Errol Louis, Associate Director of the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development

"I'm Errol Louis, Associate Director of the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development, in Brooklyn. We have worked for the last 38 years on helping designers get more in touch with community organizations and community needs as they go about their business. In this particular process, I'd like to first re-emphasize what was said about Chinatown and it's non-inclusion as one of the basic principles.

I'd like to also mention that there are upwards of 80,000 New Yorkers, it is believed, that have been displaced or unemployed by the events of September 11. It is important-especially in cases where unemployment insurance is about to run out-that those whose income is about to be cut off, and those whose job prospects are in grave danger for the foreseeable future, be one of the fundamental principles-I notice it's is not listed among the LMDC principles. It's vitally important, if you are indeed inclusive, to expand your thinking about what this project needs to take into account.

I'd like to say, lastly, there's a network of organizations-the Labor and Community Advocacy Network (lcan.org is the website)-which has a number of economic findings that are fairly well developed, put in place and presented for consideration.

The only remaining question here: we really have to be sure that you look at, and take into account, the non-diversity of the leadership group before us tonight and in the [LMDC] organization as a whole. We want to make sure that you're going to take your inclusiveness seriously, and while it may seem symbolic, much of what's going on in this rebuilding process is symbolic. We hope that you will do that as well, and quickly. Thank you."