Afer years of controversion discussions between private and public sectors, neighborhood advocacy groups and vested parties, the I-81 corridor running through Syracuse, NY is about to finally go forward. In almost all cases across the country where the 1950’s initiatives to build highways bisecting our cities turned out to be a disaster for almost any and all cities that the federal government imposed their will upon, Syracuse being one of them, it is a great opportunity to finally turn the tides and rejuvenate the city wiht a knitted grid and a perphery highway system that makes perfect sense in city planning programs around the world.

The portion of interstate 81 careening through Syracuse is reaching the end of its useful life, but thousands of drivers still rely upon it every day. Recognizing deficiencies of public proposals drafted in anticipation of the highway’s death, my firm joined the I-81 Task Force to analyze the constraints of this urban-scaled design problem. Through rigorous data gathering and evenhandedly inspecting design alternatives, the Task Force has generated a proposal that maximizes benefits for the city and region by reinvigorating our disused street grid.