May 13, 2005

Letter to the American Planning Association from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Dear Friends,

I deeply regret I am unable to be with you today for the final day of your 2005 Legislative & Policy Conference. As many of you know, today the Pentagon is announcing which military bases are being targeted for closing and relocation. So it is important that I be back in New York today.

I am especially disappointed that I cannot be with you because this annual conference is such an important opportunity for us to talk about the challenges facing our communities, solutions that are working and federal initiatives that are affecting planning.

For more than 25 years, APA has been at the forefront of regional planning. You have constantly strived to find new and creative solutions for America’s distressed neighborhoods. You look ahead to the needs of the next generation, and anticipate problems that are still around the corner.

You have already made such extraordinary contributions. APA is helping states to modernize statues that govern planning, zoning, subdivision control, and growth management all across America. Your Growing Smart guidebook of "best principles" has already inspired important reforms in many states.

Perhaps most importantly, APA recognizes the important role that private planning organizations must play in informing policy makers and shaping the debate at all levels of government.

I am pleased to support many policies that are also legislative priorities for APA in the 109th Congress. I am working hard in the effort to reauthorize and modernize our nation’s transportation laws. In the post-9/11 era, communities need to be vigilant and plan for safety and security. We need stronger disaster mitigation planning programs, and I am determined to press for them. At the same time, smart growth must not come at the expense of environmental protection.

And I am committed to fighting with you for adequate funding for the CDBG program, a vital tool through which local communities can receive the resources they need to help themselves.

One of the issues we in Congress are currently confronting, and on which we especially need the help of the planning community, is the state of our older suburbs. Many of our aging suburban communities — commonly called the "First Suburbs" — need help.

According to a report released last week by the Brookings Institution, over 50 million Americans — one in five — live in a First Suburb. These communities face a number of challenges including minimal population growth, relatively large elderly populations, shrinking household incomes, and increasing rates and concentrations of poverty.

Part of the problem is that many suburban communities do not qualify for many federal support programs because the programs determine whether a community is eligible on a countywide level. Because many suburbs incorporate at least small pockets of great affluence, the entire community fails to qualify for vitally needed assistance.

It’s time for the federal government to do more to help our First Suburbs — if we act now, we can improve matters before the condition of these communities deteriorates, and help becomes more expensive and less effective.

Yesterday, I introduced the SCORE (Suburban Core Opportunity, Restoration and Enhancement) Act in the Senate, which is a bill tailored to meet the mounting challenges of these suburban areas.

The SCORE Act would provide economic and tax incentives to revitalize First Suburb neighborhoods, create employment opportunities, develop housing, and expand business opportunities. The objective is to promote "smart growth" strategies that take advantage of existing infrastructure to ensure long-term development.

The keystone of the SCORE Act is a $250 million Reinvestment Fund that provides grants to eligible communities for smart growth initiatives. The SCORE Act promotes reinvestment and revitalization projects that stimulate public and private investment, collaborative planning, and citizen participation. It creates a "cycle of success," as thriving initiatives help fund new projects. In effect, the federal government provides seed money that will give communities the momentum to continually help themselves.

Private and public cooperation is a necessary element of First Suburb revitalization. That is why the SCORE Act structures partnerships among local governments and with the federal government.

Looking ahead, I know that we share a common vision: safe communities that nurture families, provide good jobs, offer good affordable housing, and quality public services. Good planning is the key to realizing the future of our nation. Good policy is impossible without good ideas from good planners. Your vision and your expertise will help ensure that our future success will be built by design.

I hope this conference continues in the grand successful tradition of years past, and I hope very much to be with you in person soon.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton