How can we revitalize older neighborhoods and breath life back into main streets?Wanted: 60,000 new middle-class residents. Doug Sutherland of Franklin Properties explains that residents who live and work in the city offer four times the economic benefit to the city compared to workers who commute in from the suburbs. Rebuilding the city's middle-income base is essential, and historic properties are key to that effort.Editorial: Grand Old Buildings Can Anchor City's Renewal. “We can’t innovate,” says Richard Florida, “we can’t grow, we can’t be competitive, we can’t increase our living standards and provide a prosperous and sustainable future for our children and our grandchildren unless we preserve and protect and use our history.”
Onondaga County's New Settlement Plan. Onondatga County has completed a new Settlement Plan designed to redirect growth away from sprawl and back toward existing community centers. Syracuse Comprehensive Plan. How can the city move forward without a plan? Syracuse last prepared a comprehensive plan in 1919. Mayor Driscoll initiated a new comprehensive planning effort in 2001. The first stage of the plan became law in early 2005 -- but there is much yet to do.
AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team.
In 2006, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) selected eight
communities, including Syracuse, to receive technical assistance under the
Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program. FOCUS on Sustainable Development. FOCUS Greater Syracuse is partnering with Greening USA to promote sustainable growth as a way to "combat sprawl and preserve natural resources such as drinking water and open space." The 'New Urbanism'. New Urbanism is based on the belief that a return to traditional neighborhood patterns is essential to restoring functional, sustainable communities. Rise of the Creative Class. Why cities without gays, rock bands – and historic buildings – are losing the economic development race. The 40-Below Summit. The 40-Below Summit is an effort -- by and for under 40 professionals -- to attract and keep young, talented workers in the Syracuse area. One of their goals is the adaptive reuse of vacant, historic buildings downtown.
CitiStates report on Syracuse. In the summer of 2002, a metropolitan-consulting group called Citistates toured Syracuse, then produced a series of four articles outlining future directions the region should take. Their advice: control sprawl; preserve "precious" historic architecture; relish and maintain the small towns and traditional neighborhoods that make the area charming and livable. Profiting Through Preservation. "Historic preservation does much more than just enhance our quality of life. It also contributes hundreds of millions of dollars annually to New York’s economy." The Preservation League of New York State.
Is this our DestiNY? The Pyramid Company hopes to transform its Carousel Mall into "DestiNY USA," a "resort destination" with three million square feet of entertainment, retail and recreation attractions. Will this huge project be the city's salvation or its downfall -- and will it ever be built?
Preservation Resources Guest Book - Tell us what you think. |