National American City Quality Month

Floor Speech

NATIONAL AMERICAN CITY QUALITY MONTH -- (Senate - April 27, 2009)

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I rise today to recognize April as the 21st Annual National American City Quality Month. Led by the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the American City Planning Directors' Council/American City Quality Foundation, this valuable program brings together a wide range of public and private partners. Their efforts demonstrate what it takes to build great communities, addressing vital issues to include land use, building design, transportation, parks and recreation, energy efficiency, and environmental protection.

City planners across my State of Maine and throughout the Nation are calling on public and private sector leaders to commit to efforts that will lead to better planning, redevelopment and development of our Nation's cities and surrounding regions. This is essential to accommodate U.S. Census projected population growth of 34.5 million by the year 2020 and 100 million within 20 to 30 years.

This public-private partnership is necessary to meet the growing need for higher quality, more energy efficient and sustainable housing, buildings, public transportation, infrastructure, agriculture, and industry. I applaud these collaborative efforts to improve urban and rural communities across our Nation.

This collaborative planning works. Just a few weeks ago, Forbes magazine named Portland, ME, my State's largest city, as the most livable city in America. In addition, Portland's busy Commercial Street was voted as one of the country's great streets by the American Planning Association. The transformation of Portland did not happen by accident. It is the result of citizens and organizations working together. And American City Quality Month celebrates this effort.

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