Park South Neighborhood Revitalization Plan

Design Collective was engaged by the City of Albany to prepare a revitalization plan for Park South, a disinvested—and considered unsafe—Albany, NY neighborhood.  A robust engagement process with area residents, Albany Medical Center, city stakeholders, and commercial property owners over growing concerns of public safety, absentee landlords, and disrepair of buildings and properties led to a neighborhood plan that established a framework that has guided the renewal of Park South into a vibrant and walkable health and wellness focused district. The plan’s implementation strategy focused on leveraging the neighborhood’s unique health and medical institutions, and has guided a robust partnership with Albany Medical Center, resulting in $600 million in combined public and private investment. 

 

The Park South Neighborhood Revitalization Plan has guided renovation of several historic rowhomes for affordable home ownership; the construction of new and renovated staff, faculty, and workforce housing along Morris Street; and the development of much needed medical, wellness, and community services, including restaurants, a Boys and Girls Club, and a Bike-Share Hub, that have revitalized New Scotland Avenue into a vibrant shopping street and gateway to Albany Medical Center. Park South’s thoughtful transformation into a safe, thriving, equitable, and diverse, mixed-income neighborhood has generated hundreds of medical-related jobs, spurred broader community-wide reinvestment, advanced homeownership opportunities, and prevented, or limited, displacement and gentrification. Today, Park South remains a desirable and affordable community for families, healthcare workers, students, and young professionals.