Metropolitan Affairs
"Why should we be satisfied with cities and suburbs that, so often, fall far short of the standards our nation deserves? How long can we tolerate the looting of our landscapes with endless miles of sprawling development that enjoy the amenities of neither country nor city living? What are we going to do about the deterioration of stable city neighborhoods into slums for low-income newcomers? When will we find a way to coordinate city redevelopment with new highway construction and new planning for mass transit systems. . . .In short, will America continue to grow by accident—as large parts of it grow now—or can we find some coordination, cooperation, and vision to help us make the most of our opportunities to make our cities and surrounding communities the most inspiring, enjoyable and useful civilization of all times?" Harrison A. Williams, Jr., Address, “America—Home of the Urbanized”, 26 January 1963.
Given that the majority of Americans lived within a metropolitan area (i.e., an urban core and suburban fringes), Williams viewed these urban settings as potentially "the true hallmark of our civilization." Nevertheless, the deterioration of the inner cities and the sprawling waste of the suburbs were apparent. Seeking to revitalize these areas as centers of community, work, recreation, and culture, Williams encouraged long-term sustainable plans over short-term piecemeal projects. Balancing development with preservation of open space, expanding rapid mass transit capabilities to avoid traffic congestion, and supporting clean and renewable energy sources were among the legislative initiatives Williams pursued to enhance the human environment.
Front and back cover spread of Hub-bound travel in the tri-state New York metropolitan region: Persons and vehicles entering Manhattan south of 61st St., 1924-1960, Regional Plan Association Bulletin No. 99, December 1961.
According to the bulletin, Manhattan south of 61st Street was the destination in 1960 for 3.3 million people every business day, one-half of them arriving between 7:00 and 10:00 am.
"Whither Transit: Chaos or Conquest?" an address by Harrison Williams at the 80th annual meeting of the American Transit Association, Dallas, Texas, 17 October 1961.
Throughout his career, Williams was an advocate of the importance of mass transportation systems within metropolitan areas. He deplored the air pollution, street congestion in population centers, time wasted in traffic jams, energy costs, and other negative impacts of an over-reliance on the automobile for commutation. Seeing the cumulative regional and national implications of metropolitan area transportation structures, Williams advanced a federal role in funding demonstration projects, planning efforts, railway improvements, and other initiatives aimed at increasing the viability and ridership of mass transit.
Photograph, Harrison Williams and Vice President Hubert Humphrey at President Johnson's signing of Williams's Urban Mass Transportation Act, 9 July 1964.
The Housing Act of 1961 included funds for mass transit, engaging the federal government in commuter transportation. The 1964 Act expanded on this initiative, as did other mass transit bills in the 1960s and 1970s.
Cover of the “Morris County Commuters’ ‘Men of the Year, 1973’ award program, 23 October 1974.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Williams and the Morris County Board of Public Transportation were frequent correspondents concerning mass transit proposals.
Photograph, signage at the newly-named Harrison A. Williams Jr. Metropark Station, July 1979.
Williams's name was placed on the Metropark station (Iselin, N.J.) in recognition of his support for mass transportation in New Jersey. His name was removed when he resigned from the Senate in 1982 following his conviction on charges stemming from the FBI's Abscam operation (see biographical sketch section). (Photograph by Office of Public Communications, State of New Jersey.)
Photograph, Sandy Hook, N.J., ca. 1962.
In 1962, 469 acres of land at Sandy Hook were leased by the federal government to New Jersey, thereby converting the former Nike nuclear missile base into a state park with public recreational purposes. In 1964, an additional 271 acres of land were leased to New Jersey and added to the state park. Williams had actively worked for both transfers, reflecting his interest in securing open space within metropolitan areas. Prior to the 1986 expiration date of the leases, in the 1970s, Sandy Hook became part of the newly created Gateway National Recreation Area with the support of Williams and others in the New Jersey and New York congressional delegations.
Photograph, President Johnson signing the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area bill, 1 September 1965.
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area as envisioned at the 1965 signing is a good example of the type of balance Williams tried to achieve between development and conservation of open space in metropolitan areas. It is also a good example of the difficulty in striking such a balance. In the 1965 vision, the Delaware Water Gap area would include both the recreation area and a major power generation project, known as the Tocks Island Dam (see next item), which would have destroyed the natural and cultural environment just outside the park's border. Eventually, protests against the dam project prevailed and, after being moribund for years, the dam was formally deauthorized in 1992.
Appendix B, Public Service Electric and Gas Company, Jersey Central Power & Light Company, New Jersey Power & Light Company, Re: Kittatinny Project, 12 January 1966.
Proposal for the Delaware Water Gap area as a source of electric power.
Inside pages of brochure, "The Pinelands of New Jersey," Pinelands Commission, 1981.
Many of Williams's legislative initiatives emphasized the importance of regional planning. Such planning was important for metropolitan areas in order to accomplish all their often-competing demands. Very generally, these demands clustered around the poles of development and natural conservation. This contest could be especially intense for a small, heavily populated state like New Jersey with several overlapping metropolitan areas, including those of New York, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Camden, and others. Williams's vision of regional planning was realized in his 1978 bill that both created the legislative concept of a "national reserve" and placed the Pinelands under its land use planning protections.
Cover of Facts about Furs by F. Jean Vinter, published by the Animal Welfare Institute, 1973.
Williams's compassion and concern for environmental conservation brought him to leadership roles in promoting legislation protecting wildlife, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973). Williams also sought, not always successfully, federal legislation banning dog fighting, steel jaw traps, and other forms of cruelty to animals, such as those described in this booklet.