AKRF

AKRF is a highly-respected, multi-disciplinary provider of environmental, planning, and engineering services. Working with both public and private clients, they offer a full range of analyses for urban, suburban, and rural development. Their Long Island office has been involved in various projects in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Learn more at their website.

Become a Supporter of Smart Growth

Vision Long Island prides itself on having a broad range of supporters.  Become one today. A donation as small as $50 buys outreach materials to help a community build support for their vision. $500 sponsors an entire newsletter.  $5,000 makes you a lead sponsor of our Smart Growth Summit, buying 10 tickets and a key branding opportunity for your organization.
 
Your tax-deductible donation goes directly to Vision and lets you help strengthen efforts to put Smart Growth principles into action.

2009 Smart Growth AWards Winners Announced

Vision Long Island is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Smart Growth Awards!

This year's winners represent the great progress that has been made toward achieving Smart Growth solutions for Long Island communities. Especially in light of recent economic challenges, the six projects honored this year are either approved or built; the two plans have the full support of the local municipality; and the three organizations/individuals have a long record of accomplishment. These eleven honorees were chosen out of the nearly fifty submissions received this year.

The 2009 Smart Growth Awards will take place on Friday, June 19th from 11:30am-2:00pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club. Sponsorship packages are available. Be sure to register for the Awards by visiting www.visionlongisland.org and downloading a registration form. For more information, you can also contact our office at (631) 261-0242 or email info@visionlongisland.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

To read about past winners or to find out more about the Awards, visit our website here.

SAVE THE DATE! Register Today!
2009 Smart Growth Awards
Friday, JUNE 19TH
11:30am-2:00pm
CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB
WOODBURY, NY

Vision Co-Hosts Green Business, Investment, and Infrastructure Summit

Last Friday, April 24th, Vision Long Island joined with Good Harvest Financial Group and the new Sustainability Institute at Molloy College to host an action-packed morning at the Molloy College annex in East Farmingdale. The Green Business, Investment, and Infrastructure Summit featured two panels and was followed by a meeting of the Long Island Smart Growth Working Group. Drawing 200 local leaders from diverse fields, the morning proved to be a great success in bringing people together to learn about green issues impacting Long Island today.

The first panel focused on green business and investment. Moderated by Vision President and Good Harvest Financial Director Ron Stein, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli led the panel. He discussed his agency's Green Initiative to be a model for others: by greening the Office of the State Comptroller's building and operations, the agency will have more integrity when suggesting green policies in agencies they may regulate.

The Sustainability Institute's Neal Lewis spoke next, giving a clear and simple guide to greening companies, as business leaders in the audience furiously took notes: do little things first like printing double-sided, using green cleaning products, and using energy-efficient light bulbs. The next step would be to form a committee to look at the bigger things such as building retrofits, including doing an energy audit. Robert Coughlan of TRITEC Real Estate followed with the real estate perspective, focusing on cost-benefit analyses on creating a green building (new or retrofitted). Coughlan highlighted the huge energy savings that could come from incorporating LEED-type building designs. The only problem in today's market is tangibly demonstrating that those savings will take place down the road, as business owners may only see the price tag in front of them. Ariane Van Buren of CERES and the Investor Network on Climate Risk looked at some of her work in green investment, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change. By enticing investors to put their money into green companies, those companies will get support and will more quickly see returns from their green investments.

The second panel of the morning looked at green infrastructure. It was moderated by Vision's Eric Alexander and featured U.S. Congressman Tim Bishop, who gave an overview of stimulus funds coming to Long Island and what they can be used for. Beyond the stimulus, there will also be opportunities through SAFETEA-LU and the federal budget. Bishop hailed the importance of federal help in these vital infrastructure projects, citing the example of the Greenport sewage treatment plant: a $4 million project for a community of 3,000 residents. Imagine the tax implications without federal aid! Stimulus funds are lowering the burden of local governments, improving communities, and helping the environment.

