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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "9/10/75 - National Town Meeting,
Washington, D.C." of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 1 of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FINAL
NATIONAL TOWN MEETING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 10, 1975
THE HUMANE CITY: THE URBAN HOPE?
IN THE LAST HALF DECADE WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO THE
REALIZATION THAT WE ARE A WASTEFUL PEOPLE.
THE GAS CRISIS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE ENERGY, THE
ENVIRONMENTALISTS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE OUR AIR AND WATER
RESOURCES ON WHICH WE DEPEND FOR OUR SURVIVAL,
ANOTHER WASTING RESOURCES IS OUR CITIES, WHICH ARE
DECAYING IN FULL VIEW OF ALL OF US,
SOMEHOW IN OUR YEARS OF ABUNDANCE WE DEVELOPED THE
DISASTROUS NOTION THAT CITIES COULD BE DISCARDED AND REPLACED.
PUBLIC AS WELL AS PRIVATE INVESTMENT LITERALLY FINANCED
THE BUILDING OF RING UPON RING OF SUBURBS AROUND OUR URBAN
CENTERS,
GERALD A. FORD CIBRARY
-2-
As THE CENTRAL CITIES GREW OLD AND THEIR STRUCTURES
BECAME WORN, THOSE WHO COULD, FLED THE CITY CORE FOR THE
NEWLY-BUILT SUBURBS.
THIS SUBURBAN SPRAWL HAS CONSUMED MILLIONS OF SQUARE
MILES OF OPEN SPACES AND HAS ENCOURAGED THE WASTE OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS OF URBAN RESOURCES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NEW YORK CITY
ALONE, 35,000 UNITS OF HOUSING WERE ABANDONED LAST YEAR.
THE WASTE IS NOT IN THE ABANDONED HOUSING ALONE. FOR
AN ABANDONED HOUSE ABANDONS A PART OF ALL THE SUPPORTIVE
ASSETS THAT GAVE IT LIFE; THE UTILITIES, STREETS, SCHOOLS,
WATER AND SEWER LINES, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, HOSPITALS,
THEATERS, AND SHOPPING FACILITIES.
A TIGHTER ECONOMY, A SCARCITY OF ENERGY, AND CHANGING
DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS MANDATE THAT WE USE ALL THE INGENUITY WE
CAN SUMMON TO PRESERVE AND RECYCLE THESE ASSETS.
OUR STUDIES CONCLUDE STATISTICALLY WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE
CONCLUDED INTELLIGENTLY A DECADE AGO. IT IS FAR LESS COSTLY
TO RECYCLE A CITY THAN TO BUILD A SUBURB,
-3-
AN URBAN REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MAY CONSUME 50 PERCENT
LESS LAND, 55 PERCENT LESS CAPITAL, 44 PERCENT LESS ENERGY
AND CREATE 45 PERCENT LESS AIR POLLUTION,
APART FROM THE COSTS INVOLVED, AMERICA HAS BEEN UNDERGOING
A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN LIFE STYLES, EVIDENCED BY A REMARKABLE
INCREASE IN ADULT-ORIENTED HOUSEHOLDS. SINGLES, YOUNG MARRIEDS,
CHILDLESS COUPLES AND ELDERLY ACCOUNT FOR 82 PERCENT OF THE
NATION'S NET POPULATION GAIN BETWEEN 1970 AND 1973.
THERE IS A GROWING DEMAND FOR LOW AND MODERATE COST
HOUSING ACCESSIBLE TO JOBS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AND FOR
NEARBY SHOPPING FACILITIES, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL AMENITIES,
TODAY, AMERICA IS LOOKING OVER THE ADVANTAGES OF URBAN
LIVING THAT SHE CARELESSLY OVERLOOKED BEFORE.
AT THE SAME TIME HUD IS CELEBRATING THE FIRST BIRTHDAY
OF THE NEW HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1974
WHICH SEEKS, AS ONE OF ITS GOALS, TO PRESERVE OUR URBAN
COMMUNITIES,
-4-
FOR THE FIRST TIME THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDES
RENTAL SUBSIDIES -- $1.6 BILLION THIS YEAR -- TO HELP HOUSE
OUR LOWER INCOME FAMILIES IN EXISTING AND SUBSTANTIALLY
REHABILITATED UNITS, GIVING PREFERENCE WHERE THERE IS AN
ECONOMIC MIX.
FOR THE FIRST TIME THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES DIRECT HOW,
WHEN, AND WHERE FEDERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS ARE
SPENT -- MORE THAN $8 BILLION OVER 3 YEARS. OUR FIRST
YEAR'S EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES DIRECTED
MORE THAN 60 PERCENT OF THE $2.6 BILLION TO PRESERVING AND
REHABILITATING URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT A CITY IS PEOPLE AND THAT A
HEALTHY CITY IS A CITY OF ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, IN EVERY
ECONOMIC STRATA, PROVIDING ENERGY, CREATIVITY, INGENUITY,
EARNING POWER AND PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT.
THAT MIX GIVES THE CITY A HEALTHY HEART BEAT, AN
EXCITING AMBIANCE, AND A RESPONSIVE SPIRIT,
THAT IS A HUMANE CITY.
a
-5-
THAT IS OUR GREAT URBAN HOPE,
AND, THAT IS WHAT HUD IS ABOUT.
