old railroad beds, quarries, creeks, and reservoirs into a park-and-trail loop stretching 22 miles. The 2,544-acre "beltline," which would also include affordable housing near bike trails and a light rail line, would cost about $20 million, said the project's designer, a professor of architecture at Yale. Though he expects bond sales on special taxing districts to supply most of the funds, "some experts worry about expensive toxic cleanups and other unexpected costs," the article said. Still, many residents welcome the opportunity for more green space in the city, the article said.

ABC News and TIME Magazine to Report Special Series on Traffic on American Roadways

Dan Burden of Walkable Communities recently passed on the news that beginning Sunday, February 13 th , ABC News and TIME Magazine will report a special series on traffic on America 's roadways. Reports will be featured throughout "Good Morning America Weekend," "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," "World News Tonight Sunday," "Good Morning America," "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings," "Nightline" and "World News Now." Additionally, ABC News Now , ABC News Radio and ABCNEWS.com will focus on the topic throughout the week and ABC affiliates nationwide will participate in this special coverage.

Peter Jennings will also anchor "World News Tonight" from Houston , Denver and Seattle February 14-17. From the road, Mr. Jennings will report on some of the unique traffic challenges facing these communities.

For more details, check out ABC's Full Press Release at trafficcoverage

SGA report links inefficient land use to wildlife habitat loss, species extinction
From the January 2005 Smart Growth America Newsletter

The “Endangered by Sprawl” report, co-released on January 12 by Smart Growth America, NatureServe, and the National Wildlife Federation, extensively details how the rapid consumption of land in the nation's fastest-growing large metropolitan areas could threaten the survival of nearly one out of every three imperiled species. If the development of natural areas continues at its current pace, most essential wildlife habitat will be lost within the next twenty years. This ground-breaking report has been covered by the Associated Press, the Oregonian, the Miami Herald, CBS, and many others. For a copy see http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/ .

Momentum building for “Complete Streets”
From the January 2005 Smart Growth America Newsletter

For many years, advocates for more livable, walkable communities have been pushing transportation planners and engineers to provide “routine accommodation” to people on foot, bicycle or public transportation, rather than designing urban streets as mere sewers for cars. A Jan. 7 meeting in Washington, DC, among representatives from the advocacy, planning and engineering realms probed the idea of a major campaign to advance the concept of “complete streets”. While the idea is still taking shape, complete streets would be those corridors that offer a full range of transport options; connect to a network that offers route and mode choices; are fully accessible to all, including kids, seniors and those with disabilities; and are key contributions to an improved public realm. Expect to hear that phrase more often in the months and years to come as a growing array of organizations lines up behind a campaign to “Complete the Streets” . For more on the complete streets concept and the campaign, visit http://www.americabikes.org/bicycleaccomodation_factsheet_completestreets.asp , or contact Barbara McCann at bmccann@verizon.net

New Report: Growth in auto travel slowing as demand for other modes increases
As if to give an assist to the Complete Streets campaign, a new report finds that toward the end of the century per capita automobile travel and vehicle ownership stopped growing in the U.S. , and started to decline after 2000. Thanks to a combination of factors, an increasing portion of the population will need or prefer to rely on alternative modes such as walking, cycling, ridesharing, public transit, telework and delivery services, according to "The Future Isn't What It Used To Be: Changing Trends And Their Implications For Transport Planning” from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. See the report here-- http://www.vtpi.org/future.pdf

COLORADO
Durango Infill Project Reflects Nationwide Trend Toward City Center Living
"Sprawl is out, infill is in" for Durango -- the southwestern high-plateau city of some 15,000 -- reflecting a nationwide trend toward living and working in city centers, a trend fueled as much by rising land and gas prices as changing lifestyles.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4538&state=6

FLORIDA

New Partners for Smart Growth, SGA's coalition members meet in Miami
From the January 2005 Smart Growth America Newsletter

It was a busy and exciting week for supporters of well-planned communities across the nation, as they gathered in Miami for the 4th annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference Jan. 27-29. This years theme was Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities. On the Tuesday just ahead of the conference, SGA's coalition of national, state and local advocacy groups will convened the first mass meeting of their diverse constituency base.

Local Officials Consider Price Controls, Set-Asides

From the February 2nd , Knowledgeplex Week in Review

To boost the supply of affordable housing, Sarasota County, Fla., commissioners may limit profits from the sale of homes created under the county's affordable housing programs if they are resold within 10 years, reported the Sarasota Herald-Tribune . The price cap would apply to the owners of affordable units that developers set aside in exchange for density bonuses. It would also apply to buyers who use county down payment assistance. Owners of affordable homes resold within the first year could earn "a 2 percent profit plus the value of any home improvements," the article said. The allowed profit would increase for each additional year the home is owned. Though the commissioners are reluctant to impose profit controls, escalating real estate prices are forcing them to act, the article said.