Next, "infrastructure czar" Tim Gilchrist (Senior Advisor for Infrastructure and Transportation for the NYS Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet) spoke about the State process for handling the stimulus and the effort in making it a transparent process. Check out recovery.ny.gov, where you can see the thousands of projects have been proposed and reviewed and where you will soon be able to see summary pages for sections of the 500+ page stimulus bill.

NYPA Chairman Richard Kessel spoke next, discussing the energy portion of the stimulus and how the rest of New York State could benefit. Long Island has an opportunity here to lower project costs while implementing energy efficiency components.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment's Adrienne Esposito finished up the panel by bringing in the public's perspective on the stimulus. People want jobs to get out of the recession and want to see what we will get to help our lives. The public will be behind these projects if they are incorporated into the process. As Esposito said, the public is not afraid of change; they're afraid of the wrong change.

After some vibrant discussion and networking, the morning continued with a meeting of the Long Island Smart Growth Working Group. The group meets quarterly to discuss state policies that will affect Smart Growth development on Long Island. The group is organized by Vision Long Island, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Neighborhood Network, Regional Plan Association, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, LI Federation of Labor, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, and many others.

This meeting featured representatives of the NYS Department of Transportation (Region 10 and Albany office), who presented an update on the Vision Plan for a Green Route 347. Representatives included Mark Bocamazo, Margaret Conklin, Heather Sporn, Robb Smith, and Phyllis Elgut. Green 347 will focus on a 15-mile strip of Nesconset Highway, stretching from the end of the Northern State Parkway to Route 25A in Port Jefferson. It includes lowering the speed limit, creating and enhancing sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists (a "shared use" path), "Parks to Ports and Harbors," which would highlight the area's nearby assets, narrower lane widths, shorter street crossing distances and longer crosswalk times, a median designed for pedestrians, and even an effort to improve transit options along the corridor.

Comments from attendees were overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the project's Smart Growth qualities: "Where do I sign up?" asked one civic leader; this is a "livable community dream" said an attendee; it's a "breath of fresh air" said another. You can learn more about the plan and view their power point here.

Demystifying SAFETEA-LU

Now that the stimulus funds are moving, it is time to turn our national attention to the reauthorization of the transportation bill. SAFETEA-LU, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, is the fancy name for the national surface transportation bill that is set to expire on September 30, 2009. The 2005 bill is the largest such investment in our nation's history, providing $244.1 billion for improving safety and efficiency on highways and in public transportation.

As the bill comes up for reauthorization, there is a vital opportunity for investment in mass transit. Transportation advocates have been working tirelessly to get Congress to increase its investment, which would be used in large part to improve the nation's rail infrastructure. Prospects have been looking bright, but time will tell how the bill fares.

In a recent post in Streetsblog, author Yonah Freemark explores "What's Wrong With SAFETEA-LU, and Why the Next Bill Must be Better." Essentially, this is a simplified but thorough guide to this complex piece of legislation, which many feel in the past has focused too much on highway spending and too little on transit.

Anyone following transportation investments over the next year will want to read it; Vision will certainly be referencing it in the coming months!

Lighthouse Project Gets Vision Long Island's Support

Vision Long Island advocates for “Smart Growth” planning and development that includes: a mix of land uses; compact building design; a range of housing choices; walkable neighborhoods; attractive communities with a strong sense of place; preservation of open space; infill development; a variety of transportation choices; decisions that are predictable, fair, and cost effective; and encouraging community and stakeholder collaboration in the development process.

Read the full letter here.

See more coverage in Newsday articles online here and here.

In another Lighthouse related development, it seems as though Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi's plan for a bus line connecting the site to the Mineola LIRR station is at a temporary standstill. The National Environmental Review Act requires that new bus lines be reviewed, which can take up to two years. To get around this delay, the Federal Transit Administration could look this as an extension of the preexisting N24 bus line. Suozzi wants $5.7 million in stimulus money for 14 new eco-friendly buses. Learn more at NY League of Conservation Voters' blog.

