Sunday, November 15th, 2020
Pattern for Progress traces its roots to 1964, when some 400 of the region’s leaders met in New Paltz for a daylong conference to discuss the social, economic, and environmental issues facing the Hudson Valley region. Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller addressed the group and gave his enthusiastic support for developing a regional approach to help resolve these issues.
Lelan Sillin, CEO of Central Hudson Gas and Electric, emerged as Pattern’s principal visionary. He saw the need to form a, private, non-profit membership organization to conduct research, planning, and development across a region comprised of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Many years later, the counties of Rockland and Westchester were added.
Pattern was then incorporated in 1965 and established its first office at SUNY New Paltz, with Lelan Sillin as chairman of the 48-member board of directors. David Loeks, one of the nation’s most prominent regional planners, was selected as Pattern’s first president.
By 1967, a full staff of planning, research, and advocacy specialists were on board, and Pattern began the serious work of carrying out its mission: “Preserve and promote the social, economic and natural environments of the Mid-Hudson region by building consensus for a pattern of growth that will insure a high quality of life.”
The very word “Pattern” recognized the diversity of the region’s cities, towns and villages, its businesses, farmlands and open spaces, its educational institutions, and its rich historical and cultural heritage—and the importance of bringing them together into a unified whole.
Early Research Aids Communities
Among Pattern’s early achievements was the publication of a research study titled, “The Future of Stewart Airport.” The report received national attention with a first prize awarded by the Governmental Research Association of America. The findings and recommendations were instrumental in fostering a dialogue between opposing factions and helping to chart Stewart’s future growth and development.
In the 1970’s Pattern, working with the Regional Plan Association, produced the “Mid-Hudson Development Guide,” which was widely acclaimed by editorial boards around the region as a much-needed framework to inspire growth in and around the region’s urban centers, to prevent sprawl, and to preserve open space.
The Guide’s preparation was preceded by a unique partnership between Pattern and the NYS Urban Development Corporation, aimed at linking planning with speedy community development action. The partnership resulted in nearly 900 units of affordable housing built in Newburgh, Beacon, Kingston, and South Fallsburg. Pattern played a central and pivotal role, keeping planning a step ahead of action, and serving as a bridge between local communities and the Urban Development Corporation.
Partnerships Focus on Issues
During the more than four decades of its existence, government, corporate and civic leaders alike continued to look to Pattern for insight on critical planning and development issues, and as a credible and unbiased source of information. Numerous public policy studies have been carried out on issues involving transportation, urban redevelopment, education, technology infrastructure, workforce, affordable, energy, municipal cooperation, health care, open space preservation and environmental protection.
Pattern’s position papers led to the formation of the Hudson Valley Regional Council, the Hudson Valley Health Systems Agency, the Hudson Valley Economic Development District, the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center, the Hudson Valley Land Revitalization Partnership, the Foreign Trade Zone at Stewart, and numerous partnerships focusing on affordable housing, local government cooperation and consolidation of services, land use development standards, and many other initiatives.
Pattern’s conferences, workshops and symposia have been attended by many thousands of our leaders. Pattern has become the region’s gathering point for people and ideas, where diverse stakeholders can come together to achieve consensus and develop priorities.
The above was written by Art Weintraub former Board Member, and a planning consultant and retired president of the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association, Art has been affiliated with Pattern for Progress for 42 years.
Pattern Matters Now
2020
Since Art wrote this, the world has changed and so has Pattern.
We have moved locations and we have changed staff but one thing is for certain, we have never stopped our work on behalf of the Hudson Valley. Pattern’s work continues under current Chair Suzanne Loughlin, and President & CEO Jonathan Drapkin.
Yes, we are still doing research and demographic analysis. Our “Out of Alignment” report is probably the best demographic and economic baseline of the Hudson Valley pre-Covid. Outlining where we were in the Valley and creating recommendations for a Pathway to Move Forward.
Pattern is still a convener and facilitator of diverse and multifaceted groups. Although, right now we can’t get together in a room with keynotes and panels on a dais in front of 500 people, Pattern is still essential and continues to pull stakeholders together for regional conversations to create solutions.
With virtual meetings there is no need for travel and people from throughout the region have found it much easier to work together to discuss shared issues and ways to handle them. In fact, Pattern during the time of Covid, has been able to increase our ability to bring regional thinkers together. Because of our weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly convenings, Pattern continues to make a difference and provides the framework to facilitate ideas that can be translated into new policy and actions that are making your community a better place.
In the creation of the Center for Housing Solutions and Community Initiatives, Pattern has become one of the go to entities for research addressing a multitude of issues ranging from affordable and market rate housing to community development and all that lies between. This week Pattern will be hosting a weeklong forum “Housing Matters: Shelter from the Storm” with national and regional speakers and panelists on the topics of Chasing the American Dream of Home Ownership, Multi-Family Development & Market Dynamics, Gentrification with Balanced Development, The Real Estate Market Rollercoaster, and Race, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in Community Development & Housing. When you get right down to it – housing really is the foundation that people need to build their lives upon and Pattern is forging the path for information in the Valley.
Pattern has worked with the four winning cities of the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), helping them to make research based decisions on their community projects. Those projects are leveraging additional investment and new economic development opportunities into communities throughout the region.
Since Pattern has gone virtual, we are pleased to be offering a weekly economic snapshot of the region called the Pulse, a weekly Data Point, a podcast “Pattern and Paradigms” full of ideas of how to move the region to a better place and a quarterly Housing and Real Estate newsletter.
Pattern has so many layers and touches lives in so many ways – I ask you to take a few minutes and watch our video and make your own decision on Pattern Matters.
