This was an interesting read because as I read “A Region at Risk”, it was easy to get caught up in the argument and narrative they were pushing. First of all, I had to keep reminding myself that this was written in 1996, and not more recently, and that they were writing in response to problems they saw back then. But, it was easy to get swept along by what they were saying about how “the economy faced new pressures from technology and global competition” and how the “communities were threatened by sweeping economic and demographic changes” (A Region at Risk, p 4). They even had me further nodding my head along with what they were saying when thy discussed the declining income and employment opportunities, since in another class we’ve been discussing the relationship between poverty and education, and how poverty is a major barrier for kids getting a good education. When they mentioned how our economy was threatened by technological developments and other factors, it made me think of the scene in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” where Charlie’s father was laid off from the toothpaste factory because he was replaced by machines. I was even worried when they described how the region’s quality of life is in decline (p 5).

It wasn’t until I read Professor Larson’s book that I realized I had fallen into the trap of believing everything I read and accepting what they asserted as fact. In his book, Professor Larson wrote “a challenge for promoters of any particular plan is to convince the greater public, by producing superior narratives, that theirs is the preferred vision for the future” (Larson p 59). They put together the narrative that the city was being threatened, and the success and future of the city depended on the city implementing their solutions. Just as how court trials are a competition between lawyers to put forth the most convincing narrative/story of what happened, so also do planners work to put forth the most convincing argument for why we need their plans to save the city. While I think the Third Regional Plan has valid points, such as we need improved schools, better regulation of land, and an economy that can keep up with the rest of the world, I do think they played on people’s fears and tried to manipulate them. I understand that they were still experiencing some effects of the 1989-1992 recession, and were worried about the future of the city, but I do not think the city was in as dire a situation as they claimed.

Professor Larson noted that “this elite group of globally oriented, predominately white-collar industry leaders recommended plan prescriptions and strategies that prioritized their needs” (p 67). I believe that the planners genuinely wanted to help the city and had good intentions, but I also think that they manipulated facts and policies to benefit themselves and/or their allies. I know it’s impossible to come up with a plan that would help everyone, but it seems even harder when all of the people researching the problem and proposing solutions are of the same demographics. At the same time though, I understand what they were trying to do and why. I agree with their assessment that not just one issue can be addressed individually at a time. I agree with their assessment that we must “rebuild the three “E’s” through investments and policies that integrate and build on our advantages, rather than focusing on just one of the “E’s” to the detriment of others” (A Region at Risk, p 6).

The RPA had a grim vision of what New York would look like, and I don’t think New York ended up as badly as they predicted. According to the U.S. Business Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates in 2015 decreased from what the were in 2014. Also, the hourly wages for certain jobs are higher in the New York area than the average wages for the United States. Although this is only looking at one year, out of the 20 years that have passed since the RPA published their third regional plan, I still like to think that this shows hope for the New York City area and that New York is more resilient than they thought. According to YIMBY, the fastest growing real estate trade publication in New York, New York City is growing much faster than anticipated, although the RPA expected NY to decline. I know that an increase in population doesn’t necessarily mean a city is flourishing, but I think it is a sign that the city is doing well, since people keep coming. The authors of YIMBY write “The greater New York region gained 526,443 people between 2010 and 2014” and that the city is “undergoing an urban renaissance”. One of the problems, though, is that the housing demand cannot keep up with the growth. I think the authors make a good point when they write “Continued growth is a good thing, but with over 20 million people now living in the New York metropolitan region, the city cannot keep moving forward without a comprehensive regional planning policy that covers infrastructure and housing in both New York and New Jersey.” I do not have any solutions to offer though.

 

http://www.bls.gov/regions/new-york-new-jersey/summary/blssummary_newyorkcity.pdf

http://newyorkyimby.com/2015/04/the-new-york-metropolitan-area-now-has-over-20-million-people.html