Vision's Op-Ed Published in Long island Business news

Vision Long Island's Executive Director, Eric Alexander, recently published an op-ed in Long Island Business News, highlighting the leaps and bounds that Smart Growth has taken recently, especially in the light of the economic recession that has hit the housing and commercial development markets particularly hard. He notes:

"Recent federal funding and legislation can make the smart-growth vision more attainable but our county and state leaders need to let local communities lead the way.

Suburban expansion has been hit hard by the current recession and consumer preferences. Across the country, growth rates in outer suburban areas have dropped to an anemic 1.6 percent, the lowest we have seen. The flip side is that 50 percent of folks want to live near town centers, according to a poll by the National Association of Realtors, the highest in this survey since its inception.

By a two-to-one margin folks would rather have investments in mass transportation than in road building. In addition, not one new indoor mall has been built in the past two years ANYWHERE in the country, whereas during the ‘90s, 19 were built each year. To put an exclamation point on this, the second-largest mall builder in the country just filed for bankruptcy.

The trend is toward folks living in smaller housing, near transit, closer to their jobs and seeking amenities associated with town and village-style living, versus those of traditional suburbia. On Long Island, the drop in building permits for single-family homes and the increase in applications for multifamily apartments, condos and plans for new town centers mirror these trends.

President Obama just announced a bold initiative for high-speed rail as well as new initiatives on climate change. Federal support for smart growth and green infrastructure is likely to increase in the coming years.

Gov. David Paterson has been to Long Island announcing funding for transportation, energy, infrastructure and housing, including $300 million for road improvements, traffic calming and one ferry operation. Investments in the Metropolitan Transit Authority include $1.2 billion that is for the overall system and capital budget. Another $24.5 million was put forward by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants directly to municipalities."

Read the full article here.

Free Mass Transit in St. Louis?

St. Louis transit advocates have proposed a crazy idea: free mass transit! Though idealistically this sounds both awesome and completely impractical, several groups have developed a sound rationale for the plan, complete with financial data to back it up.

St. Louis' transit system, similarly to the MTA and so many other national systems, is in the midst of a serious budget crisis. Rather than impose a devastating fare hike, groups are looking to free transit as a stimulus measure.

The Wall Street Journal's Market Watch says of the idea: "This is not as far-fetched as it looks. On average, the fare box covers only one-third of the cost of a typical mass transit ride. The rest is made up with dedicated taxes, subsidies from state and local governments, and tolls." In St. Louis, fares make up only about 20% of the total operating budget (about $44 million out of $220 million total). To make up the money lost, proposals include charging employers $1 per employee per day traveling to work, the equivalent of a wage increase of 12.5 cents per hour (which sounds similar to Richard Ravitch's payroll tax idea for the MTA). Additional funding sources could come from a sales tax of 1% as well as redistributing road spending for transit.

Cutting service and raising fares is not just a pain in the neck for commuters, but an infringement on quality of life and economic vitality. As the Market Watch editorial argues, "these systems are taking a very narrow view of their reason for being. They are looking at themselves the way a private business does -- balancing costs versus revenues...Instead, they should consider themselves in a broader context. They are organizations whose mission is more than simply transporting people from their homes to their offices in the morning and back in the evening. They exist to provide the best quality of life for everyone who lives in the regions they serve."

According to Saint Louis Urban Workshop's blog, "A fare-free system would likely see ridership increase 50% or more." This new perspective is uplifting: perhaps with a more positive approach to the future of mass transit (rather than normalizing the word "doomsday"), we can truly produce positive outcomes.

Read the Market Watch editorial here, and learn more at the St. Louis Urban Workshop's website.

