Introduction
The area where the I-81 viaduct stands today used to be a densely populated neighborhood that is tightly connected to Downtown to the west and the universities and hospitals to the south. There were debates about the quality of life in this neighborhood as some referred to it as “a slum area” while others insisted that there was a vibrant, close-knit community. Either way, it is undeniable that many called this place home and had to leave it to make way for I-81. At the time, the main complaints against the City of Syracuse were twofold: it offered no fair compensation to the relocated families; and it deployed borderline illegal measures to acquire land in order to build the viaduct. The greatest sin of I-81 is one that only became more evident over the decades following its construction: the city was divided by a barrier that can not be ignored. 60 years later, a large portion of the land in this area has become vacant. The sense of place is lost. An identity of the neighborhood is nonexistent. This is not to say that I-81 was solely to blame. With the rise of the suburbia and decades of urban sprawling, the decline of the urban core seemed inevitable. Yet the fact remains that this noisy concrete wall hinders any effort to revitalize this area and reconnect it to Downtown west of the viaduct.
The Decision
Since 2008, Syracuse has been faced with a challenge: to reach a decision about what to do with the I-81 viaduct when it reaches the end of its life in 2020. Three options were on the table: rebuild the viaduct in roughly the same fashion; lower through traffic into an underground tunnel; or reroute through traffic via the nearby Interstate-481 and build a surface boulevard in roughly the same footprint as the viaduct, thus restoring the community grid that was destroyed over 60 years ago. After a decade-long debate, the New York State Department of Transportation announced that it has chosen the “community grid” option as the preferred option, a heart-warming decision welcomed by the community.
The Goal
Current land uses along the I-18 viaduct corridor mainly consist of institutional and commercial types. Many properties are either vacant or used as surface parking lots. A reasonable concern that the opponents of the community grid option have is that a surface boulevard might suffer from a lack of business and commercial interests and eventually cause the same problems as the I-81 viaduct did: fast-moving traffic that turns pedestrians away, which in turn deters businesses to locate here. It is a complex problem and not one that can be tackled by design and planning solutions alone. But proper design of the streetscape can lay the foundation of a healthy infrastructure that does not physically repel people and businesses. The ultimate goal of this design is to create a place where people can live, play, and work all within walking distance. Mixed-use buildings are to be developed along the new boulevard, with spaces for restaurants and shops on the first story and apartments and offices on second story and up. A park-like median is to be built between the opposite directions of traffic, featuring an art installations, open space for markets and food trucks, seating areas for lunch, rain gardens for street runoff capture, and trees for shade. If possible, site features can be built using recycled materials such as concrete and steel beams from the I-81 demolition. Traffic is to be drastically calmed down during non-business hours, encouraging people to use the outdoor space for recreation.
The Design
