Albany in 2030 : A Vision of the Future
"What do you want Albany to be like in 2030? "
This is the founding question for the "Albany 2030: Your City. Your Future" project. Albany 2030 is a Comprehensive Plan that began in 2009 which serves as a guiding document outlining all the expectations and visions that residents have about the conditions and future of their city.
Why would Albany need a Comprehensive Plan like this? The city of Albany needs it to help city policy-makers, departments and residents make decisions on a daily basis that will match the goals and overall interests to the community it lies on. Albany 2030 provides the framework to ensure that future plans and investments are all in line to support one common end-goal for Albany's future.
One of the most unique parts of the plan is that it is not only the first city-wide plan that has ever been implemented in Albany, but it also relies heavily on the ideas and opinions of its residents. Because of the dependency on citizen input, residents are encouraged to stay informed and participate in the process of creating and staying on track of the plan. Writing in the citizen journal and contacting city officials are just some of the ways to help impact Albany and have your voice heard.
Albany 2030 promotes a collective vision for the future, with maps, policies, and guidelines all designed and gears towards achieving and maintaining that vision. This includes neighborhood revitalization plans, redevelopment programs, economic development plans, and housing initiatives, all striving for improvements such as "green" buildings, walkable and safe neighborhoods, affordable housing, and more.
Albany 2030 has also incorporated a waterfront redevelopment plan for the Corning Preserve. The Corning Preserve is a 15-acre multi-use waterfront on the Hudson River. While it's a major destination, its public access is extremely limited. The Corning Preserve Master Plan is an endeavor to prioritize improvements, mostly involving visitor accessibility.
The city has and continues to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to keep the word going about the Albany 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
Don't live in the city of Albany? That's no excuse to ignore Albany 2030. As one blogger noted, all residents of the Capital Region should be interested in Albany's future, since it has one of the largest impacts in the area and all and any changes will affect us.
Learn more about Albany 2030 by reading this document.