A group of public policy students from Gettysburg College is visiting Rochester, New York, to study the city's nationally recognized Inner Loop highway removal project. The visit, part of an experiential education program, provides a firsthand look at how cities are working to reverse the effects of mid-20th-century urban infrastructure.
Led by Professor Christopher Rick and organized by the Eisenhower Institute, the students will participate in a walking tour hosted by the local blog The Urban Phoenix. The tour will cover both the completed Inner Loop East section and the area designated for the upcoming Inner Loop North transformation.
Key Takeaways
- Gettysburg College students are in Rochester for a walking tour of the Inner Loop highway removal sites.
- The tour is an experiential education program focused on urban planning and public policy.
- Students will examine the completed Inner Loop East and the planned Inner Loop North projects.
- The visit highlights a national trend of cities removing urban highways to reconnect communities.
- Rochester's project serves as a case study for planners and students nationwide.
Experiential Education on Urban Renewal
The student visit to Rochester is designed to move learning beyond the classroom. The tour will guide students through areas where a sunken highway once divided the city, offering a tangible example of urban redevelopment.
The tour is scheduled to begin near the Genesee Brewery at the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge and will conclude at The Strong National Museum of Play, traversing key areas impacted by the highway's removal and future redevelopment.
"I’ve taught students about the effects of highway construction on people, communities, and cities, but nothing can replace the experience of standing on a sidewalk and thinking about the highway that was there a decade earlier," stated Professor Christopher Rick. "I know my students learn best when classroom learning is paired with experiential education programs."
The program emphasizes direct observation as a critical tool for understanding complex public policy challenges. By walking the ground, students can better grasp the scale of the project and its impact on the local environment and community fabric.
Rochester as a National Model
Rochester has gained national attention for its pioneering efforts in dismantling its downtown highway system. The Inner Loop, a relic of 1950s urban planning, was a limited-access expressway that encircled the downtown area, creating physical and social barriers.
Historical Context: Urban Highways
In the mid-20th century, the construction of interstate highways through urban centers was common across the United States. These projects often displaced residents, destroyed historic neighborhoods, and divided communities, disproportionately affecting minority populations. Today, many cities are re-evaluating this legacy infrastructure.
The first phase, the Inner Loop East project, was completed several years ago. It involved filling in a below-grade section of the highway and replacing it with a more traditional city street. This change has already spurred new residential and commercial development in the area, reconnecting neighborhoods that had been separated for decades.
The success of the first phase has set the stage for the much larger Inner Loop North project. This next phase aims to remove the remaining northern portion of the expressway, which is expected to free up significant acreage for development and public space.
Project Funding and Scope
The Inner Loop North transformation has received significant financial support, including a major boost of $100 million in federal funding. This investment underscores the project's national significance as a model for infrastructure redevelopment and urban revitalization.
A Tale of Two Cities: Rochester and Syracuse
The students' trip to Rochester follows a visit to Syracuse, another upstate New York city grappling with the legacy of a major urban highway. In Syracuse, discussions are focused on the ongoing efforts to dismantle the elevated Interstate 81, which cuts through the city's downtown.
By visiting both cities, students gain a comparative perspective on different approaches to highway removal. While Rochester's Inner Loop was a sunken expressway, Syracuse's I-81 is an elevated viaduct, presenting a different set of engineering and social challenges.
- Rochester's Inner Loop: A project focused on filling in a below-grade highway to create at-grade streets and new development parcels.
- Syracuse's I-81: A project centered on tearing down an elevated highway and replacing it with a community grid of surface streets.
Both projects share a common goal: to reclaim urban land fragmented by outdated infrastructure and create more livable, connected, and equitable city centers. According to program organizers, these real-world examples are invaluable for the next generation of public policy leaders.
Reconnecting the Urban Fabric
The core objective of removing urban highways like the Inner Loop is to repair the city's physical and social fabric. For more than half a century, the expressway acted as a moat around downtown, isolating it from surrounding residential areas.
The removal of the Inner Loop East has already demonstrated positive results. New apartment buildings, businesses, and public spaces have emerged on land that was once a concrete trench. This has increased walkability and encouraged investment in the city center.
The upcoming Inner Loop North project is expected to have an even greater impact. City officials and planners are actively seeking public input to shape the future of the reclaimed land, with goals that include:
- Creating affordable and market-rate housing.
- Developing new commercial and retail opportunities.
- Establishing parks and green spaces.
- Improving pedestrian and bicycle connectivity.
The visit from Gettysburg College students is the latest in a series of trips by planners, officials, and academic groups from across the country. They come to Rochester to learn from its successes and challenges in redefining the modern American city.