APA Testifies on Census Data and Planning

On May 10, 2005, APA Executive Director Paul Farmer, AICP, testified on behalf of APA before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census, telling the subcommittee that public investment based on unreliable data and analysis may constitute a hidden tax in the form of higher costs for infrastructure. APA supported full funding for the implementation of the American Community Survey and detailed many of the important trends shaping the nation's cities and regions. APA called for further investment in improving federal data aimed for local planning and increasing support for training and capacity building.

The hearing's focus was on the use of census information and data in planning and its impact on urban policymaking. The hearing also examined the use of census data in the allocation of state and federal funding. Census and federal data issues are important to planning and APA. We will continue to work with Congress and the Administration on this important issue.

Subcommittee Chairman Michael Turner (R-OH) noted that good census data are essential to good planning. Chairman Turner noted in his remarks the tremendous economic and demographic changes in urban and inner-ring suburban areas. He asked Farmer numerous questions regarding planning and the use of data in encouraging urban reinvestment, particularly brownfields redevelopment. Rep. Turner was previously named APA's 2005 Legislator of the Year.

Paul Farmer's testimony (pdf)

Subcommittee's web page on the hearing

Resources

Image: APA Executive Director W. Paul Farmer, AICP, testifies before the subcommittee. Mitchell Silver, AICP, Deputy Director, Long Range Planning, District of Columbia Office of Planning is on the right.