RPA's 2010 Regional Assembly, "Innovation and the American Metropolis,"

Fri, 04/16/2010 - 8:00am

Innovations in technology and management are transforming our lives;
how are they changing our cities?

Tickets: $250 ea/general $225 ea/members
To register:
Mail payment to:
Regional Plan Association
4 Irving Place, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10003
or contact:
Rossana Ivanova
Tel: 212-253-5492. E-Mail: rivanova@rpa.org

This Regional Plan Association event considers innovative approaches to the design and management of cities, and asks how they can improve quality of life and economic competitiveness in our region. In the spirit of innovation, the Assembly will feature dynamic forums for discussion and opportunities for long-term partnerships that have regional and national implications.

The Regional Assembly is New York's premier public policy event, bringing together several hundred top business, civic, philanthropic, media, and government leaders from across the metropolitan region and nation. Each year the Assembly focuses on a priority issue. This year, we examine how the innovative spirit and creativity of urban America can build and sustain a better future for our cities.

THE DAY'S AGENDA
9:00 - 9:15
Welcome
Thomas K. Wright, Executive Director, Regional Plan Association
9:15 - 9:45
Morning Keynote
Richard Burdett, Centennial Professor in Architecture and Urbanism, London School of Economics, Founder and Director, LSE Cities Program
9:45 - 11:00
Plenary Panel
This panel will take an in-depth look at the role technology is playing in shaping better cities and regions, addressing how new policies and technologies will shape the New York region.
Moderator: Nicholas Thompson, Senior Editor, Wired Magazine
Christopher O. Ward, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Adolfo Carrión, Director, White House Office of Urban Affairs
Rob Atkinson, President & CEO of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
11:00 - 12:30
Morning Workshops
New Tools for Civic Engagement and Community Design
Building a Green Infrastructure
Innovation Economy
Smart Transportation: Changing Urban Mobility
12:30 - 1:30
Luncheon Program
Keynote Presentation
William A. McDonough*, Founder, William McDonough and Partners
1:30 - 3:00
Afternoon Workshops
Intelligent Infrastructure
Radical Housing
America's Energy Future
The Future of Intercity Transport
3:00 - 4:00
Cocktail Reception
*invited

WORKSHOPS
Smart Transportation: Changing Urban Mobility
Technology offers the potential for enhanced urban mobility, from integrated ticketing and smart cards for transit, to real-time congestion management. What opportunities exist for these innovations in the New York region, and how can they be implemented?
Moderator: Gerard M. Mooney, General Manager Global Government and Education, IBM
Scott F. Belcher, President and CEO, Intelligent Transportation Society of America
Christopher Dempsey, Director of Innovation, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Mark Norman, Chairman and Chief Operative Officer, Zipcar
The Honorable James Oberstar*, U.S. House of Representatives (D-MN), Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Thomas F. Prendergast, President, New York City Transit
Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation
Sponsored by IBM

The Future of Intercity Transport
Infrastructure investments in rail and air transportation have the potential to transform
travel between urban areas, making it possible to go farther, faster, and more reliably. The benefits of improved intercity transport will only be realized if smart decisions are made about how and where to invest, from capital improvements to innovations that maximize the efficiency of existing infrastructure through technology, pricing, and institutional coordination. Starting with the aviation challenges in the tri-state region, we will explore solutions including the next generation of air traffic control and the implications of a new, federal commitment to high-speed rail.
Moderator: Petra Todorovich, Director, America 2050, Regional Plan Association
Susan Baer, Director of Aviation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Hershel Kamen, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Policy, Continental Airlines
Joseph F. Marie, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation
The Honorable John L. Mica*, U.S. House of Representatives (R-FL)
The Honorable Jerrold L. Nadler, U.S. House of Representatives (D-NY)
Polly E. Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation
Sponsored by