Document source description
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"ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 1, folder \"9/10/75 - National Town Meeting,\nWashington, D.C.\" of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential\nLibrary.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 1 of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nFINAL\nNATIONAL TOWN MEETING\nWASHINGTON, D.C.\nSEPTEMBER 10, 1975\nTHE HUMANE CITY: THE URBAN HOPE?\nIN THE LAST HALF DECADE WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO THE\nREALIZATION THAT WE ARE A WASTEFUL PEOPLE.\nTHE GAS CRISIS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE ENERGY, THE\nENVIRONMENTALISTS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE OUR AIR AND WATER\nRESOURCES ON WHICH WE DEPEND FOR OUR SURVIVAL,\nANOTHER WASTING RESOURCES IS OUR CITIES, WHICH ARE\nDECAYING IN FULL VIEW OF ALL OF US,\nSOMEHOW IN OUR YEARS OF ABUNDANCE WE DEVELOPED THE\nDISASTROUS NOTION THAT CITIES COULD BE DISCARDED AND REPLACED.\nPUBLIC AS WELL AS PRIVATE INVESTMENT LITERALLY FINANCED\nTHE BUILDING OF RING UPON RING OF SUBURBS AROUND OUR URBAN\nCENTERS,\nGERALD A. FORD CIBRARY\n-2-\nAs THE CENTRAL CITIES GREW OLD AND THEIR STRUCTURES\nBECAME WORN, THOSE WHO COULD, FLED THE CITY CORE FOR THE\nNEWLY-BUILT SUBURBS.\nTHIS SUBURBAN SPRAWL HAS CONSUMED MILLIONS OF SQUARE\nMILES OF OPEN SPACES AND HAS ENCOURAGED THE WASTE OF MILLIONS\nOF DOLLARS OF URBAN RESOURCES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NEW YORK CITY\nALONE, 35,000 UNITS OF HOUSING WERE ABANDONED LAST YEAR.\nTHE WASTE IS NOT IN THE ABANDONED HOUSING ALONE. FOR\nAN ABANDONED HOUSE ABANDONS A PART OF ALL THE SUPPORTIVE\nASSETS THAT GAVE IT LIFE; THE UTILITIES, STREETS, SCHOOLS,\nWATER AND SEWER LINES, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, HOSPITALS,\nTHEATERS, AND SHOPPING FACILITIES.\nA TIGHTER ECONOMY, A SCARCITY OF ENERGY, AND CHANGING\nDEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS MANDATE THAT WE USE ALL THE INGENUITY WE\nCAN SUMMON TO PRESERVE AND RECYCLE THESE ASSETS.\nOUR STUDIES CONCLUDE STATISTICALLY WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE\nCONCLUDED INTELLIGENTLY A DECADE AGO. IT IS FAR LESS COSTLY\nTO RECYCLE A CITY THAN TO BUILD A SUBURB,\n-3-\nAN URBAN REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MAY CONSUME 50 PERCENT\nLESS LAND, 55 PERCENT LESS CAPITAL, 44 PERCENT LESS ENERGY\nAND CREATE 45 PERCENT LESS AIR POLLUTION,\nAPART FROM THE COSTS INVOLVED, AMERICA HAS BEEN UNDERGOING\nA DRAMATIC CHANGE IN LIFE STYLES, EVIDENCED BY A REMARKABLE\nINCREASE IN ADULT-ORIENTED HOUSEHOLDS. SINGLES, YOUNG MARRIEDS,\nCHILDLESS COUPLES AND ELDERLY ACCOUNT FOR 82 PERCENT OF THE\nNATION'S NET POPULATION GAIN BETWEEN 1970 AND 1973.\nTHERE IS A GROWING DEMAND FOR LOW AND MODERATE COST\nHOUSING ACCESSIBLE TO JOBS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AND FOR\nNEARBY SHOPPING FACILITIES, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL AMENITIES,\nTODAY, AMERICA IS LOOKING OVER THE ADVANTAGES OF URBAN\nLIVING THAT SHE CARELESSLY OVERLOOKED BEFORE.\nAT THE SAME TIME HUD IS CELEBRATING THE FIRST BIRTHDAY\nOF THE NEW HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1974\nWHICH SEEKS, AS ONE OF ITS GOALS, TO PRESERVE OUR URBAN\nCOMMUNITIES,\n-4-\nFOR THE FIRST TIME THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDES\nRENTAL SUBSIDIES -- $1.6 BILLION THIS YEAR -- TO HELP HOUSE\nOUR LOWER INCOME FAMILIES IN EXISTING AND SUBSTANTIALLY\nREHABILITATED UNITS, GIVING PREFERENCE WHERE THERE IS AN\nECONOMIC MIX.\nFOR THE FIRST TIME THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES DIRECT HOW,\nWHEN, AND WHERE FEDERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS ARE\nSPENT -- MORE THAN $8 BILLION OVER 3 YEARS. OUR FIRST\nYEAR'S EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES DIRECTED\nMORE THAN 60 PERCENT OF THE $2.6 BILLION TO PRESERVING AND\nREHABILITATING URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS.\nWE HAVE LEARNED THAT A CITY IS PEOPLE AND THAT A\nHEALTHY CITY IS A CITY OF ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, IN EVERY\nECONOMIC STRATA, PROVIDING ENERGY, CREATIVITY, INGENUITY,\nEARNING POWER AND PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT.\nTHAT MIX GIVES THE CITY A HEALTHY HEART BEAT, AN\nEXCITING AMBIANCE, AND A RESPONSIVE SPIRIT,\nTHAT IS A HUMANE CITY.\na\n-5-\nTHAT IS OUR GREAT URBAN HOPE,\nAND, THAT IS WHAT HUD IS ABOUT."
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