Water Street to Linear Park

February 24, 2023

The street grid through Downtown Syracuse continues to be built around a canal that was removed nearly 100 years ago. At that time, Water St acted as a vital access road for the many businesses that lined the Erie Canal. Many of the remaining buildings from that time still front Water St with more utilitarian doors and windows facing Erie Blvd. Today, outside of the blocks around Hanover Square, Water St is a minimally used street surrounded by parking lots, underused and vacant parcels, and open green space. At the same time, it is a key portion of the Empire State Trail (EST), a premiere 750 mile bicycle trail that connects the entire state. It is time to rethink Water St and the area around it.

Business fronts on Water St

Business backs on Erie Blvd

First let’s look at the street’s current use. According to NYSDOT’s Traffic Data Viewer, an average of 700 to 2,000 vehicles use the street on a daily basis, which is a fairly light volume. Most of these vehicles are utilizing the parking lots that front the corridor. To accommodate the EST, standard painted bike lanes function for the majority of the corridor, with sharrows occupying the three blocks between State St and S Salina St, with the block off of S Salina St utilizing a protected contra-flow bike lane as well. For people on foot, there’s even less infrastructure. The sidewalk network is in pieces, with parts overgrown as you move further away from Downtown Syracuse. The street may attempt to serve all users but it struggles to serve any of them well.

So what if we decided to focus on just the active modes of transportation?

By removing cars from Water St, the corridor opens up to possibilities. A shared use path, typically 10 to 12 feet wide, could be shifted to the center of the corridor while the rest of the right-of-way is filled with greenery, similar to the characteristics of the EST further east down Erie Blvd. This change creates the opportunity for a truly urban linear park, similar to portions of the Onondaga Creekwalk, but more ambitious in some ways.

The Onondaga Creekwalk through Downtown Syracuse leaves a bit to be desired. It forces cyclists off of their bikes as they must share sidewalks instead of having a dedicated off-road path. Its circuitous route, a necessity due to the space constraints associated with trying to follow the path of the creek, is less desirable than the straight shot that Water St offers. Instead, we will look more towards the second phase of the Creekwalk which runs through primarily park-like conditions and minimizes street crossings. While a Water St linear park will require far more street crossings, we can alter the function of those intersections through the use of raised intersections, which help to slow drivers as they pass, as well as switching many of them from signalized intersections to stop signs. As Jeff Speck notes in Walkable City, stop signs are preferable to traffic signals from a safety perspective, for all mobility methods.

With a linear park in place, the conversation turns to development along its path. Looking at ReZone Syracuse, most of the land fronting Erie Blvd will be zoned as MX-3, which encourages mixed-use development. Large portions of the land fronting Water St on the southside of the street is zoned as MX-4, again mixed-use but at a higher level of density. Three blocks, between University Ave and S Beech St are zoned for open space. While this open space preservation makes sense with the current configuration of the street network, by shifting Water St into open space, the narrow lots currently zoned for it should be converted for mixed-use development.

The development along Water St will be unique in that they can be built truly for car-free households, opening up to the linear park and providing ample access to transit along Erie Blvd. To ensure this opportunity is seized, secure bike parking should be thoughtfully included in every development along the route, both for residents and visitors to the commercial spaces. As the major entryway into Downtown Syracuse along the EST, providing ample accommodations for cyclists is vital to attracting cycling tourists into the City. It is also a way to make it easier for city residents to embrace a car free or car light lifestyle, saving each thousands of dollars per year.

Some parking lots and car centric businesses currently line the corridor, including the Syracuse Center for Excellence. While the Center for Excellence is an experiment in sustainable building practices, as well as energy and water use, it does not fully embrace more sustainable transportation methods, with the building utilizing a large parking lot and only providing a handful of bike racks. Some businesses, including the U-Haul rental and storage office, may need to be completely rethought to encourage more desirable uses near our city’s center. The building currently used by U-Haul is structurally deficient on many floors, which might make demolition a requirement for redevelopment.

The area currently covered by I-81 will also be open for development once the viaduct is removed. Auto-oriented businesses must be avoided in this area. Drive-thrus, automotive repair shops, and car sales should be excluded in favor of street fronting businesses, which may still include chain restaurants and businesses, but utilizing more urban oriented designs. College Town in Rochester, NY is a good example of this style, but the development still relies heavily on an inner parking lot. Some parking will need to be built to make this corridor function, but it should be minimized.

A Water St linear park is a chance for Syracuse to embrace a unique development style and encourage car free / car light living. It's time to rethink our streets and there’s no better place to start than a street whose purpose has been reduced over the last 100 years.

Growth in CNY: Culture & Amenities

December 31, 2022

I had planned to end 2022 with a blog post looking ahead to the future and ways that CNY, and more specifically Syracuse, can encourage growth in sustainable way, I have had conversations over the years saying that Syracuse would be a great city of 250,000 people, with just small tweaks and changes to our built environment. Now, at the beginning of October 2022, these conversations take on a new urgency, with the announcement of Micron investing up to $100 billion just north of the City and bringing 9,000 high paying jobs, with up to 40,000 additional jobs in related industries. So to finish up my 2022 blog series, I plan to address this growth in three parts: Housing, Mobility, and Culture & Amenities.

Syracuse and the surrounding region are blessed with beautiful parks, great traditional public spaces, and beloved cultural amenities. Many of these assets were founded and preserved during the first half of the 20th Century, when American cities were investing heavily in the public realm. Ever since, budgets have been cut, priorities have shifted, and the legacy institutions, parks, and amenities we still enjoy today were lucky to find continued funding and support. Growth in Central New York, if done in a sustainable fashion, should bring additional funding sources that can be used to help us grow these amenities to suit the needs of our community. While housing and our transportation network require a great deal of planning, the thoughtful growth that will hopefully occur will allow us to expand our public spaces and strengthen our cultural amenities. At the same time we must work towards improving access for all members of our community, and that includes finding new opportunities to bring us all together in common causes.

Unlike the last two posts, this will not primarily focus on planning principals, but instead will be more aspirational for where we should put our public and private funding. Supporting public spaces, cultural amenities, and encouraging our neighbors to mingle together are vital to a well functioning society.

