EXPLORE CITY SNAPSHOTS

Equitably Reconnecting Communities

in Small and Midsize Cities

Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Reimagining Albany

The Community Connectors project in Albany, NY focused on reconnecting residents to the Hudson River and to each other by supporting community-led co-creation of the redesign process and ensuring inclusive, resilient, and safe development for community residents harmed by I-787 and the building of the Empire State Plaza complex. Both of these infrastructure projects physically separated Albany communities, with effects still being felt by residents today.

The

The Community Connectors’ work is focused on three neighborhoods that were divided by I-787 (South End, Port of Albany, and Pastures) and six neighborhoods that are adjacent to I-787 (Arbor Hill, Downtown, Mansion District, North Albany, Warehouse District, West Hill). According to the 2020 Census, the seven corresponding census tracts have a total population of 24,352 [1]. About 71% of residents identify as persons of color, with the majority (59%) identifying as Black [2]. The Median Household Income of every census tract area in the target area, is considerably less than the NYS Median Housing Income of $75,157, ranging from a low of $24,792 to a high of $59,325 [3].

These neighborhoods are considered urban and the land use is primarily zoned as commercial, mixed-use, or residential [4]. Numerous schools, churches, mission/homeless centers, and youth development agencies operate within these neighborhoods, including an active Albany Public Library System [5]. Limited parks and green spaces contribute to poor air quality, high asthma rates, and other health-related burdens, as well as the potential for urban heat island effects [6].

The

The construction of Interstate 787 resulted in nine miles of highway along the edge of the Hudson River that divided most of the city from the waterfront, which was particularly detrimental to the surrounding overburdened and disadvantaged communities. The I-787 has had lasting negative economic, environmental, social, and public health impacts that divided communities and exacerbated pre-existing hardships created by red-lining practices and other efforts to displace the majority Black communities [7].

The

The Albany Community Connectors project team focused on advocating throughout the redesign process of Interstate-787 to ensure that community-led co-creation led to healthy, inclusive, resilient, and safe development for the community harmed by I-787. The top priority was to reconnect residents who have been divided from neighbors and the river to improve their overall quality of life and work.

The

Mobility Legacies

Albany, New York

This city's local history offers critical context for the current circumstances and ongoing work to improve community conditions.

The following mobility legacies, organized according to mobility patterns that are prevalent across the United States, point to harmful policies and decisions, and subsequently, opportunities for repair and reconnection. They do not provide an exhaustive history of the city.