Northeast States to Tackle Climate Change, Competitiveness in Summit Co-Sponsored by Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Regional Plan Association

Northeast Climate and Competitiveness Summit Feb. 29 in Baltimore will focus on transport, rail network

Cambridge, Mass. (Vocus) February 26, 2008 -- More than 100 civic, business, and government leaders from 12 Northeast states and the District of Columbia will gather in Baltimore Feb. 29 for the Northeast Climate and Competitiveness Summit, co-sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Regional Plan Association.

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After several years of research on the megaregion concept, it is gratifying to see it emerge as the central focus of a serious policy discussion in the Northeast, addressing the challenge of climate change and our economic future

The event is based in the work of America 2050, a joint venture of the Lincoln Institute and the Regional Plan Association that promotes planning in large “megaregions,” such as the Boston-Washington, D.C. corridor, that transcend multiple state borders.

The goal of the summit is to develop a shared action agenda for economic competitiveness, mobility, housing and the impacts of the mortgage crisis, and sustainability in the Northeast “megaregion.” The challenge of climate change, in particular, warrants regional responses in areas such as infrastructure and transportation, said Armando Carbonell, senior fellow and chair of the Department of Planning and Urban Form at the Lincoln Institute.

“After several years of research on the megaregion concept, it is gratifying to see it emerge as the central focus of a serious policy discussion in the Northeast, addressing the challenge of climate change and our economic future,” Carbonell said.

The summit will also focus on the challenge of increasing the speed, frequency, and reliability of intercity and regional rail service on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, as Congress begins consideration of upcoming Amtrak and surface transportation bills.

“A robust passenger rail network in the Northeast is one of our unique competitive advantages in a carbon-constrained economy,” said Robert Yaro, president of Regional Plan Association. “But we’ve neglected the investments in the Northeast Corridor that would foster sustainable economic growth in the megaregion.”

The Honorable Earl Blumenauer, U.S. House of Representatives, Oregon 3rd District, and the Honorable Edward Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania, will be keynote speakers. The summit will be held at the Tremont Grand Hotel in Baltimore, and is also supported by the Greater Baltimore Committee, Select Greater Philadelphia, The Chesapeake Crescent Initiative, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the Surdna Foundation, and The Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

For more information and to register, click here.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a think tank near Harvard square in Cambridge, Mass., conducts research and policy evaluations, holds conferences, provides education and training, supports demonstration projects, and publishes books and reports on policy issues relating to land. The Regional Plan Association is an independent regional planning organization for the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metropolitan area.

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