Parks and Open Spaces

Public parks first appeared in American cities in the middle of the 19th Century, at a time when our urban spaces were growing rapidly and access to green space was slipping away. In Syracuse, many of the parks we cherish were founded in the early 1900s, with the formation of the City Parks Department in 1917. With over 170 parks and 1,000+ acres of land, the City of Syracuse has an extensive park network common among legacy industrial cities. According to the Trust for Public Land (TPL), 77 percent of Syracuse residents live within a 10 minute walk to a public park. 10 minutes is considered a reasonable distance for most individuals to walk to a destination, including park space, which is the basis for TPL’s 10-Minute Walk program. 10-Minute Walk encourages cities to expand park space to ensure every resident can reach a public open space within 10 minutes of their home, providing access to fresh air, greenery, and places to gather. Syracuse’s rate of 77 percent is far higher than the 55 percent national average, but that still leaves nearly a quarter of residents without easy access to greenery.

One way to help improve this access is the continued expansion of urban trails and greenways. The Onondaga Creekwalk is projected to expand to the southern city line by the end of the decade, which will immediately connect neighbors across the city and expand their access to greenery and our waterfront. The City and County should be looking for additional opportunities to provide linear park spaces that allow residents to explore their communities without needing to interact with cars. This includes bringing back a Covid era policy of banning vehicles from streets within parks to promote walking and biking in our greenest areas.

Outside of the City of Syracuse, access to park space decreases as many residents emphasize using their private backyards over public parks. This is a continued trend of the privatization of space that began with suburbanization. Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, both the book and its companion podcast, tells this story through the slow disappearance of public pools across the country once desegregation took hold. Specific corners of American society seemed to deem investments in public amenities like pools and parks as less desirable once all members of society were finally allowed to enjoy them. Soon private clubs, personal pools, and other private open spaces began to take over as public funding for similar spaces eroded. You see this trend continued in youth sports (which has many other negative consequences that are better explored at length in Linda Flanagan’s Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports - and Why it Matters) as private travel leagues take over spaces that used to be open to public leagues and pick up games.

As the County densifies, public open spaces and parks will become increasingly important and we should increase funding to reflect that fact. This includes funding youth programming, athletic leagues, and expanded park space where it is most needed.

Public Spaces

While you might think public spaces are the same as parks and open spaces, I want to separate this out as these are spaces that can be commercialized and encourage different types of activities. A prime example of existing public spaces within Syracuse is Hanover Square, a small public plaza that has shifted from a former roadway into a shared space that emphasizes pedestrian access and outdoor dining. Hanover Thursdays, this past summer, brought live music into the square and helped promote the local bars and restaurants that open out onto the plaza.

Hanover Thursdays

Weekends on Walton

A similar public space was temporarily instituted within Armory Square with the Weekends on Walton program during 2020 and 2021. As new businesses return to Armory Square, this program should be made permanent, with Walton received a similar treatment to Hanover Square. In 2019, the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC) published the Armory Square Mobility Plan that laid out potential treatments to make this street into a more pedestrian friendly, if not pedestrian only, public space.

Similar programs should be explored in commercial areas around the City and County. All neighborhoods deserve public spaces that allow residents to gather away from cars and support local bars and restaurants. Programs can start as temporary block closures, creating small events to promote the concept. As the closures (or street openings if you’re like me an view streets without cars as truly open) gain support, municipalities should create guides for how to shift towards more permanent public spaces depending on the needs of each individual neighborhood.

Museums and Learning Opportunities

Syracuse has been a cultural center for Central New York for nearly 200 years and our museums help tell that story: The Everson, the Museum of Science and Technology (MoST), the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA), and the Erie Canal Museum help tell the story of our past, present and future through art, science, and artifacts. Micron has promised to fund programming at the MoST for years to come to help promote science and engineering education, but we shouldn’t stop there.

The OHA has continually expanded its reach through lending historical photos and artifacts to businesses across the region, including the CNY “Brewseum” that preserves the history of brewing in our region. As I-81 comes down, and the stories of the old 15th Ward are front and center, we should ensure that history, and the story of the current residents of Pioneer Homes, are preserved within that neighborhood. While the OHA is only minutes away from the neighborhood, a new historical outpost should be developed as part of the Blueprint15 project.

The Erie Canal Museum

The Everson

The Everson houses one of the finest ceramic collections in the world, and yet I sometimes believe we take this gem for granted. One reason may be its location. While it is located in Downtown Syracuse, it is surrounded by government offices, the county jail, and a sea of parking lots. While the museum is a work of art, its surroundings do not inspire visitors to linger and offer no other experiences. The City should promote the redevelopment of the nearby parking lots and garages as a way to create a Downtown arts district and tie the museum into the community.

Beyond museums, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Zoo) and the proposed Inner Harbor aquarium are some of the most important cultural attractions our region will be able to offer. These are spaces where families can gather and kids can learn through experiences. While the Zoo has seen tremendous improvements around the elephant exhibit and medical facilities, some of the other facilities around the park are in great need of improvement, including the expansion of exhibits and enhancements to viewing areas. This may require the acquisition of additional land, including clawing back some land from the recent Syracuse Developmental Center deal. Many families choose to visit the Wild Animal Park in Chittenango instead of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo due to the quality of exhibits, even if the Wild is not an accredited zoo. If the Zoo wants to recapture those guests and promote the mission of the accredited zoos, they need to compete with the quality of experiences private wildlife parks are providing. The Inner Harbor aquarium needs to be part of this effort, including providing lower cost entry fees for low-income families so education remains accessible to as many people as possible.

Live Experiences

Beyond our public spaces and institutions, we also need to focus on the events that bring us together; live sports, music, and theater. Our culture is built around shared experiences.

In April I discussed the desire to be considered a “major league city” and how that influences the conversation surrounding public financing for stadiums. Professional and high level college athletics bring together communities through competition. There is a shared public pride when teams do well, and a shared commiseration when teams disappoint. Regardless of the feeling, the City and region experience them together, creating a common thread between most neighbors. Syracuse is experiencing a rebirth in the facilities associated with our teams, with a major renovation of the JMA Wireless Dome (the Dome), home of the Syracuse Orange, and a recent $25 million renovation of NBT Bank Stadium, home of the Syracuse Mets. As I have mentioned before, and will continue to, the area surrounding NBT Bank Stadium is calling out for investment and should see its parking lot transformed into a neighborhood.

The Upstate Medical Arena at the Oncenter War Memorial (War Memorial), home of the Syracuse Crunch, has received some updates in recent years, but remains one of the smallest and oldest arenas in the AHL. It is also the only sports arena in Downtown Syracuse, creating a unique experience for fans. While the arena currently fits the needs of fans, a growth of the region will hopefully result in the growth of the fanbase for each of our teams. While NBT Bank Stadium has room for fan growth, the War Memorial already comes close to selling out many times a season, especially when the team is good. If the demand increases, it may be time to explore a new home for the Syracuse Crunch.

