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…
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…
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…