Smart Growth in CNY: Nov 15, 2024

Our first conference was a great success! Thank you to everyone who helped to plan it, participated in panels and remarks, and attended. You can watch the recorded sessions on YouTube below:

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The Syracuse Urbanism Collective hosted the Smart Growth in CNY Conference on Friday, November 15. Central New York is on the cusp of growth and change. Many of you joined the conversation to help plan for the kind of growth that will best serve the community we call home.

Event Summary

Who? The Syracuse Urbanism Collective strives to build access to human-centered, walkable, vibrant communities and spaces for all. We’ve collaborated with Hopeprint and SustainCNY to organize this event. This event is open to all. We encourage anyone who is interested in the topic to attend!

What? Central New York is on the cusp of growth and change. Let’s plan for the kind of growth we want to see. We have the opportunity to get things right when it comes to housing and development, transportation and infrastructure, open spaces and public amenities, and local and regional development patterns. Come together with both immediate neighbors and those from across the region to build a more equitable, resilient, and thriving future.

When / Where? Nov 15, 2024 at the McCarthy Mercantile in Downtown Syracuse, NY.

Why? This event is a way to build a stronger conversation about how to plan for the right kind of growth to shape Central New York for the future we want to see in our communities. We can kick off advocacy coalitions around areas of shared interest that arise from the resulting discussions.

Conference Details

The four main sessions of the conference are panel discussions.

Thursday Nov 14

7:00pm-9:00pm Nightlife Walking Tour (maximum 20 participants)

Friday Nov 15

8-9:00 Catered Breakfast / Networking (food included in ticket price)

9:00-9:30 – Opening Remarks

9:30-9:45 – Tentative Guest Speaker, Local Public Official

9:45-10:45 – Placemaking, Open Spaces & Public Amenities

11:00-12:00 – Housing & Development

12:15-1:45 – Catered Lunch (food included in ticket price) with time to shop at the McCarthy Mercantile shops

2:00-3:00 – Transportation & Infrastructure

3:15-4:15 – Local and Regional Development Patterns

4:30-5:00 – Closing Remarks

5:15 – Happy Hour

Moderators and Panelists

Placemaking, Open Spaces & Public Amenities

Facilitated by Nicole Watts, Hopeprint. Nicole Watts is the Founder/CEO of Hopeprint, Inc, a Syracuse-based not-for-profit organization that envisions the transformation of every community into being a place where all can flourish. Since its founding in 2010, Hopeprint has worked in cities throughout the U.S. and partnered across the world for co-learning towards this end, and Nicole has two decades of experience in equitable community development to bring to our conversation.

1. Andrew Frasier, Adapt CNY | SMTC – champion of Community Streets program
   • Andrew is a board member of Adapt CNY, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing creative professionals with a platform to engage, create, and connect within Central New York. He co-chairs the Transit Task Force, and has been an active participant in Adapt CNY’s involvement with the Community Streets Program. Andrew received his bachelor’s degree in Geography at Syracuse University in 2014, and takes a keen interest in promoting alternative forms of transportation.
2. Munira Aziz, West Pond Alliance Co-Chair – co-host of Lodi Triangle project
   • Munira Aziz is a dynamic professional with over a decade of experience in civil society, women and youth empowerment, political institutions, peacebuilding, and social cohesion through her work with diplomatic missions and international organizations in Afghanistan. Since 2022, she has been supporting Her Village, a women’s group facilitated by Hopeprint, which brings together New American women to provide mutual support and navigate shared challenges within their communities.
3. Victoria Coit, Cuse Culture – Lead of Cuse Culture Fest | NYCLU
   • Victoria Coit is an accomplished public relations professional, community organizer, and social architect with over 15 years of experience empowering communities and businesses through strategic communications and advocacy. As the Founder and CEO of Cuse Culture Media Group, Victoria has led the charge in promoting diversity, economic empowerment, and cultural engagement across Central New York. With expertise in business development, government relations, event creation, and community partnerships, Victoria’s work has consistently elevated the presence and influence of underrepresented voices in the business and public sectors.
4. Maren King, Landscape Architect & SUNY-ESF Professor
   • Maren King is a landscape architect and community design educator and Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture at SUNY ESF. Through her teaching, research and practice she partners with agencies, organizations and other faculty on participatory research and design projects which engage community members and students in learning together to create healthy and sustainable neighborhoods.
5. Josh Wilcox, Syracuse City Parks Department
   • Joshua Wilcox is a Landscape Designer and Planner for the City of Syracuse, Department of Parks, Recreation, & Youth Programs. Known for his energetic approach to transforming urban spaces, he blends creativity with socially responsible design, as people-centered approach to landscapes and public spaces. Josh is both an Alumni of SUNY-ESF Landscape Architecture program, and University at Buffalo, Master of Urban Planning program. Between passions for aerial photography, discovering innovative ways for enhancing spaces, and yelling ‘Bike Party’, you’ll always find him doing whatever it takes to make Syracuse and Central NY a hub for inspiring the future.