JMA Wireless Dome

War Memorial

This is where sports and music collide. Currently, Syracuse is home to a beautiful amphitheater on Onondaga Lake, which hosts high profile touring acts throughout the summer months. The Dome has also seen its use as a concert venue increase in recent years after the installation of air conditioning, hosting Paul McCartney and Elton John in 2022. But during the winter, many acts cannot find a concert venue of the right size in Syracuse. The Dome is too big for most acts and the Amphitheater cannot be used. The War Memorial, Oncenter, and Landmark Theatre are too small for many touring acts, forcing residents to travel to Buffalo or Albany to see shows.

Should the War Memorial ever become too small to house the Syracuse Crunch, a larger facility in Downtown Syracuse, potentially in one of the parking lots surrounding the Everson, should be built so that it can attract larger concerts all year round. Hosting such concerts draws attention to the City and provides a true amenity for residents, as the Amphitheater has proven.

The last piece of live entertainment is theater, something Syracuse has excelled at attracting in recent years. Not only does Syracuse enjoy the touring Broadway shows, but Syracuse Stage and the Red House continually produce excellent professional theatre. With the Red House now located a block away from the Landmark Theatre, S Salina St is slowly returning to its place as a theater district. Syracuse should embrace this trend and promote the use of underused spaces along the corridor for small scale theatrical productions, including avant garde shows and puppetry. Open Hand Theater, a puppet theater, has been without a permanent home since Shoppingtown Mall closed. Bringing the company to S Salina St could emphasize the corridor's place as the heart of live theater in Syracuse while diversifying its offerings to crowds.

As Syracuse looks towards growth, we cannot overlook our cultural institutions and amenities. Sustainable growth, including limiting suburban sprawl and promoting density, will increase the efficiency of our public infrastructure investments, freeing up additional funds and resources for our public institutions. We need to invest in our public realm if we want to see this growth positively impact all residents.

Growth in CNY: Mobility

November 30, 2022

I had initially intended to name this post “Growth in CNY: Transportation,” but after some thinking, I realized that the word “transportation” often is synonymous with cars. In contrast, I think we should really be thinking in terms of mobility in our communities. How can people get to where they need to go? Do they have options? Are you forced to use one mode over any other because of the built environment? This is how we must frame these conversations related to the Micron development and the growth of our region, or else we will continually be bogged down in conversations over cars and gridlock (which may or may not exist).

Mobility and housing must be intertwined if we ever hope to grow in a sustainable way. As I mentioned in the previous post, we should concentrate new housing developments in key locations that lend themselves to improved transit and active transportation options. Everything within this post builds off of where we build our housing and should work together to create a seamless network for all users.

The Community Grid

To state this clearly and succinctly: Syracuse, and CNY, need the community grid to replace the I-81 viaduct. We have spent well over a decade studying alternatives for a highway that should never have run along its current path to begin with. Micron selected the Syracuse area with the knowledge that portions of the highway network would be removed. Wider viaducts, tunnels, “sky bridges,” depressed highways have all been looked at in various capacities, but they fail to address the fundamental issue of highways and traffic - induced demand. As you make it easier to drive by adding more lanes, more people will choose to drive. This is one of the major drivers of suburban sprawl and leads to increased congestion as a result. The community grid can help solve this, even if I believe it doesn’t go far enough.

While the current plan does well at improving non-vehicle mobility within the Downtown core, the plan still maintains barriers north and south of Downtown. Unlike the unfortunate lawsuit currently holding up progress on the project, the answer is not to continue having a highway cutting through the city, but in fact requires the elimination of more of the highway. Over the past year, the plan has shortened the community grid portion of the project by several blocks, moving a planned roundabout north to avoid bringing all traffic to grade level next to an elementary school. While the issues raised about the placement of the roundabout are valid, plenty of roundabouts exist near schools throughout the world. But, while we’re looking to move the roundabout, I would argue instead to add more of them further south. Bring the highway down to street level and speeds 3,000 ft south of Dr. King elementary to Colvin St, adding in a roundabout, allowing vehicles to disperse along the street grid prior to reaching the school. At the same time maintain a roundabout near Dr. King and at the new proposed location at Van Buren St (see graphics below). This will continue to enforce slower speeds through the city while maintaining efficient through-put, something many of our suburban neighbors are concerned about. Single lane roundabouts have been proven to handle over 30,000 vehicles per day.

North of Downtown Syracuse will not only see the highway maintained, but in fact expanded by a lane in each direction. While many suburban leaders will say these lanes are needed, especially in light of the Micron development north of the city, a better option would be repurposing the lanes to prioritize public transit and other high occupancy vehicles. I will discuss these options in greater detail later in this article, but it should be noted these changes can be made without expanding the highway through the Northside.

One of the greatest benefits of this project is the land freed up within the city once the viaduct comes down. The increased residential development potential, which was discussed in the previous post, can bring more residents into our region’s urban center, allowing for a car-light or car-free lifestyle close to employment opportunities, active transportation options, and public transit hubs. Importantly, this neighborhood will be well served by the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) network.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

As I have mentioned many times before on this blog, in 2018 the SMTC released the SMART1 report identifying the preferred route for two bus rapid transit (BRT) lines that cross Syracuse in an X shape. The first line connects Eastwood’s James St corridor down to the Onondaga Community College (OCC) campus in the Town of Onondaga. The second line connects Destiny USA along the city’s waterfront south to the Syracuse University (SU) campus. These lines follow existing transit lines that already have enough ridership demand to warrant BRT treatment. These lines already are, and will continue to be, the backbone of the bus network within Syracuse.

Screen Shot 2022-11-30 at 6.55.14 PM.png

Screen Shot 2022-11-30 at 6.55.52 PM.png

Fellow Syracuse blog, In The Salt City, has written countless pieces on BRT within the city, including identifying a more expansive network that I also believe should be further developed once the initial lines are up and running. Each of the maps above come directly from their blog and showcase how the network can expand moving forward. This urban network design is not, and should not be, affected by the Micron development.

While I recommend reading more about the lines and their destinations, let’s focus on how to make BRT work well within Syracuse, and that includes the location of stations, amenities at said stations, payment methods, and service.

It should be noted that the BRT system recommended within SMART1 is not full BRT, but instead improved service in mixed traffic. This means that buses will not have their own lane and will not be separated from traffic for most of their routes. This is similar to Albany, NY’s Bus Plus BRT system, which has recently expanded to three lines. While this makes sense for the city at the moment, we should look to set the stage for a more robust BRT network including bus only lanes. Again, we can learn from Albany.

While service may initially operate in mixed traffic, we must ensure stations are located in prime locations and given priority access to right-of-way. This includes siting stations as close to key destinations as possible, including grocery stores, pharmacies, entertainment venues, etc. Riders must see this as the most convenient option.