Innovation Economy
The tri-state region has long thrived on its wits as legions of scientists, artists, financial wizards and entrepreneurs marketed their creativity in the form of innovative products and services. Our path to a sustainable recovery from the recession will depend on how well we harness these abilities to meet the challenges of a new global economic environment, including how we can retain and capitalize on our creative workforce, how we can best take advantage of new technologies, how we should balance regulation and risk in the finance sector, and how we should finance the next generation of infrastructure, housing, and workforce improvements.
Moderator: Robert D. Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association
Priscilla Almodovar*, Chief Operating Officer of Community Development Banking Business, JPMorgan Chase
Anthony R. Coscia, Chairman, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Paul E. Francis, Senior Vice President, Financial Products Group, Bloomberg LLP, RPA Board Member
John K. Halvey, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, New York Stock Exchange Euronext, RPA Board Member
Robert C. Lieber, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, New York City Mayor's Office
Sponsored by

Building a Green Infrastructure
Underfunded infrastructure, outdated management approaches, the pressures of urbanization, and changes in our climate are presenting significant challenges for the management of water and other vital resources. A fundamental shift is needed from traditional, heavily engineered and segregated approaches to systems that work with nature and provide multiple benefits. What are the prospects for green infrastructure? The Assembly will examine the challenges and opportunities for innovative approaches to environmental management in metro areas.
Moderator: James S. Polshek, Senior Design Counsel, Polshek Partnership Architects LLP, RPA Board Member
David J. Burney, Commissioner, New York City Department of Design and Construction
Helena Durst, Assistant Vice President, The Durst Organization
Caswell F. Holloway, Commissioner, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Jeffrey Raven, Director, Sustainability + Urban Design, The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
New Tools for Civic Engagement and Community Design
How can new tools create more engaging planning? We will consider how the combined forces of social media, powerful hand-held computing and the open government movement can enhance community design processes.
Moderator: Edward J. Blakely, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney
Barbara Faga, FASLA, Executive Vice President, AECOM
Nick Grossman, Executive Director, The Open Planning Project
Robert Lane, Senior Fellow, Regional Plan Association
Damon Rich, Founder, Center for Urban Pedagogy, City of Newark Urban Designer & Waterfront Planner

America's Energy Future
Smart grids and renewable energy sources are hot topics, but to become reality require complex changes across the spectrum of generation, distribution and consumption. How can policy, regulation and technology work together to power our metro areas with green, efficient energy?
Moderator: Paul Camuti, President and CEO, Siemens Research Corporation, Corporate Research, RPA Board Member
Ashok Gupta, Air and Energy, National Resources Defense Council
The Honorable Steve Israel*, U.S. House of Representatives (D-NY)
J. Andrew Murphy, Executive Vice President and Regional President, Northeast, NRG Energy, RPA Board Member
F. Michael Valocchi, Global Energy and Utilities Leader, IBM
Radical Housing
Creating a supply of affordable housing remains a challenge across many metropolitan areas. What changes are needed to deliver a radical housing policy that will meet demand?
Moderator: Julia Vitullo-Martin, Director, Center for Urban Innovation, Regional Plan Association
Rosanne Haggerty, President, Common Ground
Michael Kelly, General Manager, New York City Housing Authority
Jerilyn Perine, Executive Director, Citizens Housing and Planning Council
Jonathan F. Rose, Principal, Jonathan Rose Companies
Darren Walker, Vice President, Foundation Initiatives, Rockefeller Foundation
Intelligent Infrastructure
Intelligent and responsive information technology systems can transform how cities provide infrastructure and services. From safer streets to incentivized recycling, new technologies can deliver city services to residents faster, cheaper and better. This panel will showcase the latest developments.
Moderator: Dylan Hixon, President, Arden Road Investments, RPA Board Member
James G. Beldock, President, International, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, ShotSpotter
Ron Gonen, Co-founder and CEO, Recyclebank
Michael Harrigan, Vice President, Electric Vehicle Solutions, NRG Energy Inc.
Dan Steere, Chief Executive Officer, GreenRoad
*invited