GOVERNOR SPITZER CREATES SMART GROWTH CABINET
Multi-Agency Working Group Will Promote Smart Growth as an Economic and Environmental Tool
Governor Eliot Spitzer today signed an Executive Order creating a Smart Growth Cabinet. The Cabinet will review state agency spending and policies to determine how best to discourage sprawl and promote smart land use practices. It will coordinate cross-agency activities and develop “smart growth” policies that cater to New York’s unique regional needs.
The Cabinet will consist of high-level policy-makers from various state agencies that have an impact on growth and development patterns, including representatives from the Empire State Development Corporation, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Transportation, Department of State, and Department of Housing and Community Renewal, among others.
“New York’s economy and environment are inextricably linked,” said Governor Spitzer. “Quite simply, smart growth is smart business. As our economy and population grow, it is vital that we ensure the development of vibrant, livable communities.”
Recognizing both the environmental and economic benefits of smart growth, the Cabinet will be chaired jointly by the Governor’s Deputy Secretary for the Environment Judith Enck and the Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Infrastructure Timothy Gilchrist. The Governor’s Smart Growth Cabinet will hold its first meeting in January 2008.
Smart growth is sensible, planned development that balances the need for economic development with the need to preserve and enhance our built and natural environment. Studies show that workers and businesses increasingly view quality-of-life and quality-of-place as major factors in deciding where to locate. In a recent study of New York businesses, the New York State Economic Development Council found that two quality-of-life factors were particularly influential in business location decisions – access to outdoor recreation and vibrant, livable urban centers.
In his first state budget, Governor Spitzer created a $2 million Smart Growth Fund in the state’s Environmental Protection Fund. Because smart growth applies differently to New York’s distinct regions, Governor Spitzer launched three region-specific smart growth initiatives, each addressing specific growth management challenges:
Governor Spitzer continued: “Smart Growth is a bottom-up process that relies on the active participation of the communities involved. My Smart Growth Cabinet will listen to local leaders and residents to find out what will work best for their communities, and then assist them in making smart growth a reality.”
Robert Yaro, President of the Regional Plan Association said: “This Executive Order moves New York into the vanguard of state smart growth initiatives across the country. The Executive Order will help New York achieve its economic development, affordable housing, land conservation and climate change goals.”
Marcia Bystryn, Executive Director of the New York League of Conservation Voters said: “With this Executive Order, Governor Spitzer is leading the way in tackling one of New York’s most complex challenges: urban sprawl. The loss of open space and the shifting of investment away from developed areas has had serious consequences for the state’s environment and economy. Governor Spitzer’s cutting-edge policy on smart growth will help create a stronger, more sustainable economy that protects our natural resources and quality of life.”
Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State said: “Governor Spitzer is setting a course for New York State that will result in significant reinvestment in our downtowns, Main Streets, and older neighborhoods. This initiative recognizes that state government must, and will, take the lead in capitalizing on our existing and historic buildings, neighborhoods and industrial cores as key components of efforts to foster economic growth, protect open space, and create healthy communities.”
Governor Spitzer has appointed several agency leaders with first-hand experience in smart growth: DOT Commissioner Astrid Glynn implemented Massachusetts’s smart growth program; Upstate Economic Development Chair Dan Gundersen worked on smart growth initiatives in Pennsylvania and Maryland; Deputy Secretary of State for Local Governments Robert Elliott, who advanced smart growth initiatives in the Hudson Valley as Mayor of Croton-on-Hudson and President of the New York Planning Federation; and DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, who advocated smart growth and sustainable development as a lawmaker for three decades.