Syracuse, NY has had a 33% increase in downtown residential population. Why? It might have something to do with their innovative Connective Corridor that is linking University Hill and downtown Syracuse through public transit, bike lanes, green streetscapes, innovative lighting design, and public art displays.
Syracuse set out to create a unique identity that acts as a catalyst for investment in downtown businesses and revitalization projects through a well-designed corridor that connected University Hill with downtown Syracuse. The project uses innovative design to encourage sustainable practices. It minimizes stormwater runoff and features bike lanes and public transit to encourage more sustainable travel. The project also pulled heavily on public input and support throughout. Many volunteers helped revitalize parks, paint haikus on the railroad tracks, and create public art along the corridor. The corridor also spurred $260 million in private investment downtown. It is an incredible example of sustainable infrastructure, civic engagement, and public-private partnerships.
Some of my favorite things about the Connective Corridor:
1. Bike lanes! The corridor features raised and protected bike lanes with a bright green covering so that they do not have to repaint every two years. One of the largest worries was that people would not use the bike lanes often because of the long and cold winters in Syracuse, but they have been very popular! Good biking infrastructure that encourages biking by making it safe are especially important in college towns because students who form the habit of biking now are more likely to continue biking throughout their lives.
Raised and protected bike lanes along the Connective Corridor. Image courtesy of Barton & Loguidice.
2. The free bus! Syracuse University and Centro partnered to provide free bus transit for all students and residents of Syracuse. The bus has been wildly successful, having 190,000 riders last year with a population of only 145,000. Syracuse students designed the bus seats, outside design, signage, and mobile app. There are also performances from student groups and local artists on the bus every so often, making it more fun than your average bus ride. And, it is likely that students who learn to navigate bus systems now are will be more willing to use public transit in the future.
Free bus service provided by Syracuse University and Centro. Image courtesy of the Syracuse Connective Corridor.
3. The local culture! A huge part of creating the corridor has been creating a local culture that makes people want to call Syracuse their home. An example of this is “Zip Fest” Street Fair, which featured a zipline along the corridor, the wildly popular food truck, and entertainment in Forman Park. This is one of those “soft” ideas that often gets overlooked when trying to bring people back to cities, but it is just as important as good transit and walkability because people who love the culture of a place will be more willing to stay and work to improve it rather than abandon it when there are problems.
Examples of local festivals. Image from Greenbuild presentation by Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, Director of the Connective Corridor.
4. Save the Rain! Save the Rain is a comprehensive plan to reduce pollution in Onondaga Lake and its contributing rivers and streams. They have completed more than 120 projects since 2009. The Connective Corridor is an important part of the Save the Rain plan because it features street trees and other green infrastructure methods to reduce stormwater runoff into sewers and streams. This is important because stormwater runoff becomes polluted as it moves over the ground, but allowing that runoff to infiltrate into the ground will purify it before it reaches Onondaga Lake or its tributaries.
Image courtesy of the Save the Rain campaign.
5. Hotel Skyler! Hotel Skyler is the first LEED Platinum certified hotel that is an adaptive reuse of a historic building. It is also one of 3 LEED Platinum hotels in the US and 10 in the world. Hotel Skyler was originally built in 1921 as the Adath Yeshurun temple and then converted to the Salt City Theatre. The building now features a close-loop Geothermal Heat Pump that heats and cools by harnessing the constant temperature of the earth, much like a ground-fed spring that is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. When adapting the building, over 20% of the materials were sourced locally and the wood is almost exclusively Forest Stewardship Council certified.
Hotel Skyler, the only LEED Platinum certified hotel that is also an adaptive reuse of a historic building. Image courtesy of hotelskyler.com.
Anyone else want to take a trip to Syracuse now?
Related Articles:
- Will the Corridor connect with the people? Syracuse University project is becoming a reality
- Syracuse’s next Connective Corridor construction phase kicking off with mobile zipline
The information for this post comes from the “A Civic Engagement Model for Sustainable Initiatives” education session at the 2013 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
Featured image for this article on the home page courtesy of Syracuse Connective Corridor.
City Mentality 
Wow, I knew nothing about Syracuse until reading this post and it sounds like a fantastic place to visit! The layout of your blog suits your post very well. I like that the text is broken up with images and videos. Your passion for your subject comes through in your writing and it’s really neat to read. I look forward to learning more about different sustainable initiatives and communities through your blog. I have a feeling you’ll keep it up 🙂 !
Thanks, Carson! Syracuse does sound like a great place to visit! I would love to go check it out once they finish the third phase, as I believe that it is the final phase. Also, I do plan to keep up with the blog, especially since I will have some time to work on new posts over break and I will be taking a class on urban ecology next semester!