Regional Plan Association is creating a plan for the next generation during an exceptional time. Income inequality is the highest it has been in decades, with regional numbers painting an even starker picture than national statistics. While racial segregation has decreased on average throughout the region since the 1990s, we remain one of the most racially segregated metropolitan regions in the country. Job growth has been strong in New York City, but many smaller cities and suburbs have had stagnant economies and rising poverty. Disparities among racial, ethnic and income groups continue to permeate many aspects of urban and suburban environments, from the quality of education that students receive, to the transportation options available to our region’s diverse workforce. And yet, the region remains a place where people come to earn a better life for themselves and their children, with recent evidence showing that a person born into poverty in the New York region has a better chance of getting ahead than in most other parts of the United States.
The regional plan will address how the natural and built environment of the region—its landscapes, water systems, housing, office and industrial facilities, land use and infrastructure—can support greater prosperity and economic opportunity, a more climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable region and healthier communities with a high quality of life for all its residents. To achieve this, the plan will need to intentionally promote the well-being of those who have been excluded from the region’s prosperity or face the steepest barriers to benefitting from its assets.
This is not simply a question of fairness and values. A growing body of evidence has shown that income inequality and segregation impede economic growth by preventing regions from developing the skilled workforce that drives the economy, creating inefficiencies in housing and labor markets, and adding to social costs and tax burdens.