Similar to the SMART1 plan, CDTA, Albany’s public transit agency, utilizes targeted bus lanes around stations to prioritize boarding and alighting. Additionally, their stations employ the use of real time informational signage and free wi-fi.These amenities allow for riders to confidently know when their bus is arriving and be able to enjoy their personal devices as they wait. This has been shown to reduce how long riders feel they are waiting when compared to traditional bus stops. These are basic amenities that need to be included at all BRT stations to help promote the use of the service and improve rider experiences.

Another simple, but important, aspect of the station is that they’re all covered to protect riders from the elements. While the CDTA stations have larger coverings than traditional stops, they are not on the same level as true BRT stations found elsewhere around the world. Above are examples of stations in cities across the world. Many have raised platforms allowing riders to board the bus directly at an even level without the use of steps or waiting for the bus to “kneel,” or dip, to allow riders with mobility issues to board. These types of stations are also common with light rail and subway stations as they provide the most accessibility for all users. Stations of this quality should be the aim of the Syracuse BRT network. An example can be seen below.

Now looking at how we pay to ride, we need to embrace technology. Centro has been looking at using a tap payment system for riders, similar to OMNY in NYC, where riders can tap their phone as they enter the bus. While cash payments and physical cards must still be available for unbanked riders, adding a digital payment system will help increase casual ridership and simplify rides for long term customers. On the BRT system, this tap system should be installed prior to entering the station, allowing for immediate boarding without needing to wait for payments to be made on the bus.

Beyond the BRT system, creating easy to use weekly and monthly unlimited ride passes should be a priority. This includes creating a fare capping system so riders who cannot afford the upfront costs of unlimited passes can be ensured that they will not pay more than those passes cost over the same period of time.

Other Bus Connections

Moving away from BRT, other key bus connections must be implemented, including direct connections to the Micron development in Clay. As mentioned before, a bus only lane on I-81 as it runs north of Downtown would allow for an express bus service to serve the Micron development along with ancillary businesses that will undoubtedly pop up near the main plant. This service may start as a rush hour service, but it should be expanded to help better connect residents to the shops and services at either end of the line.

Looking at the development areas discussed in the previous post, a full build out at these sites may allow for high quality bus service to exist. Route 11 offers up one of the most promising bus routes. An increasingly dense and urbanized Mattydale will provide a key anchor point between the City and the northern suburbs, potentially allowing for a major transfer facility to be developed in one of the currently underutilized shopping plazas. As your travel north on Route 11, you pass through North Syracuse and the potential development sites SMTC reviewed in 2019, hitting dense population centers that can be focused around a high frequency bus service. At the Route 11 / Route 31 intersection, the service can head west to end at the Micron development.

Route 11

Route 31

At the other end of Route 31, a high frequency bus service could serve the Village of Baldwinsville and a redeveloped Great Northern Mall. Again, serving dense population centers and encouraging more walkable, bikeable communities connecting to the well developed bus stations and allowing for car free commutes to the Micron development from the suburbs.

The Bike Network

While public transportation has been the main focus up until this point, we cannot forget our bike network. Not only does a well designed bike network allow for increased mobility on its own, but it also allows for easy connections to public transportation, providing additional mobility methods without needing a personal vehicle. In 2012, the City of Syracuse released a bike plan which, if implemented fully, would provide a decent level of connectivity across the city. While the plan is a good place to start, many of the routes should be re-evaluated with modern standards in mind, emphasizing protected lanes wherever possible.

County wide map from the LEOP showcasing the different backbone routes.

At the end of 2020, the Empire State Trail (EST) was officially completed, providing a continuous bike route from Buffalo to Albany and NYC to the Canadian border. In 2022, Onondaga County, SMTC, and the CNY RPDB released the Empire State Trail Local Economic Opportunity Plan (LEOP) which looked to identify key routes to connect the EST into communities around Onondaga County. While these routes were limited to areas within four miles of the EST, they emphasize connections to population and commercial centers. They offer up a backbone for local communities to build off of, acting as collectors and arterials for bike riders.

Once a regional network is established, we need to make sure as many people as possible have access to a bike or other micro mobility option, like a scooter. One way to do this is by expanding the bike/scooter share network already in use in Syracuse into the suburbs. I have already written about some of my issues with the current system, including a desire for a membership option. I must acknowledge that the Veo Ride system is a dockless system, which my previous post did not note. At that, I believe we need to move away from a dockless system or at least prioritize the use of permanent hubs. By moving towards more of a hub oriented system, we can look to pair bike share with public transit, similar to a method Pittsburgh has been running with over the past few years, Move PGH.

Move PGH is Pittsburgh’s response to mobility as a service (MaaS). MaaS is the concept that all mobility methods should be integrated with one another, through apps and placement. Move PGH utilizes 50 mobility hubs which locate scooter and bike share docks at frequent transit stops. Additionally, car share only spaces are located nearby to offer additional mobility options. Move PGH has worked towards creating an app where users can book their entire trip at once, paying for their transit use, reserving a scooter/bike or even a car as needed. A similar system in Syracuse would require our scooter/bike share system to emphasize the use of docks to ensure transit riders have access upon their arrival.

Move PGH hub

Oonee pod concept

Veo Ride scooters at corral

But we shouldn’t forget individuals who own their own bikes and scooters. Something most cities in the United States struggle to do is provide secure bike parking. One company trying to change this is Oonee, out of NYC*. Over the past year they have rolled out secure bike parking pods across Jersey City and parts of NYC, using advertising sold on the pod exteriors to keep the use of the pods free. Syracuse and Onondaga County should be looking for similar solutions to roll out near transit stops and destinations to encourage the use of bikes and scooters around the region.

Bikes are some of the cheapest and most accessible forms of travel out there, with models built for different ages and abilities. The fast growing market of e-bikes is something that is welcome news for a hilly city like Syracuse. Many riders struggle up the hills that many of our neighborhoods sit on, making biking a less attractive option to get to and from work. Who wants to show up to work covered in sweat? One of the issues with e-bikes is the upfront cost of many of the higher quality bikes. While there are some low-cost models, they tend to have less safe batteries and limited weight/distances. One way to change this dynamic is by implementing a rebate system, similar to ones existing for electric vehicles. Denver has been a pioneer in this, offering up to $1,700 back for e-bikes, including cargo bikes. New York State should be looking to do the same, but offer that rebate to the bike seller, so the customer can immediately get that discount, making the upfront cost more affordable. This would be a game changer in terms of access for all users.

OnTrack 2.0?

