Concerned about future development and environmental problems generated by major metropolitan areas of the Pacific Basin, international experts will gather Oct. 26-30 in San Francisco for a four-day conference called "Supercities: Environmental Quality and Sustainable Development." The conference, to be held at San Francisco State University's guest center, is sponsored by the Pacific Basin Study Center, recently formed by San Francisco State University and the University of California, Davis. Conference participants representing universities, government, industry and nongovernmental organizations will discuss environmental issues such as air and water quality, waste and toxic management, transportation and land use management. Among the featured cities are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Beijing. Presentation subjects include: • Urban pollution and global environmental changes • Energy conservation and clean air plans • The future of the automobile • Population growth, urbanization and environmental quality • Community control of environmental quality Coordinators hope the conference will serve as a catalyst for establishing the groundwork for a research program at the Pacific Basin Study Center, envisioned as an international center for the study of environment and health. San Francisco State and UC Davis recently proposed that such a research facility be established at the San Francisco Presidio military base when that site is transferred from the Army to the National Park Service in 1994. The Supercities conference is supported by funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, United Nations Environment Programme and San Francisco State University School of Business.