New York City Plans For More Growth, Success

"Already at its highest population ever -- 8.2 million -- (New York City) could grow another nearly 1.3 million souls in the next 25 years, with a commensurate increase in jobs, according to a study from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council."

"To handle the growth, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today plans to unveil a set of development goals that envision massive infrastructure investment, land-use reform, and a heavy emphasis on doing it all in an environmentally sustainable way. It will be the initial step toward the first comprehensive citywide growth plan since the late 1960s, city officials say."

"New York is dealing with a phenomenon that was almost inconceivable for big American cities just a decade ago: success. At that time, urban populations were falling, crime was high and businesses were wary of investing in city centers."

"The picture is different today, as businesses, ambitious college grads and culture-seeking empty nesters and retirees return to cities, especially New York. Crime is lower than it has been in the past and the population in New York has exceeded the mark that the current infrastructure -- trains, roads, parks, sewers -- was designed to handle in the 1950s. Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle are among the big cities that have adopted similar plans in recent years to anticipate growth."

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