"Albany, N.Y., has remarkable assets . . . But everybody we talked to felt that Albany is not making the most of its assets. Why?
It’s about making connections.
There are many plans: North Albany, South End, Arbor Hill, Midtown. These are good plans, but the connections are missing. How do they relate to the rest of the city and to an overall vision for Albany’s future?
Many important initiatives are going on, but we sense that people don’t always plan or carry out those initiatives together. People and institutions are going off in different directions—inside city government and between city government and the school district, the state, the universities, the hospitals,
and so on.
The central question that Albany’s leaders must answer is this: How can people make
better connections, complement each other’s efforts, and make the most of their resources
and energy?"
“While the basic underlying regional market dynamics are favorable for investment,
the relative ease of access to the suburbs for Albany workers (in terms of travel time
and cost) means that the city must focus on creating a community that will attract
lifestyle owners and renters rather than focusing on convenience as a major asset.
These principal assets will draw lifestyle-oriented buyers and renters:
• The city’s great historic housing stock
• Urban fabric and retail
• Benefits to a sustainable environment.”
"The historic fabric of downtown—reflected in its streetscapes, its buildings, and, ultimately, its relationship to the Hudson River—is the area’s greatest asset, which will make the city’s aspirations for the area possible. To the extent that fabric is lost or compromised through poor planning and development decisions, that loss will translate directly into fewer opportunities for economic development, jobs, and revenues."
"The SDAT believes that every possible effort should be made to avoid expanding the landfill
while mitigating the fiscal impact on the city." (OK, so it hedges, but it's fairly clear.)
"The city should actively support the CDTA BRT plans for Central Avenue, including making any reasonable changes with respect to removing on-street parking and changes to traffic patterns. The BRT system, if properly designed and implemented, could significantly enhance the Central Avenue corridor, which would translate into increased property values and development opportunities. The city should not allow itself to miss this opportunity."
"Whenever the city contemplates any traffic, circulation, or roadway improvement, it must ask, “How can this improvement simultaneously improve pedestrian and bicycle travel?”
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