Housing & Development

Facilitated by Tysha Martin, CNY Fair Housing. Tysha Martin currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement for CNY Fair Housing. She has worked in Housing and Human services for over 15 years. She enjoys volunteering in the community as much as she can and spending time with her family.

1. Walter Dixie, Jubilee Homes
   • Walter Dixie has served as Executive Director of Jubilee Homes of Syracuse, Inc. for 38 years. Jubilee Homes of Syracuse, Inc. is a not-for-profit, community-based development agency dedicated to assuring permanent and affordable homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income individuals and families on the Southwest side of Syracuse as well as addressing the needs of small business, workforce and economic development, and youth initiatives. Mr. Dixie is also the founder of the Alliance Network, as well as the founder and former President of the National Action Network (N.A.N.) local Syracuse Chapter.
2. Cimone Jordan, City of Syracuse Director of Neighborhood Development
   • Cimone Jordan currently serves as the Director of Housing and Neighborhood planning. In her role, she manages and supports a series of initiatives related to maintaining and strengthening city neighborhoods. Her portfolio includes supporting the city’s tax foreclosure process and infill housing development pipeline in addition to managing city programming related to addressing code compliance and promoting housing stability. Prior to this role, Cimone served as the neighborhood planner for the Southside of Syracuse and oversaw the city’s zombies enforcement program.
3. Zach Zeliff, Uplift Syracuse | Senator Rachel May’s Chief of Staff
   • Zach Zeliff has been State Senator Rachel May’s Chief of Staff for the last 6 years. Previously, he worked at CNY Fair Housing in policy and outreach and on several electoral campaigns.
4. Frank Cetera, Alchemical Nursery | Bitternut Homestead | Democracy at Work Institute
   • Frank Cetera is a Founder and President of the Alchemical Nursery Project for regenerative urban landscapes & lifestyles, managing grassroots stewardship of 5 properties in Syracuse as food producing green community spaces, including the 713 Marcellus Street Depot bicycle workshop. Frank also is directing the conversion of his home, currently lived collectively, into ownership as a cooperative corporation with community share ownership. Professionally, he can be found directing the Democracy at Work Institute’s national work to build an infrastructure of support for business transitions to employee ownership.
5. Ryan Benz, Real Estate Developer at Redev CNY
   • Ryan Benz is a Syracuse-based real estate developer, restaurateur, and investor dedicated to shaping the future of Central New York. As the owner of popular local establishments—Oh My Darling, The Fitz, and Parthenon Books—Benz balances his passion for experiential retail with his leadership in Redev CNY, his real estate development company. Under Redev CNY, Benz has completed more than $80m in affordable and market rentals across Syracuse and recently pioneered the use of affordable condos across Syracuse with 59 units under construction which will be sold to individuals at the 80% of AMI income band creating affordable home-ownership opportunities.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Facilitated by Alex Lawson, CNY Fair Housing. Alex Lawson is the Policy Manager for CNY Fair Housing and an advocate for better sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transportation in Syracuse. He likes riding the bus but hates waiting at the bus stop.