Cul-de-sac Regulations in Virginia

For years, planners have used cul-de-sac as a symbol of all that is wrong with suburban sprawl. Though residents have a quiet street where their children can ride their bikes safely, the ramifications of these secluded homes include auto-dependence and long drives to get anywhere, congestion on overburdened main "connector" roads, difficulty for emergency response vehicles to navigate, higher costs for public services such as snow and trash removal, and social isolation from living in an enclave, just to name a few.

Now, the State of Virginia has taken proactive steps toward improving communities through street connectivity by imposing regulations on all new development. The Virginia Department of Transportation passed its Secondary Street Acceptance Requirements, which essentially forbids the construction of new cul-de-sacs.

According to an article in the Washington Post, "The Virginia Department of Transportation will only accept and maintain roads in future subdivisions if their street networks connect to street networks in abutting subdivisions or adjacent commercial developments. This is a big change from current neighborhood layout rules." Lane widths of secondary streets are to be narrowed in new developments to fight speeding: from 40 feet wide to 24 or 29 feet. Furthermore, the regulation requires that future subdivided streets be designed for pedestrians and for the environment. Sidewalks on at least one side of the street are required, even for rural areas. The narrower lane widths provide a natural sustainability strategy by reducing impervious surfaces and storm water runoff, while increasing groundwater absorption and retention.

For the VDOT and other public agencies, the Secondary Street Acceptance Requirements will reduce road maintenance costs as well as reduce traffic congestion: connected streets tend to spread traffic out, giving drivers more options to get around. Connectivity also naturally incorporates pedestrians, who cannot navigate a short distance if they are blocked by a dead-end cul-de-sac.

Some builders and homeowners are frustrated with this policy, arguing for the safety, security, and strong neighborhood identity fostered by their street layout. The Washington Post responds: "The perception that cul-de-sac homes are safer and more secure is a suburban myth, not reality. Most U.S. homes are not on cul-de-sacs. They sit on blocks in towns, cities and suburbs defined by rational street grids. Residents of these safe and secure neighborhoods, interconnected with other neighborhoods, enjoy a sense of community thanks to interactions enabled by their shared streetscapes."

These plans have been in the works for several years, taking into account public comments along the way. It was proposed by Governor Tim Kaine, who is now also Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and was unanimously adopted by the Virginia General Assembly in 2007. The rules went into effect in April, and all new subdivision plans in the state must comply after July 1st.

Read more at the Washington Post.

Island Wide Food Drive on May 9th

On May 9th, leave some non-perishable food items in a bag next to your mailbox and a mail carrier will bring them to Long Island soup kitchens, pantries, and shelters. This simple initiative is organized by United Way of LI, Island Harvest, LI Cares, the US Postal Service, the National Association of Letter Carriers, and several other organizations. "Stamp out hunger" by making a food donation! You can also volunteer to help on May 9th or May 11-14th to sort and pack food. To learn more about volunteering, or for more information, see their website.

Shop Local with the 3/50 Project

Pick three locally owned businesses that you would miss most if they went out of business. Stop in and say hello, then spend $50 or as much as you can afford to help keep them in business. This is the premise behind the 3/50 Project. For every dollar spent in a locally owned business, more money stays in the local economy than if that dollar was spent at a national chain or an online store.

If just half of employed Americans spent $50 at their 3 favorite local stores within a month, it would generate more that 42.6 billion dollars in revenue. Become a supporter and help keep our local economies healthy!

Neighbor to Neighbor Walk to Fight Wal-Mart this Saturday

Come out this Saturday, May 2nd, from 10am-1pm for a neighbor to neighbor walk against the proposed Wal-Mart store in East Patchogue. The Wal-Mart Free Coalition will be walking door-to-door, getting letters signed in support of the revocation of a zoning resolution that was passed by the Brookhaven Town Board in late March.

Wal-Mart must now produce a full environmental impact statement before moving forward.

Save Long Island downtowns! Join in this grassroots movement by donating a few hours toward the common good. Meet at the Island Grill Diner on Hospital Road. The organizers ask that you RSVP by emailing epwalmartfree@aol.com.