As many people know, I loved riding OnTrack as a kid and have even advocated for its return to service, albeit in a much more functional capacity. While I still believe the Syracuse region could benefit from using trains for transit purposes, I think our main efforts should be towards improving our bus network. Should BRT and an improved bus network yield results, we should not be afraid to revisit OnTrack’s original vision of connecting the airport - baseball park - Destiny USA - Downtown - SU, and eventually expanding out towards the Micron development.

Parking Maximums

With all of the mobility opportunities presented so far, one of the most important policies we need to implement to encourage both the expansion of these options and the housing density needed to make them work well is eliminating parking minimums and implementing parking maximums.

For those that do not know, our current zoning laws, which vary by municipality, require all property owners to provide a minimum amount of parking space for their property. Each type of use requires a different amount of parking. While this might make sense on its face, the truth is those requirements are not based on anything. They are made up numbers, best guesses, whatever felt right to the authors of that specific zoning code.

By eliminating parking minimums, you allow businesses to decide how much parking works for their business. This lowers the cost of entry for many businesses who can’t afford the large swaths of land parking requires. It also makes each building more adaptable since a different business type can take over without needing to expand their parking facilities. And this isn’t a new idea. In fact, it has picked up steam in recent years, with even Anchorage, Alaska abolishing parking minimums in November.

Parking maximums, on the other hand, help prevent excessively large parking lots from developing. This allows for denser development to occur at lower costs, increasing walkability and rollability while also encouraging the use of nearby transit options.

Mobility requires each of these pieces to work together. While many people will still use their personal vehicles to get around, we cannot grow in a sustainable way if nearly every trip requires one. Creating an environment where a family can get by with one car, or even no car, should be our goal as our region finally experiences growth.

*Full disclosure, I have (minimally) invested in Oonee as I believe it is a company addressing a key issue in our urban mobility network.

Growth in CNY: Housing

October 30, 2022

I had planned to end 2022 with a blog post looking ahead to the future and ways that CNY, and more specifically Syracuse, can encourage growth in sustainable way. I have had conversations over the years saying that Syracuse would be a great city of 250,000 people, with just small tweaks and changes to our built environment. Now, at the beginning of October 2022, these conversations take on a new urgency, with the announcement of Micron investing up to $100 billion just north of the City and bringing 9,000 high paying jobs, with up to 40,000 additional jobs in related industries. So to finish up my 2022 blog series, I plan to address this growth in three parts: Housing, Mobility, and Culture & Amenities.

Syracuse, Onondaga County, and Central New York have not experienced any significant growth in 50 years, meaning we have not seriously considered how we should grow and in what places. Onondaga County’s built out footprint has steadily increased over this time while its population has stagnated. This is unsustainable in the long term, and detrimental to our environmental, fiscal, and individual health. As one developer noted in a recent Post Standard article, many of the suburban zoning codes require that any new development take place on one acre lots, leading to significantly larger and more expensive housing than is needed. That same developer is asking for zoning changes to allow up to three homes per acre, but even that is still far too large and spread out for sustainable growth.

To give an example, in 2020, the average household size for owner occupied homes (primarily single family homes) was 2.46 people, for renters that drops to 1.97. At three homes per acre, that’s roughly 4,600 people per sq mile. That’s better than most suburban towns in Onondaga County presently, but even if you look just south of the White Pines Commerce Park, where Micron will soon be located, many of those developments have blocks with densities of four homes per acre, and over 6,000 people per sq mile.

Darlington Rd - Syracuse

Wadsworth St - Syracuse

Bamm Hollow Rd - Clay

Currently, Syracuse has a population density fo around 5,700 people per sq mile, for a total population around 148,000. For Syracuse to reach a population of 250,000, the City as a whole will need an average population density of roughly 10,000 people per sq mile (actual residential blocks being a bit denser than that to account for park land, cemeteries, commercial areas, etc.). That may sound like a lot, but let’s look at a few examples of neighborhoods that reach that same level of density on the City’s Northside. The block bordered by Darlington Rd, Grant Blvd, Mayer St, and Listman Ave has roughly eight homes per acre, with a population density of 11,000 people per sq mile. Or if you move a few blocks west, the block bordered by Wadsworth St, Grant Blvd, Woodruff Ave, and Listman Ave houses a few more two-family homes, and has a density of over 13,700 people per sq mile. Compared to many larger cities in the country, these two blocks are nearly suburban in nature, yet provide a level of density that helps support nearby neighborhood businesses on Grant Blvd and promotes a fair bit of walkability. These smaller homes are also more affordable for most people and easier to maintain. With the current suburban zoning regulations, neighborhoods of this size are impossible to build.

So let’s take a look at places within the City of Syracuse and the surrounding towns that are ripe for development to help promote both this gentle density and higher density developments, helping to prevent the continued sprawl that threatens the region.

City of Syracuse

Let’s start with the City itself. In meetings with Micron, Onondaga County laid out plans to build over 9,000 new homes in the next 20 years (above), with over 6,000 of those homes coming to the City of Syracuse. It's natural for the City to absorb a large share of the new housing, and it's encouraging that the County overall views multi-family housing as the primary driver of this new expansion. But let’s look at a few different neighborhoods that can play a big role in adding density without displacing others.

Downtown

Downtown Syracuse has grown into a full blown residential neighborhood over the past two decades, and the trend is not slowing down. With I-81 coming down, more land between Downtown and University Hill will be freed up for development, which should be primarily mixed-use in nature. But there is already plenty of land to build on Downtown, it just happens to be covered with parking lots.

While Downtown has several large parking garages, surface lots still account for a large share of parking for residents and employees alike. Its time for us to rethink that. Most able bodied adults can walk straight across Downtown Syracuse in 10-12 minutes, meaning anywhere is a fairly close walk. The City should look to build a couple new garages, or a cheaper vertical lot that is commonplace in New York City, to begin freeing up development space. As mentioned in Intersections Part Two, the two parking lots across the street from City Hall are prime locations for new development. City Hall Commons, just a block away, is likely to go up for sale soon, with a residential conversion likely as it sits squarely within Hanover Square, one of the more desirable neighborhoods Downtown.

As Downtown is one of the places where we can really add density, not just 4 and 5 story buildings, but up to 8 and 10 stories each across the neighborhood with retail and office mixed in. While Downtown apartments have been continually increasing in price, we should be looking to the recent examples of The Smith and Corbett Corner for ways to approach creating more affordable housing in an increasingly dynamic neighborhood.

