The road to revitalization runs through the Connective Corridor

By: Sari Knopp Biklen

Posted: 11/9/07

The person who cuts my hair used to have a salon in Armory Square. She had opened it because she liked the area. I loved going there, too. I looked forward to my appointments, and often combined a haircut with getting bread at Pasta's Daily Bread, or picking up a lunch. But my haircutter's clients, many of whom lived in Manlius, Dewitt or Fayetteville, were scared to go "downtown" because they were not sure if they would be safe and they were worried about parking. She subsequently left the area and set up shop in the suburbs.

Certainly, racism and the stereotyping of youth were at play in the clients' views. But cities need people to spend time and money in downtowns, and the renovated district of Armory Square should be able to attract citizens of Syracuse.

The Connective Corridor will help revitalize downtown, not only by providing frequent bus transportation from here to there, but also by helping people benefit from an attractive route that works to overcome the barriers that the Interstate 81 overpass and empty lots present to Syracuse University students.

The city cannot attract people if it only houses social service agencies, a jail and insurance companies. It needs to have attractions that people want to visit and spend time enjoying. The flight from the city is a dangerous flight because - for one reason - it encourages people who do not see the city as a source of pleasure to stay in the suburbs. An idea like the Connective Corridor is one part of a plan to revitalize a city like Syracuse.

It is not just older women who are afraid to go downtown. For the fireworks display at the extravaganza opening of The Warehouse, many of my undergraduate advisees told me they were scared to attend. They were not sure what they would find there.

The Connective Corridor works to counter some of those stereotypes about the danger of the city because it enhances street lighting, making the way downtown less dark and isolated. It provides continuous bus service in lighted lanes and bus stops that light up when buses are coming, thus increasing safety. Furthermore, the Connective Corridor focuses attention on the area as a source of culture and entertainment, not one of economic depression.

It is different to attend a university that has access to a vibrant urban context - music, art, restaurants, clubs, coffee houses - because it means there is more to do at night and on the weekends than have a social life on Marshall Street. The Connective Corridor provides one path to that vibrant landscape. Are SU students really satisfied with Marshall Street as their only option?

Supporting a creative reinvigoration of the city landscape does not stand in opposition to concern for social well-being, educational quality and safety. Reinvigoration is intimately connected to them. When students, faculty and staff from the university experience the city, it is a step toward our investment in it.

SU students abroad explore every avenue of the cities they visit. Syracuse's urban landscape is worth exploring as well, and the Connective Corridor will help students do that. This idea links the nourishment of cities with the education and social life of students. From my perspective, this is a great possibility.

Professor Sari Knopp Biklen is Chair of Cultural Foundations of Education at SU. She can be reached at skbiklen@syr.edu.