JANE JACOBS' LEGACY CELEBRATED IN JANE'S WALK MAY 2ND-3RD

Jane Jacobs is a legend in the planning world. Some would call her the anti-Moses (Robert Moses, that is), a staunch advocate for pedestrianized communities and dense urban living. Build mixed-use, she said, and communities will flourish. Build smaller blocks, she said, and there will be more opportunity for commercial and residential development, not to mention walkable communities with high quality of life. Most importantly, Jacobs believed in a community based approach to planning. She organized grassroots efforts to block urban renewal projects that would have decimated communities, such as Moses' Lower Manhattan Expressway. In 1961, her masterpiece The Death and Life of American Cities was published, and remains to this day one of the most widely read and praised planning books.

Now, community lovers throughout the U.S. and Canada are coming together to celebrate Jacobs' ideas with "Jane's Walk." Jane's Walk began shortly after Jacobs' death in 2006, when a group of her friends and peers organized to honor her legacy. Anyone can join in for one of several free neighborhood walking tours, with the intention of fostering connection to the built and natural environment, as well as to one another. Jane's Walk promotes urban literacy by combining insights into urban history, planning, design, and civic engagement. The walks are accessible, fun, and free. "It's about getting out and walking, observing your city, meeting your neighbors, discovering new areas, and learning about civic institutions and agencies that shape our urban existence. Jane's Walk helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership."

This year's Jane's Walk will take place on May 2nd and 3rd, with participating cities so far including New York City, Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C. Tours are generally kept under an hour and a half. You can also create your own walk--all you need is an enthused tour guide, a knowledge base of your neighborhood, and the capability to plan a route that is logical and wheelchair accessible. You do not need to be an expert on your neighborhood, but rather need to be passionate about it (and have some stories to back it up). More details can be found on the Jane's Walk website.

After all, as Jacobs once said, "No one can find what will work for our cities by looking at ... suburban garden cities, manipulating scale models, or inventing dream cities. You've got to get out and walk."

Learn more about Jane's Walk here.

Grand Opening of Harrison Hale Community Educational and Resource Center May 9th

On Saturday, May 9th at 1pm, join the Gordon Heights community for an auspicious event with the Grand Opening of the Harrison Hale Community Educational and Resource Center! Bishop Harrison Hale and the Harrison Hale/Gordon Heights Community Action Center will open the doors on a new, state-of-the-art community center for the residents of the Town of Brookhaven. Services at the center will include a summer youth enrichment program, GED classes, a computer lab, ESL classes, day care, a bicycle drive, referral service, a copy and print center, and more.

The center is located at 576 Granny Road in Medford, at the corner of Granny Road and Central Parkway. Be sure to come out and celebrate an exciting day for the community!

For more information, call (631) 698-8441.

2009 Human Rights Awards Honors Dick Koubek on May 14th

Congratulations to Vision Long Island ally and supporter Dick Koubek, who has won the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission 2009 Chairperson’s Award for Leadership in Human Rights. Dr. Koubek, who currently works with workers' rights organization Jobs With Justice, is being honored for his affordable housing advocacy work. He is also a member of LI CAN Huntington Fair Housing Committee and the Huntington Housing Coalition's Steering Committee.

To honor Koubek and the other award winners, the 2009 Human Rights Awards Dinner will take place on Thursday, May 14th at 5:30pm at the Stonebridge Country Club in Hauppauge. Tickets are $55, and more information will follow soon.

Do Immigrants Benefit Long Island's Economy?

On Tuesday, May 5th at 7:30pm, Long Island Jobs With Justice is presenting a debate on immigration issues facing Long Island entitled, "Do Immigrants Benefit Long Island's Economy?" Richard Koubek will take the position that yes, immigrants increase our productivity; while David Spritzen will take the position that no, they undermine our workforce. It is a goal of Long Island Jobs With Justice to support the rights of immigrant workers, though a larger ideological framework encompasses this goal.