In addition to these opportunities, the BluePrint 15 project, which is working to update the public housing neighborhood just south of Downtown. This project aims to keep residents within the neighborhood while improving their access to services and amenities, as well as create more of a mixed-income neighborhood. This is an ongoing project that should be a model for all of the future developments within the City.

Inner Harbor / The Ballpark

The Inner Harbor and the area around NBT Bank Stadium have continually interested me in terms of development. Both sites sit close to Downtown, border the Regional Market, and have easy access to major transportation infrastructure, including the Regional Transit Center,

Cor Development has been dragging its feet in pursuing their build out plans for the inner Harbor up to this point, but any fear of lack of demand should go out the window now. Their initial site plans call for over 400 residential units, mixed between apartments and townhouses, across the site. This likely results in homes for over 600-700 people. If built out, with the large parking lots in the designs, the residential area would reach a density of roughly 18,000 people per sq mile. But, as I will discuss in Part Two, those parking lots are larger than what will be needed if we truly commit to a transit oriented development style, with the right transit in place. Cutting those parking lots in half and adding additional townhouses would provide additional home ownership opportunities, at more manageable prices, while adding to the walkability of the area.

Should this prove successful, the two large lots across Solar St, which are roughly the same size as the proposed residential development, will almost certainly spark further development at similar levels of density.

Now, over to the ballpark. I’ve continually advocated for the redevelopment of the large parking lot that surrounds the stadium, arguing that it would help create a deeper tie to the team in the community, encourage additional uses of the stadium beyond baseball, and create an opportunity for people, like me, to live near the ballpark. As someone who used to live just three blocks away from Yankee Stadium, its an experience many people, especially baseball fans, would relish. Today, there is nothing quite like that. Even the neighbors closest to the stadium must first walk through a sea of asphalt and cars to get to the ballpark, hardly an inviting entrance.

Syracuse Developmental Center

Earlier this year (2022), the City of Syracuse signed an agreement with the Albanese Organization to redevelop the former Syracuse Developmental Center into a mixed-use neighborhood. Some concerns were raised about the number of housing units that may be built in the development, with some preferring a final build out closer to 300 instead of the initial 600 envisioned. If we’re looking to provide housing at all income levels, pushing for closer to 600 homes, with an emphasis on townhouses and apartments, would make that more feasible and more attractive for the developer.

Sky Top

Syracuse University’s long term vision is to consolidate students and academics onto its Main Campus, leaving behind its sprawling South Campus, which is currently home to over 2,400 students on roughly 150 acres. While the University probably has plans to maintain the land for potential future athletic facility development of some sort, it should, instead, open up the land for redevelopment. The sheer amount of land is something that is hard to come by in a well developed urban center, with close proximity to many of the region’s largest employers.

The existing apartment complex is very suburban in nature; small townhouses surrounded by parking and wide open spaces, similar to those found along many major arterials throughout the County. While these buildings could be repurposed as is, the current development style is not ideal for transit access and walkability. Adding commercial nodes and further infill development would help create a more self-sufficient neighborhood oriented towards transit and active transportation options.

Near East Side

One of the places already experiencing a building boom is the E Genesee St corridor as student housing continues to pop up. This general trend should be encouraged, as it frees up many of the homes in the University Neighborhood for families to move back into. But we should also look to create a better mix of buildings and housing types. Currently the trend is to build large, monolithic buildings, such as the Theory or the upcoming Laurel. These buildings do offer some street level activity along their fronts, but their sides are dominated by parking structures which deaden the block as you walk by. Some additional large scale development may be warranted in these areas, but we should look behind the Theory for a better approach.

The Theory

Uncommon Apartments

Uncommon Apartments, which faces E Fayette St, renovated the former Sylvester building, built in the late 1800s, and expanded it. The building is around a quarter of the size of the Theory, yet its commercial spaces have already been leased and the building generates significantly more activity on the street level. We should look for ways to encourage buildings of this scale throughout the area, especially as more development opportunities appear once the I-81 project is completed.

Other Neighborhood Development

While the areas identified above have significant space for development opportunities, many other neighborhoods still provide opportunities for denser levels of development. Part of this needs to be encouraged through zoning, and specifically the elimination of single-family zoning citywide. There is no reason two-family homes should not be allowed in any neighborhood. But we also need to encourage different housing types.

One of the projects that has excited me in recent years was the announcement of new townhouses in the Tipp Hill neighborhood. The project would take the lot formerly occupied by a flower shop and turn it into seven townhouses that would be sold to own. Sadly, this project has hit roadblocks in recent years, but there’s still a positive momentum. Larger lots like this should be eyed for townhouse development in every neighborhood. Adding a few extra households through a few townhouses per block would go a long way to our density goals while increasing homeownership opportunities.

Inner Ring Suburbs

The City of Syracuse is not the only municipality ripe for infill development. Many of the inner ring suburbs, those closest to the central city that were typically developed early on and still maintain some transit oriented features, have stagnated in population and have commercial spaces that are low hanging fruit for redevelopment. The County’s housing presentation did not emphasize development within these towns, favoring many of the outer suburbs, like Clay and Cicero, instead. This is a missed opportunity and we should make sure we focus development in these areas first.

Mattydale

The hamlet of Mattydale is one of the prime locations for future development, especially in terms of more affordable and accessible housing. The hamlet sits just north of the City with access to nearby highways and opportunities for expanded bus access. Yet, as suburbanization has expanded further out from the City, the retail plazas within Mattydale have slowly been vacated, with some just outright demolished. As a result, the already overbuilt Route 11 has become even more of a mini highway bypassing the neighborhoods.

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In 2022, the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC) completed a plan that looked at Route 11 to evaluate opportunities for infill development and right-sizing the mega stroad that splits the hamlet in half (which will be revisited in the transportation post). The plan calls for two story apartment and mixed-use buildings at three different sites that are either currently empty or vastly underutilized, resulting in roughly 150 additional housing units. This would account for the vast majority of the 200 additional units the County believes the Town of Salina can build out. Even then, this plan is conservative due to the zoning restrictions in place. The large sea of parking required by the current zoning code reduces the positive impacts this revelopment can bring. A simple correction would be to keep the parking generally as recommended, but add one to two more floors to each proposed building, increasing the number of residents within a walkable distance to the amenities already present within the hamlet and increasing the likelihood of more being built.

Westvale Plaza

Just west of the City line, Westvale Plaza is a perfect example of a mid-century commercial center. Fairly compact in size, compared to its more modern counterparts, and fronted by a large, expansive parking lot. In 2019, the Town of Geddes and Village of Salina published a joint comprehensive plan that envisioned this commercial node as a mixed-use development that filled in portions of its parking lots with further commercial space and revamped the existing plazas as mixed-use buildings.

