New York sees value, potential in its “Legacy Cities”
Massachusetts is not the only state seeking to realize the potential of its older industrial cities. In New York, the favored term is “Legacy Cities,” but ongoing efforts to revitalize upstate urban areas such as Syracuse and Rochester share many strategies and goals with the Bay State’s Gateway Cities initiative. It may be instructive to compare strategies and outcomes in the two states, and INCspot will be following the Legacy Cities initiative in the coming months.
“Revitalizing the Legacy Cities of Upstate New York,” a conference held in Syracuse last December, addressed some of the challenges of improving the economy and civic life in cities that have lagged behind major urban centers including New York City and Boston. Columbia University’s The American Assembly, a public policy research center that has been studying Legacy Cities across the United States, recently published findings and recommendations from that conference, and the report can be downloaded for free here.
The Legacy Cities report is notable for its emphasis on developing export markets for cities in a region that still has a strong manufacturing presence. It also addresses efforts by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to promote regional planning in what is a much larger, more sprawling area than Massachusetts. From the Legacy Cities blog post on the report:
Ten councils were created in 2011 and in 2012 they were awarded nearly $740 million.
The report lists the following major goals of the Legacy Cities initiative in New York:
Support land use coordination and urban place-making by communicating the business case for Smart Growth in New York State, removing legal barriers to strengthening urban cores and promoting density and encouraging anchor institution involvement in neighborhood planning and development – innovators in this area include the Syracuse Connective Corridor and Near West Side Initiative, and University of Buffalo’s downtown investments.
Target urban education by making schools neighborhood magnets. Encourage investment in strategic workforce alignment and educational programs—such as Say Yes to Education.
Build a world class innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by spurring the creation of regionally-based venture funds, commercializing bountiful research in market-ready products, and connecting upstate firms to downstate venture opportunities.
Drive competitiveness in the global export and commerce marketplace by increasing export capacity, developing regional export plans, appointing a statewide export council and czar, and connecting upstate products and services with downstate markets.
Enable Legacy Cities to lead in the production of clean, sustainable sources of energy and in approaches to energy conservation by establishing a statewide commission to investigate energy conservation and production.– Robert David Sullivan
