Hired by the city in June 2006 to form its Office of Long-TermPlanning and Sustainability, Aggarwala led the development of whatbecame PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York. The 127-pointsustainability plan was released on Earth Day 2007.

"I've often said that Rit was the brains behind PlaNYC," saysMayor Michael Bloomberg in a statement. "He is a farsighted andcreative thinker whose inspiration and work ethic allowed us todevelop and then put in place a 20-year vision for improving thecity that our children and grandchildren will inherit."

In a <a href="Admin/news/1500_1500/newyork/181165-1.html"keynote address before the Urban Green Council this pastSeptember, Aggarwala encouraged his audience to require "some hardchanges" in the way green buildings fit into the overall picture.For example, he said the green community should consider whether aproperty is truly green if there are no leasing requirements inplace to ensure it's operated in an eco-friendly manner.