Concept site plan from the Town of Geddes and Village of Solvay Comprehensive Plan

While the Village of Geddes already has a more traditional Main St north of this area, along Milton Ave, the Westvale Plaza area is centrally located to fairly large population centers and is located along an important bus corridor. No exact plans or redevelopment options were explored within the comp plan, but the current plaza’s footprint (parking included), of roughly 14 acres, could easily handle 200 - 300 units of housing, which is far more than what the County currently envisions for the Town of Geddes (100 units). Using the County’s average renter occupancy of ~2 people per unit, at the high end (600 people housed) that would result in a density of around 27,000 people per sq mile. While this is high, consider that the Theory (the apartment building near SU campus mentioned previously) houses over 600 residents on less than 2 acres.

A less intensive redevelopment, while maintaining the same number of new units, would see the nearby Geddes Plaza and other commercial properties redeveloped as well.

Shoppingtown Mall (District East)

In the summer of 2021, a long awaited redevelopment of Shoppingtown Mall was announced: a mixed-use development with over 500 units of housing known as District East. I have few notes on this proposal, based on what is known publicly at this time, as its location and intent align perfectly with what we should be looking for in terms of development opportunities. It is located along a well used, and easily improved, transit corridor; the Empire State Trail (EST) runs directly behind the property, creating easy access through active modes of transportation; and the development instantly becomes a new downtown for the Town of Dewitt.

Rendering of District East

Site plan for District East

What should be encouraged is the further redevelopment of commercial properties along Erie Blvd E. Marshall’s Plaza, nextdoor to Shoppingtown Mall, has continually seen infill commercial development, reducing its parking lots in favor of more commercial activity. Other plazas, which have been less successful recently, should look to do the same, but add a mix of housing and office space. The Erie Canal, which was later replaced by Erie Blvd, was once the economic engine of the region. With a well planned redevelopment along the corridor, Erie Blvd can once again become an economic engine instead of, as the New York Times described it, “a rundown stretch of strip malls and muffler shops.”

Outer Suburbs

As mentioned above, the County is emphasizing development of single-family homes in the outer suburbs, which are the most difficult places to serve with transit and provide services. While I believe these areas should not be the focus of development, their close proximity to the White Pines Commerce Park make them attractive to many. So let’s look at places that can handle infill development and lend themselves to a more transit oriented development style. Many places will still emphasize single-family homes, but we should ensure they’re built in a denser fashion than what current local zoning laws permit.

Luckily, many good plans exist for these areas and we can only hope and encourage that they be developed accordingly.

Rt 11 Corridor

In 2020, the SMTC worked with the Town of Cicero on a plan for the Route 11 corridor through the town. This plan identified infill development opportunities of over 1,600 units of housing, primarily apartments and townhouses, directly behind current commercial developments along Route 11. The aim of this plan was to identify opportunities to create housing that would encourage residents to walk, bike, or take transit to already existing nearby commercial centers.

What was not planned for during this study, was the study area to be within a very short distance of the new Micron development. As such, this development proposal, nearly twice as many units as envisioned by the County for the Town of Cicero, should be thoroughly considered as it has already been vetted by community members. A developer and more detailed plans would be needed, but the general concept should be encouraged.

Great Northern Mall

North of Syracuse, Great Northern Mall has struggled financially for years, especially after the expansion of Destiny USA. In the summer of 2022, a developer announced a plan, similar to that of District East, to redevelop the struggling mall into a mixed-use center with roughly 500 housing units. While this location is less ideal than Shoppingtown, its close proximity to the Micron site makes it a perfect western anchor to any additional bus service added to the corridor, especially if the Route 11 developments noted above are followed through.

Brewerton

The final location I’m looking to emphasize in terms of housing development is also home to an existing proposal, but this one is unique. Onondaga County is a fairly landlocked county, even with access to several lakefronts. As a result, any development along the available lakefronts that offer up multi-family housing options is worth pursuing. The same developer that is looking to redevelop Great Northern Mall has staked out a plan along Oneida Lake for a mixed-use community, with an emphasis on multi-family housing. Currently, the plan also calls for a large number of single-family homes, but the plan would be enhanced if it switched out detached homes for townhouses. This would allow the hamlet of Brewerton to become a true northern anchor to any public transit enhancements made to accommodate the Micron development. As the hamlet sits on the northern reaches of Route 11, the increased development along this important route will lend itself to more walkable and transit oriented development (which will be discussed further in the next blog).

Rendering of proposed Brewerton development

Site plan of proposed Brewerton development

Doing Housing Right

Each of the neighborhoods identified above are prime locations for expanded housing and denser development, but we need to be open to gentle increases in density throughout the county. This is the first time in 50+ years that Onondaga County must confront a dramatic increase in population and we can’t afford to let suburban sprawl take over as it has in recent years. Construction on Micron will begin in 2023-2024, and the I-81 project will begin by the end of this year. We must act quickly to alter our zoning codes and create a more unified housing policy to encourage these dense development opportunities. New York State should also follow California’s lead on allowing accessory dwelling units and two-, three-, and four-family homes in all neighborhoods. We also need policies tied to transportation infrastructure that will make the dense developments discussed above possible. And this tees up our next discussion: with all of this new housing development, what does this mean for our transportation networks? And what can we do to make sure public transit and active transportation options play a major role in our region’s future?

Color My World: Why Cities Should Embrace the Colorful

September 30, 2022

The City of Syracuse has been on a mural painting craze in 2022, with a City sponsored program (City as Canvas) funding murals in eight different neighborhoods and local businesses funding their own artworks. This continues a trend of murals popping up in cities across the country. As I’ve traveled through various Rust Belt cities over the past year, murals have been an increasingly popular way to liven up spaces around vacant lots or parking areas next to recently renovated buildings. They bring color and character to spaces that once sat empty for decades, and I am all about it. But, we shouldn’t just think of murals when we look for ways to brighten up our cities. We should be embracing color in everything we do - on our buildings, our roadways, our parks. Let’s take a look at different ways cities have embraced color and point out opportunities across Syracuse where color can be added to our everyday lives.

Murals

Murals have been part of the human experience for thousands of years. Nearly every great civilization has used murals to showcase different aspects of their culture - whether its the power of the gods, the value of the state, or key historical events.

Cities across the United States have embraced murals over the last several decades. Philadelphia, like many other older industrial cities, has seen murals as a form of reinvestment in each of its neighborhoods. Over the past 35 years, over 4,000 murals have been painted across the city, making it one of the largest collections of murals in the world. Closer to home, Buffalo, NY’s Albright Knox Art Gallery has been funding public murals across the Queen City since 2014. While some of the most powerful murals cover the entirety of a building’s facade, they can also be small, hidden gems meant to engage people as they walk around their neighborhood. This mixture is what makes murals so engaging. They surprise viewers and keep the urban environment exciting in a positive way.

