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BUILDING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Memorandum Date: November 17, 1966
Project/No.:
Subject: Area of emphasis for White House
Task Force on the City
to write a letter in response to your request at the first task force
ing, I have become impressed by the extent to which the majority of the problems
we talk about today have been reviewed over and over again in the past. On
of these I am relatively inexperienced, and rather than trying to set out a
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anework on all of the problems that we should try to deal with, I would like
trate on one particular area which I feel very strongly about.
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¢, and the bulk of it practical. Neither benefits substantially from the
heoretical study of the city concentrates variously on urban growth and form,
ecology, or the planning process, making little contribution to the understand-
action policies. Projects are developed on an ad hoc basis to meet a compro-
ng the expressed needs of their more vocal constituents; the outcome is
wide of the first objective and there is seldom any attempt to show how it
. There are no controlled experiments in the field and little cumulation of
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Performance in both the academic and practical areas of urban studies could be
improved by providing a bridge between the two kinds of work. I suggest that a
portion-~possibly 2%-5%--of every Federal program directly or remotely affecting
the city be committed for experimental work, and that these experiments be conducted
under the direction of an interlocking body which would represent and serve all the
affected Federal agencies, State and local officials where appropriate and repre-
sentatives of industry, labor and the academic community. In addition to performing
(1) research and (2) experimental projects, this body could:
(3) provide policy coordination between agencies,
(4) serve as a clearing house for information on regular and experimental
programs of the linking agencies, and for consulting services in research
and planning,
(5) direct contract research for other public and non-profit bodies.
By:
120 Broadway
San Francisco, California 94111
Phone 415 434 3830
Page two
rograms would review the effect of possible changes in
Ss, market organization and many other aspects of our work
t and performance of our physical structures. We
ith the relation of people to one another, the
and the development of neighborhoods. By
grams , it should be possible to AETEDOR a data
c lecisions to be made on major progreds for the
e have today.
71
These
ction of socia
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would enabli
tter inform
rr bt © ch
is
lly sponsored urban studies could
Given such a means of coordination, Federa
contribute reliable experimental
be structured in a planned, cumulative sequence,
i provide a
sound bridge between academic and practical study in the
an not stressing a point of view on a singte subject too strongly
go-round.
Ezra Ehrenkrantz