BY ADETUNJI IDRIS ADESINA – The Albany Riverfront Collaborative seeks to modernize Downtown Albany by redesigning a section of Interstate 787 into a multimodal at-grade boulevard that features walkable and micromobility paths. People in Albany will be able to walk and use micromobility vehicles to explore Downtown Albany and enjoy ease of access to the Hudson River.

BY MARC WOUTERS — The benefits of transforming I-787 for Albany and the Greater Capital Region are countless. These include potential for economic growth for the entire city, reduction in air pollution, improved riverfront access, opportunities for new housing choices for people from all walks of life, growth of small local businesses, and more.

BY JOSH KOSS — The easy answer—but difficult undertaking—is that good development involves everything: community engagement, responsible stakeholders, government support, prudent underwriting, disciplined execution and ultimately community support.

BY CHRISTINE SCHUDDE — Yes, we can reimagine 787, but we can also reimagine Albany’s entire downtown. Imagine what Albany could be with nearly 100 reclaimed acres of land along our waterfront.

BY LIZ LOGIUDICE — Climate change is making it imperative for every city to take bold steps toward greater sustainability, while preparing for disruptions caused by extreme weather.

BY ELISA ALBERT — What were they thinking, building that highway along the river?

BY MARTIN DALEY — The reconstruction of the Livingston Avenue presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to provide enjoyable and cost-effective access for people, to cross the Hudson River safely and quickly on bike or foot.

The Albany Riverfront Collaborative thanks Governor Hochul for making reconnecting neighborhoods and Communities of Color divided by highways a top priority in her 2022 State of the State proposals.

BY SCHUYLER BULL — Downtown Albany was never perfect: the evolution from a small trading fort to one of the ten most populous cities in the US (at the time) comes with its fair share of growing pains.

BY BENITA LAW-DIAO — My first apartment in Albany was on Hudson Avenue between Lark and Dove Streets, just up the hill from the Hudson River. You could see the hills of Rensselaer County from our apartment. It should have been an easy walk or bicycle ride to the river.

BY SAM FEIN - Throughout its long history one thing has stayed the same about Albany: Geography. Situated on the west bank of the Hudson River ten miles south of the Mohawk river, Albany is a river city.

BY ADAM BONOSKY - It sounds like a relatively straightforward sentence, and you may even be wondering why that was written. This becomes relevant when we see that we have been prioritizing cars in city planning since the mid-twentieth century.

BY JODI SMITS ANDERSON - My husband and son and I often put in our kayaks at a launch situated under the highway system that cuts Albany off from the river. It is an uninspiring beginning to some healing time on the water.

BY BEN CROWTHER - Rivers were once the lifeblood of cities, which relied upon them for irrigation, hydration, sanitation, and transportation. But many American cities turned their backs on their waterfronts and covered them in highway pavement.

BY SCOTT KELLOGG - Rivers move, they bend, they pulse. Defying containment, rivers express an emergent vitalism arising from the complexity of water and the life within it.