The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was created in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 by Governor Pataki and then-Mayor Giuliani to help plan and coordinate the rebuilding and revitalization of Lower Manhattan, defined as everything south of Houston Street. The LMDC is a joint State-City corporation governed by a 16-member Board of Directors, half appointed by the Governor of New York and half by the Mayor of New York. LMDC is charged with ensuring Lower Manhattan recovers from the attacks and emerges even better than it was before. The centerpiece of LMDC's efforts is the creation of a permanent memorial honoring those lost, while affirming the democratic values that came under attack on September 11.