1. Anne Savage, New York Bicycling Coalition
   • Anne Savage has led the New York Bicycling Coalition since 2023, expanding the organization and invigorating NYBC’s advocacy, education, and community-building efforts. When not working to make active transportation and recreation better in New York, she coordinates the Upper Madison Street Fair – a bike-friendly annual festival of fun celebrating “City Living at its Best” in Albany and serves on the Albany City School District Board of Education, where she advocates for equitable funding for every student in Albany and in other high-needs school districts across the state. Anne is a committed urbanist. She is a cyclist, pedestrian, and driver in Albany, where she lives with her husband and two teenage children. She uses her bike whenever possible and other modes of transport whenever necessary!
2. Kevan Busa, City of Syracuse Transportation Planner
   • Kevan Busa is the Transportation Planner for the City of Syracuse. Prior to working at the City, Kevan worked at the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council for nearly a decade. While at SMTC he worked with the City, County, Towns, and Villages on a variety of transportation-related studies. Kevan has been a resident of the City of Syracuse since 2009 and cares deeply about making the city a better place to live. His primary focus is increasing safety and accessibility for vulnerable roadway users.
3. Bren Daiss, Centro
   • Having spent more than two decades working for county and municipal governments, Bren places a high focus on strategic planning to efficiently transport people, shape urban form, enhance economic vitality, and improve quality of life.  Bren has worked in transit for more than five years, most recently at Centro as the Senior Director of Service Planning & Special Projects.  There, she manages major projects such as Syracuse’s BRT, Cento’s On-Demand microtransit, and bikeshare expansion. 
4. Peyton Sefick, Disability Access
   • Peyton Sefick has called the city of Syracuse home since he graduated from Le Moyne College in 2013. Peyton was a consultant and eventually an Inclusive Recreation Specialist with SUNY Upstate Golisano Center for Special Needs. Now, Peyton is an Inclusion Specialist with Rochester Accessible Adventures and draws on his experience from world travels and international competition to collaborate with his teammates and neighbors to work together toward fair play and equitable communities.
5. Maurice ‘Mo’ Brown, Onondaga County Legislator
   • Maurice Brown is an Alumni of OCC & SU. He serves on many local boards including the Greater Syracuse Land Bank & the Upstate Progressive PAC.

Local and Regional Development Patterns

Facilitated by Nazanin Ghaffari, SUNY ESF. Nazanin Ghaffari is an Assistant Professor of Place- and Community-Based Planning and Design in the Department of Landscape Architecture at SUNY ESF and a Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Arts Research with Communities of Color Fellow. Her research examines how governance strategies shape inclusion and exclusion within urban landscapes, with a focus on racialized, classed, and gendered dynamics. She brings over a decade of international experience in architecture, urban design, and planning, working across sectors to advance equity and justice initiatives within diverse communities.

1. Ryan Fitzgerald, Salt City Harvest Farm
   • Ryan is the Market Manager for Salt City Harvest Farm, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization working to connect refugees, immigrants, and New Americans in Syracuse to agricultural land and market opportunities in the region. He has lived in Syracuse for almost five years, and has become rooted to the region through food, riparian recreation, and exploring the natural environment around us all.
2. Dr. Sean Drake, Maxwell School at Syracuse University
   • Dr. Sean J. Drake is Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Senior Research Associate at the Maxwell Center for Policy Research, and Faculty Affiliate at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. His first book, ACADEMIC APARTHEID: RACE AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF FAILURE IN AN AMERICAN SUBURB (University of California Press) won the SSSP Educational Problems Division’s 2024 Outstanding Book Award. His current book project (in progress) focuses on the neighborhood and school experiences of refugee youth in Central New York.
3. Eric Ennis, Deputy Commissioner for the City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development
   • Eric Ennis serves as Deputy Commissioner for the City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, managing the City’s economic development and opportunity initiatives. In this role, he assists with commercial/mixed-use project coordination and community revitalization efforts, as well as working closely with City Departments with procurement opportunities. Eric is directly involved in advancement of real estate development projects throughout the City, and manages the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA). He also serves as the President of the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO), providing small business loans to firms in Syracuse. Eric is a Central New York native and serves on the board of directors with local organizations including Adapt CNY and the Syracuse Urban Partnership. He is a graduate of the Maxwell School at Syracuse University with a Master’s of Public Administration, and the University at Buffalo with a degree in environmental design and urban policy.
4. Joe Driscoll, I-81 Project Director for the City of Syracuse
   • Joe Driscoll served as Syracuse’s 5th District Councilor, from 2018-2022, also serving as the City’s Transportation Chair. In 2022, Driscoll was appointed as the City’s I81 Project Director. In this role Driscoll has overseen the City’s Community Grid Vision Plan, with consultant Dover Kohl & Partners, and has been part of the grant writing teams that successfully won the $500k Reconnecting Communities Planning Grant, and the $180 million dollar Reconnecting Communities Capital Grant, as well as Thriving Communities Technical Assistance grants from both HUD & DOT.
5. Megan Costa, Deputy Director for the Onondaga County Department of Planning
   • Megan Costa, a native of the Sedgwick neighborhood in Syracuse, NY, is Deputy Director for the Onondaga County Department of Planning. Managing the County Planning Services Division, Megan provides staff support to the Onondaga County Planning Board, manages countywide planning studies, and works with staff, government agencies, municipalities, and community organizations to advance a variety of planning based projects.

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