By or on January 1, 2022, the state will be issuing a draft plan for meeting the requirements of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Signed into law in July 2019, the Act sets targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the state’s economy. Read more…
City neighborhoods throughout New York State are burdened with vacant or underused houses that eventually deteriorate, leading to increased costs of code enforcement, policing and fire protection and decreases in taxable value. In many cases the property owners walk away from their responsibilities, leaving local governments to care for the Read more…
In this article I analyze transportation planning in the Genesee-Finger Lakes region through the lens of the state’s climate legislation. My intent is not to criticize the people who determine how transportation dollars are spent, but to show how a system of decision making no longer fits with the realities Read more…
As a longtime observer of the interface of politics, commerce, and environment stewardship and as a former City Planner, I have gathered a few ideas to improve our region that are working elsewhere and that I believe could work here, but only if implemented regionally. I believe that we have Read more…
A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows that climate tipping points are much closer than previously thought, with some perhaps already reached. The IPCC’s Assessment Report 6 calls for an immediate, drastic cut to greenhouse gas emissions to arrest the melting of polar ice caps, thawing Read more…
With the impacts of climate change becoming clearer and given that our northside neighbors have endured decades of poor air quality and toxic pollutants, I would encourage the planning team to place environmental remediation and public health at the top of project goals. The stated goals seem rooted in the Read more…
The City of Rochester would like to replace the portion of the Inner Loop that forms the northern edge of downtown. The City’s Request for Proposals essentially calls for a repeat of the Inner Loop East project that was completed last year. This project, funded mostly with federal stimulus money, Read more…
Strengths Fresh water Clean air Biomass High-quality soils Fisheries Woodlands of mixed species Downtown district heating system Hydropower Nuclear MC Pure Waters Walkable and bikeable Mainline rail service Water transportation via lake and canal Urban tree canopy Urban parks Relatively compact Top medical care and research Major technical research centers Read more…
Urban land once used for industrial purposes sits idle across America, especially in the former industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest, and much of it may be attractive for solar arrays. There are opportunities if a solar developer knows where to look: a community’s climate action plan and the Read more…