President Obama announced that he would like to see immigration reform legislation by the fall. This program will help all of us struggling with this difficult issue by giving two points of view on such issues as: the impact of documented and undocumented workers on the LI economy, global economic policies on immigration, globalization and the rights of workers at home and abroad, immigrant wages, and the benefits and working conditions of LI workers.

The debate will take place at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church, 1434 Straight Path in Wyandanch.

Free Radiology Services for Long Island's Uninsured On May 17th

Once a month, Zwanger Pesiri Radiology is offering free radiological services to the uninsured. The Give Back Sunday program recognizes that countless Long Islanders do not have health insurance, and the recent economic downturn is putting even more people's health in jeopardy. On April 19th, Zwanger Pesiri Radiology launched the first Give Back Sunday: one Sunday per month, they are opening their office to provide services at no charge to disadvantaged and uninsured Long Island residents. They offer a full array of exams using the most advanced imaging equipment, including MRI, MRA, Breast MRI, CTA, Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT, Digital X-Ray, Digital Mammography, Barium Enema, Upper GI Series, Bone Density, Ultrasound, and Biopsy.

The entire program is staffed by volunteers, including radiologists, technologists, receptionists, etc. In turn, they are encouraging patients to donate their time and effort to other volunteer organizations. "The goal is to inspire more people to help each other on Long Island. This project will give the Zwanger Pesiri volunteers a true sense of pride and public service, but more importantly give people the diagnostic imaging studies they need and cannot afford." To be eligible, patients must have a doctor's referral, live in Nassau or Suffolk County, and not have health insurance.

The next Give Back Sunday will be on May 17th at 80 Maple Avenue in Smithtown. For more information, see their website. To schedule an appointment, please call the volunteer Give Back Sunday line @ 631-930-9460.

CNU 17 in Denver Runs June 10th-14th

Each year, the Congress for the New Urbanism hosts a multi-day conference on New Urbanism and Smart Growth. This year, CNU 17: "Experiencing The New Urbanism: The Convenient Remedy" will take place in Denver, Colorado from June 10-14. The weekend's expected attendees include 1,500 leaders from diverse fields who will participate in breakout sessions, lectures, tours of Denver, and great social and networking experiences.

Connect and collaborate with other New Urbanists, experience traditional urbanism firsthand through local tours, learn how practitioners are applying the Charter for the New Urbanism in the field, stay on the cusp of the latest New Urbanist trends, contribute your own ideas and experience to take New Urbanism to the next level, and learn about new products and the latest innovations at CNU exhibits. Denver will serve as a laboratory to explore in depth why New Urbanism is the "convenient remedy" to some of society's most pressing issues, including rising carbon emissions, unpredictable fuel costs, and a projected 50 million unit increase in demand for new residences by 2030, with demand growing fastest in walkable communities. Connect with new people, get your toughest planning questions answered, and take home specific strategies to apply these New Urban remedies.

Register online and see costs here. CNU members receive significant discounts.

Thursday's Child of Long Island Spring Gala set for June 17th

On Wednesday, June 17th from 6:30-9:30pm, Thursday's Child of Long Island presents their Spring Champagne Gala to benefit their new children's summer program, "A Day of Fun in the Sun at the Long Island Game Farm," part of an initiative called Safety Net Project which provides an array of family services designed to maintain medical care and personal dignity for HIV/AIDS patients. Thursday's Child is an HIV/AIDS community service charity that reaches out and provides assistance to hundreds of Long Island families each year who are living with this disease. This event celebrates 20 years of service to the community.

The gala will honor Long Islanders who have made unique contributions to Thursday's Child, including Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and members of the Suffolk County Legislature, Cameron Alden, Jon Cooper, Lou D'Amaro, Jack Eddington, DuWayne Gregory, and Lynne Nowick.

