The following Letter to the Editor was published in the January 9, 2015 edition of Newsday on page A34. The online letter can be read here.
While it’s notable that Long Island is moving forward on some of its larger-scale, transformative projects, caution should still be taken in celebrating the recent multifamily housing trends [“Finally, we’re on the move,” Editorial, Jan. 2].
Among Long Island’s urban planners, there is no consensus on the theory that young adults are leaving — which has justified the increase in density. The “brain drain” is a weak foundation on which to stake the Island’s economic future. Policymaking should be driven by scientific data.
When there is a cohesive, unified regional effort driven by professional planning, instead of the patchwork of municipality and vested stakeholder interests driving our narrative that we’ve seen in the last decade, then we should celebrate our accomplishments.
Rich Murdocco, Syosset
Editor’s note: The writer blogs about Long Island development at TheFoggiestIdea.org
