In the 1930s, the U.S. pulled itself out of a depression partly by building and rebuilding public buildings and transportation. In confronting today’s recession, the country could take a page out of the history books, Heidi Green (pictured) told a Fair Haven house party.
Green, president of 1000 Friends of Connecticut, the state’s leading proponent of “smart growth,” gathered with members at a wine and cheese reception hosted Sunday night in the 150-year-old Clinton Avenue home of Lee Cruz and Sarah Miller (pictured).
The group is holding a number of house parties throughout New Haven to promote its agenda. 1000 Friends is working on four main initiatives: property tax reform, encouraging towns to cooperate on development, modernize zoning, and strategic investment, especially in long-term transit development. The overall idea is to keep towns towns, and cities, cities: preserving open land, increasing urban density, enabling people to live and work near mass transit.
Green acknowledged budget constraints but said she believes that investments in infrastructure today will pay off in the long run.
“People think that when the economy is suffering they should pull back on growth initiatives,” Green said. “But that’s short-sighted.”
Looking forward, Green was optimistic about the upcoming elections, in which Democrats are predicted to make strong gains including a possible veto-proof state legislative majority.
“We are building up to a year of great possibilities, thanks among many things to movement in the legislature,” Green said.