The fund raiser will take place at Flowerfield Celebrations, 199 Mills Pond Road in St. James. Sponsorships are available and individual tickets are $75-100. Call (631) 447-5044 or see the Thursday's Child website for more info.

African American Media Network Presents Strong Island Live June 24th-28th

The Long Island based African American Media Network will be hosting "Strong Island Live" music festival from June 24-28. Several days of live music performances will include gospel, rock, rap, R&B, jazz, blues, reggae, and salsa. These genres will compete for prizes including studio time, a music video, and cash.

Three performance locations in the area will air on channel 18. Bands must be live: no background CDs! To register or for more information, call 516-478-4334 or 516-503-6282, or see the website here.

Vision Long Island Seeking Summer Interns

Vision is excited to announce that we are looking for unpaid interns for Summer 2009! Our staff likes to say we "wear many hats," and interns will have to do the same. Interns will assist with planning, design, outreach, event planning, writing, research, attending meetings, reporting, photography, and more. Bring your unique skill set to the table! We are looking for energetic and conscientious individuals with an interest in planning from a bottom-up perspective. This is a valuable opportunity to work with great people and learn about the issues impacting Long Island.

Individuals and universities interested in learning more are encouraged to contact us at info@visionlongisland.org. You are welcome to include a resume and/or letter. Please put "Internships for 2009" in the subject heading.

Eyesore of the Month

This month, we thought we'd find something more amusing. We aren't sure if this is real or not, but if it is, it most certainly is an eyesore!

Sight for sore Eyes

Some urban planners in Japan have come up with an interesting solution to the overcrowded cities that many residents are facing. They have designed a city in a pyramid, complete with housing for 750,000 people and all of the necessary amenities to sustain a city.

However, if it were to fail, this could very easily turn into an eyesore!

Bicycle Rodeo in Sayville

This Saturday from 9am-11am, bring your kids to the Sayville Marina Park, located at the end of Foster Avenue, for a "Bicycle Rodeo." Hosted by AAA and the Town of Islip, the event celebrates the beginning of National Bike Safety Month and will help to educate kids in the community on how to stay safe on their bikes in the upcoming months.

Participants bring their own bikes and helmets and can have them checked by local bicycle technicians. Next, kids can ride through an organized course consisting of eight stations. Finally, they will be tested on a variety of skills and rules of the road. A parent or guardian must register their children in advance--the first 100 to sign up will get a free helmet. Prizes, awards, and refreshments will be distributed.

For registration forms or more information, call the Sports Office at (631) 224-5404.

First Friday Reception at The Artists in the Attic

On the first Friday of every month, The Artists in the Attic hosts its First Friday Reception at Yankee Peddler Antiques in Huntington Station. This month will be the last chance to see the work of resident artist Elena Soterakis before she leaves in June. Come on down this weekend for a celebration of local talent: Friday, May 1st from 5-8pm, 1038 New York Avenue. The event is free.

For more information, call (631) 271-5817.

In honor of National Preservation Month, we bring this week's closing words:

"We've treated old buildings like we once treated plastic shopping bags -- we haven't reused them, and when we've finished with them, we've tossed them out. This has to stop. Preservation must stand alongside conservation as an equal force in the sustainability game. More older and historic buildings have to be protected from demolition, not only because it affects our pocketbooks but more important because it threatens our environment. Let's face it, our free ride at the expense of the planet is over." - Diane Keaton

SMART GROWTH NEWS

Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications
Contributors: Eric Alexander, Executive Director; Tara Klein, Planning Coordinator;
Tawaun Weber, Director of Special Projects; Elissa Ward, Director of Sustainability; Juliana Roberts Dubovsky, Planning Consultant

We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.

For more information about Vision Long Island, visit http://www.visionlongisland.org or contact us at:
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One Northport, NY 11768. Phone: (631) 261-0242. Fax: (631) 754-4452.
Email: info@visionlongisland.org