Syracuse has plenty of examples of murals in all shapes and sizes. A massive mural depicting local basketball legends was just recently completed in Downtown Syracuse, created by a world famous muralist. At the same time, the City as Canvas program has looked to borrow a page out of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) by putting local artists to work on murals in each neighborhood. This is a model the City should continue to use beyond the initial eight murals. Partnering with local businesses and institutions, the City should create a fund to paint five to ten new murals each year, depending on the sizes proposed, and hire local artists to get the work done. A prime location for a series of murals would be the elevated train tracks that cut through the City, both through Armory Square and across the Southside. While coordinating with the railroad to get the effort kickstarted may be difficult, the color and life that the project would bring is worth the effort.

Community Garden Mural - NYC

Parking Lot Mural - NYC

Syracuse Elevated Freight Rail

The Atrium

A personal wish of mine is to see the Atrium, which sits on the south end of Clinton Square, covered in murals. It is currently the ugliest building in Downtown Syracuse, but covering it in murals would elevate it to become one of the jewels of our city. Its blank walls, flush windows, and fairly smooth brick exterior could provide an excellent canvas.

But we should remember that murals are not the only way to bring color to our buildings.

Colorful Buildings

Philadelphia Rowhouses

DC Rowhouses

One thing you’ll notice the more you watch HGTV is the feeling that every house ends up being one of three colors: white, grey, or tan. These are the same colors most homeowners associations (HOAs) will allow. There might be some color added on a door or a darker trim around the windows, but we are increasingly seeing a homogenous look to our neighborhoods.

Now having some homogeneity in our built environment can be a good thing. Row houses, brownstones, Victorian homes are all often found in duplicates or groups of similar structures. The repetition can be part of the charm of a neighborhood, such as Brownstone Brooklyn. But if we start to take a wider look around the world, we start to see color playing a much larger role in these structurally homogenous neighborhoods, making Brownstone Brooklyn’s brown variations an outlier. Cities across the world, including many older American cities, have embraced color in their neighborhoods, resulting in bright, friendly neighborhoods. Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as seen above, both showcase homogenous neighborhoods that embrace bright colors to add character and warmth.

Sister Houses

The Hudson Building

Victorian on James St

Pond St Businesses

Syracuse has some examples of this, with the most prominent being the five Sister Houses in the Park Ave neighborhood. These beautiful old Victorian homes are identical except for their color palettes. Back in Downtown Syracuse, the Hudson Building has also worked to differentiate itself through color, bringing a bold, forest green to a streetwall filled with red brick. Color doesn’t always have to be bright, but going beyond the traditional color palettes help invigorate a space. We should encourage building developers to utilize materials that can be painted easily and updated to reflect the personalities of the tenants inside. Keep the designs simple and infuse them with life through paint.

Paint is not the only way to bring color to a building. Many taller buildings in downtown business districts have embraced light displays to enhance their skylines. These lights are often coordinated with one another to celebrate holidays, sporting events, or just bring awareness to different causes. While these light shows are beautiful to behold, we must get better about using the lights properly to not interfere with bird migrations and other natural occurrences.

Colorful Streets

We may not think of our streets as a place for any colors beyond black, yellow, and white, but they are public spaces and public spaces should embrace color wherever they can. Some may be more functional (bus and bike lanes) while others more decorative (street murals and painted plazas), but they all function to bring color and life to our cities.

When thinking of the more functional colorful elements, bus and bike lanes are often the first to come to mind. Often referred to as Elmo and Kermit due to their bright red and green colors, these lanes serve the important function of providing spaces for residents to get around outside of a private vehicle, giving them priority where possible. Also, as an avid Muppets / Sesame Street fan, I appreciate the references that bring a bit of childlike wonder to infrastructure. These are essential tools for every city, and they bring the added benefit of color with them. When you look at streets filled with bus and bike lanes, the visual appeal and interest of the space increases substantially.

Brick Patterned Crosswalks and Colorful Barriers

S Salina St Bike Lanes

Seattle Painted Curb Extensions

Rochester Piano Crosswalk

Other functional colorful elements tend to be focused around intersections. Using brick or stone pavers for complete intersections, or specifically in crosswalks. Painted crosswalks (which is still frowned upon by federal agencies and the MUTCD) have been embraced by cities across the country. Rochester, NY celebrated the Eastman School of Music by painting a piano style crosswalk just outside its doors.

Other cities have embraced paint as a way to extend the pedestrian realm, through painted plazas and curb extensions. Seattle, WA has an extensive network of painted curb extensions that embrace colorful designs to draw the attention of drivers. Syracuse will be embracing the idea of a painted plaza in the near future right in front of City Hall, after it awarded the design to another local artist.

This is not the first time Syracuse has painted its streets. In 2017, Syracuse hosted the World Canals Conference. It celebrated by painting a canal themed mural outside of the Erie Canal Museum, harkening back to the waterways that built the City. These murals were short lived due to the wear and tear of traffic, but we should look for streets to pedestrianize and fill with color that will last without cars driving over them.

Natural Colors

Burnet Park in Fall

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Up until now the main focus has been on how to bring color to our man made structures, but we should never forget to embrace the color and life that nature can bring into a community.

At the moment, we’re entering into the heart of autumn, my personal favorite season. Oranges, reds, and yellows burst from the trees across the region, making for a beautiful sight. Different trees showcase different colors during this time and the mix of trees not only creates a more vibrant scene, but also a healthier one for the trees as they help reduce the spread of tree borne diseases.

Community gardens, such as the Syracuse Rose Garden, are another perfect example of natural colors bringing people together in a space of beauty. The groups that help upkeep these spaces help build community through the action of gardening and the result of a beautiful garden to be admired.

Many of these spaces take the addition of color to an extra level through the inclusion of art. The Lipe Art Park, while light on trees and flowers, embraces the use of art through a linear park. The Onondaga Creekwalk is beginning to explore similar opportunities, especially under the overpasses between Downtown and Franklin Square. Should a multi-use path eventually connect these two spaces, as is being explored in an ongoing study, the City of Syracuse will soon provide its residents with an active commuting corridor surrounded by art and color that would be a national example.

These are all just some examples of how we can embrace color and art in our urban spaces, but we need to provide opportunities for communities to use these tools to fit their own visions. Get rid of the HOAs and embrace colors that showcase the personality of your neighborhoods and your City as a whole.