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States at a Glance: New York
Rochester has embarked on an impressive effort to redevelop downtown, create smart growth and rejuvenate the city. Advocates claim that Renaissance 2010, as the plan is known, will turn Rochester into a world-class cultural, economic and social center. Every aspect of the plan takes advantage of existing development to protect and enhance the community's natural resources. The city has adopted a regional "no net loss" policy to ensure that open spaces, waterways, parks and urban forests are not threatened by suburban sprawl. Development will be focused on the city center through reclamation of brownfields and other previously developed areas. The great waterways -- Lake Ontario, the Genessee River and the Erie Canal -- will be given their rightful due as the crown jewels of the region. Downtown development plans will focus on making these incredible resources easier to access. Finally, the city has recognized the social elements that comprise livable communities. One impressive feature of the plan is a focus on citizen involvement through the Neighbors Building Neighborhoods program: Residents are encouraged to become active players in the decisions that will improve their communities and way of life. The city of Rochester recognizes that smart growth is about more than buildings and parks -- it's about people.
In an area of metropolitan New York already choking on suburban sprawl, the privatization of the Stewart Airport is threatening one of the last remaining open spaces in the region. The state-owned airport was turned over to private operation in April 2000.
Now, Gov. Pataki is proposing to sell the adjacent buffer lands for private development, threatening the extensive wetlands, forests and fields in the area. What was once an oasis in a rapidly developing area will soon become yet another sprawling development under the governor's proposal. Supporters of the plan envision a metropolitan complex similar to the Metroplex in Dallas. They point out that it is ideally situated five hours from Boston and Washington, D.C., and "only" 90 minutes away from New York City. Unfortunately, most visitors will spend that time in a car, because driving is still the main way to access the project. Any development in this area is likely to contribute to the already significant congestion and deteriorating air quality in the region. In order to accommodate the new traffic, the state of New York has proposed the construction of a new interchange on I-84 that will pave over more open space and spur even more sprawl. Another development in a neighboring state will also make traffic worse. In a cornfield in rural New Jersey, near the small town of Hopewell, Merrill Lynch is building a 3.5 million square-foot office development that will employ as many as 3,500 people. In nearby Middletown, AT&T recently built 1 million square feet of laboratories. The conversion of Denver's Stapleton Airport is a model for how to turn unused land into a well-planned development that preserves open space. New York would do well to look west for ideas on how to develop Stewart Airport while protecting open space. States at a Glance | Introduction | Resources | Acknowledgments Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
