CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION IS FREE OF CHARGE - TRI-STATE REGIONAL CONFERENCE c/o Regional Plan Association 235 East 45th Street New York, New York 10017, 71-095 559' 50% Non-Profit Org. U. S. Postage NEW YORK, NY. TRI-STATE REGIONAL CONFERENCE Connecticut New Jersey New York■ TUE: WHY A TRI-STATE PLANNING The economy of the Connecticut-New Jersey-New York Region is sagging. Urbanization has spilled over as much countryside in 25 years as in the previous 300. The quality of the environment remains under siego: flood plains and wetlands are still built on; auto trips continue to increase while transit trips decline, and the Region's energy prospects remain uncertain. Socially, the Region is more divided than ever between those who cannot afford to move from the older cities and those who have left the cities and don't want to look back. And despite a decline in population in the Region as a whole--the first time in more than 300 years-there is inadequate housing Solving these and other critical problems requires a long-range, regional view. At the same time, the federal government has found its grants to states and localities may conflict with each other wastefully and thus has required a planning review process before many federal grants will be made. Congress also has required stringent air and water quality controls, which affect land use and transportation. A regional planning framework is essential to tie all these programs together. The Region is at a crossroads. Must the economy continue to decline? Must the cities fall while urban sprawl continues? How much environmental improvement can we afford? Where and how can new housing be built? These are key questions to be addressed at the Tri-State Regional Conference. CONFERENCE PROCEDURE After an overall view of regional policy issues is given in the plenary session, conference participants can then choose one of SDAY, MARCH 2, 1976 THE NEW YORK HILTON HOTEL☐ 53rd Street and Avenue of the Americas, New Yo six morning panels where they will receive a more intensive examination of specific topics. Each panel will be focused on a major regional issue and will include a presentation by a Commis ⚫sioner of Tri-State Regional Planning Commission. State planning responsibilities and interstate cooperation will be the theme of the luncheon presentations. New York Governor Hugh L. Carey will deliver the main address. In the afternoon, conference participants will have an opportunity to face the morning panel of the subject which especially interests them for an exchange of ideas. They will have an opportunity to fill out individual questionnaires after the discussion. Also, for those participants interested in special topics, such as social planning and the A-95 process, there will be a number of workshops led by members of the Federal Regional Council. NEXT STEPS Preparations for this Tri-State Regional Conference bega during fall 1975 with a series of local meetings, sponsored by Ti State Regional Planning Commission, to obtain public official and civic leaders' views on regional issues. These meetings helpe form this Conference program. The results of the Conferenc will be used to guide the work priorities of Tri-State and the oth sponsors. Tri-State's objective is to encourage greater public awarene and understanding of regional issues and some possible solution In addition to this Conference, a Citizen Advisory Panel, consis ing of six members from each state has been appointed by th governors. 2:30-4:00 P.M. PARTICIPATION AND EXCHANGE SESSIONS This will be your opportunity to question the experts and complete a written questionnaire. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: WHO SHOULD BEAR THE COSTS? OMB CIRCULAR A-95: Chairman: Discussion Leader: Beekman Room Second Floor Mrs. Lee Goodwin, Commissioner S. William Green, Regional Administrator U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mercury Ballroom Trianon Ballroom Third Floor Sutton Ballroom -North Second Floor HOUSING: HOW MUCH, WHERE, AND HOW? Chairman: и Alfred Del Bello John E. Corrigan, Director of the Atlantic Regional Office, U.S. Economic Development Administration David Sive James F. Young Although the tristate region surrounding New York City is the locus for major activities in regard to discriminatory land development practices, and despite the fact that major national civil rights organizations have housing officers and programs situated in New York City, the conference program was totally silent in regard to issues of creating equal housing opportunities. The omission to include consideration of the issue only demonstrates that HUD is not acting affirmatively. Had HUD wished to make the issue a primary one for consideration in the development of regional planning policy, it could have made the issue a part of their program, and it chose not to do so. Mr. BADILLO. Mr. Chairman, I want to point out that this is a very serious issue here, because the conference was paid for by HUD. It took place at the New York Hilton. There were about 3,000 people there, a very expensive conference that none of us could afford to carry out. We had requested-the NAACP and others that some of us be panelists, and we were told that we could sit in the audience and make comments after the panelists got through. So I feel that that conference in itself was a discriminatory use of funds in order to provide a forum to those who would continue the existing policies. Certainly the right to listen to what the others were saying and then to ask a question was not, I think, compliance with the law. Mr. EDWARDS. Who were the panelists? What kind of people were the panelists? How were they chosen? MS. BROOKS. They really were heads of State, community—well, I can tell you what some of them were. Mr. BADILLO. One of them, Mr. Chairman, was Mr. Sternlieb, who was quoted as saying that in his opinion New York City is dead. We pointed out to him at that time that, as far as we knew, there were about 8 million people living in New York City. But his attitude was that there was nothing to discuss as far as New York City was concerned because it is dead. The other was Mr. Roger Starr, who has suggested that we begin a program of planned reduction, whereby we deliberately level all the slum areas, including, I might add, my entire congressional district. Mr. EDWARDS. Your opponent mentioned that to me the other day. Mr. BADILLO. Of course, the problem is that the poor people there are only going to move to other districts, so eventually you would have to level all of New York City and its surrounding communities. The other one participant, of course, is a member of the Emergency Financial Control Board, Mr. Ellinghaus, who has said that he wants to abolish rent control, close down the municipal hospitals, and impose tuition on the City University. These are examples of the kinds of members there were on the panel, but no corresponding figures were invited who could present an alternate approach to the problems. The point is that we would have no objection if such people wanted to have a conference at the Hilton at their own expense. But if it is being paid for by the taxpayers, then that is a different problem. Mr. DAVIDOFF. I would like to just add a word about that conference. Not to deal with the issue at a time when it was recognized in |