Mayor Walsh Releases Community Grid Vision Plan
Published on February 21, 2024
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh released the Community Grid Vision Plan, a multi-decade look ahead at how Syracuse can maximize the positive impact of the Interstate 81 Viaduct Project on neighborhoods and mobility. The plan is available online at syr.gov/communitygrid.
“The Community Grid Vision Plan, first and foremost, is about people. It envisions what we can do now and, in the future, to enhance mobility and access for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers,” said Mayor Walsh. “It also looks at what we must do to improve quality of life, increase quality housing and grow economic opportunity in all Syracuse neighborhoods, especially for people living in the shadow of the viaduct who were harmed by Interstate 81 for more than half a century.”
The City will hold open houses on Syracuse’s south and north sides to share the Vision Plan with residents and community stakeholders. The first session takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of STEAM at Dr. King Elementary at 416 E. Raynor Avenue. The second open house is on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Lincoln Middle School at 1613 James Street.
The 56-page plan makes recommendations regarding the city transportation network, land use, housing and economic development, public spaces and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. It is based on extensive neighborhood and stakeholder input, including a weeklong design charette in August 2022 which engaged city residents in visioning and design.
Vision Plan recommendations are organized in seven sections: East Adams neighborhood, Southside and MLK, Northside, Downtown, Crouse and Irving, Almond Street, and University Hill. Detailed maps are supported by full color concept drawings of city streets and neighborhoods.
With funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, the City hired Dover Kohl & Partners, a world class urban design and planning firm well known for its work in place making and town planning related to major public infrastructure projects. Dover Kohl & Partners assembled a team of planners, architects, engineers, and experts in the fields of housing, development, economics, and anti-displacement with the task of making sure the community’s voices and ideas for the Community Grid remained the guiding influence for the project.