During a recent hearing, Chicago housing advocates urged the City Council to pass an amended inclusionary zoning ordinance, reported the Chicago Tribune . Under the measure, developers of projects with 10 or more housing units would have to set aside 15 percent of the units as affordable or pay $100,000 per required unit to a trust fund, the article said. An earlier proposal sought a 25 percent set-aside, the article said. The law, which would apply to rehabilitation projects and condominium conversions as well as to new complexes, would offer density bonuses and other incentives to developers. According to supporters, the city needs more housing for renters who are displaced when their buildings are converted into condos. Opponents contend the measure would hurt affordable housing efforts and unfairly burden developers, the article said.

GEORGIA
Fulton County "Lifestyle Center" Would Bring Mixed-Use Design to the Suburbs
In another sign of urban mixed-use concept viability in the suburbs, shopping mall developer Thomas Enterprises plans its $250-million "lifestyle center" -- the 65-acre "Forum at Alpharetta" in affluent north Fulton County at the rim of metro Atlanta -- to include 759,000 square feet of retail space, some 527,000 square feet of mid-rise office and hotel space, about 560 condos and townhouses, decked parking and ample parkland.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4540&state=11

HAWAII
Reduction of Impact Fees Central to Debate Over Oahu's Affordable Housing Crisis
Alarmed by Oahu's median home-price jump from $295,000 to $505,000 since 2000, Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties managing director Scott Bradley opined in The Honolulu Advertiser that the island should fight its affordable housing crisis by removing "the artificial" development costs "created by impact fees, taxes and an inefficient approval process" and by following the smart growth examples of the Ward and Kakaako districts, while protecting its environment-dependent quality of life.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4541&state=12

MARYLAND
Residents Seek Alternatives to Widening Howard County's Route 32 After State Sets Funds for Preliminary Work
With vehicle and accident numbers more than doubled within eight years on the two-lane nine-mile stretch of Route 32 in a Howard County rural area protected from fast development, the three-member state Board of Public Works, now including Republican Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., exempted the road from the state's 1997 smart growth law last year, and the governor just budgeted the first $29 million for its widening in 2007 -- the prospect feared by many residents and the exemption challenged in court by 1,000 Friends of Maryland.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4544&state=21

MINNESOTA
Minneapolis Reports Strong Demand for Service on 6-Month-Old Hiawatha Light-Rail Line
In the first six months of the 12-mile Hiawatha light-rail line from downtown Minneapolis south to Forth Snelling, the international airport, Bloomington and Mall of America -- its eight-mile and four-mile segments opened in late June and early December, respectively -- Metro Transit recorded 2.9 million boardings, 106 percent more than projected before construction.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4546&state=24

RHODE ISLAND

Lender Assists Nonprofit Developers

From the February 2 nd , Knowledgeplex Week in Review

An organization in Woonsocket , R.I. , became the first client of a new statewide loan program for nonprofit affordable housing developers, according to a column in The Providence Journal . The program, sponsored by Citizens Bank of Rhode Island , will lend $6.9 million to the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation to build a complex of rental town homes and commercial space. The 25-year loan, which carries an interest rate of 3 percent for the first three years, has helped secure funding from several other sources, the article said. According to bank officials, about a dozen nonprofit projects in Rhode Island are under review. Citizens Bank "intends to offer similar loans to nonprofit developers throughout New England ," the article said.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mid-Atlantic Visioning Session Looks at Regional Solutions for Expected Growth in D.C. Area
"We need to plan for the future, or let it run over us," said Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Hagan at the regional Reality Check visioning session held by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Smart Growth Alliance in Washington, D.C.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4550&state=9

INTERNATIONAL NOTES
Victoria Transport Policy Institute Updates Resource Library With Mobility Management Research Papers
Its problem-solving motto being "work smarter, not harder," the independent Victoria Transport Policy Institute, British Columbia, invites officials, activists, fellow-researchers and others to take advantage of its new resources, which include nine in-depth papers on mobility management, the top one entitled "The Future Isn't What It Used To Be: Changing Trends And Their Implications For Transport Planning."
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4551&state=54

Winnipeg Columnist Cites Public Transit Foe in Ridiculing Bus, Light-Rail Rapid Transit Systems
Apparently unaware of comprehensive research by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute (BC) and dismissive of local work by Mayor Sam Katz's rapid transit task force, Winnipeg Sun (Manitoba) columnist Tom Brodbeck places his trust in Oregon economist and avowed public transit foe Randal O'Toole, who told attendees at a Winnipeg luncheon he "can't think of anywhere in the world where it makes sense to build light rail."
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4552&state=54

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* Special thanks to Smart Growth Online who, except where otherwise noted, provides the National and International Smart Growth updates. The ULI's Smart Growth News is another priceless resource that we rely on and highly recommend.

For more information about Vision Long Island, please visit http://www.visionlongisland.org or contact us at:

Vision Long Island

24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One

Northport , NY 11768

(631) 261-0242 Fax: (631) 754-4452

info@visionlongisland.org

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