Things changed last year. We moved to a different economy and a different president. As the years unfold, 2008 may be remembered as a pivotal one, like 1929, 1941 or 1968, where times changed, and the country grappled with those changes either successfully or unsuccessfully.

On Friday, April 17 at the Waldorf=Astoria, the Regional Plan Association (RPA) will host the 19th annual Regional Assembly, titled "America 2050: Building the Next Economy," a full day of workshops, conversation and collaboration with the goal of building consensus and understanding solutions to repair our tattered economy.

For more information, visit the Regional Plan Association Web site at www.rpa.org.