Highland Planning’s engagement expertise drives record-breaking participation in Governor Hochul’s $400 million Downtown Albany revitalization initiative
August 8, 2025 – Albany, NY – Highland Planning is proud to announce the success of the first public workshop for the Downtown Albany Strategy, held on Wednesday, August 6, at the Albany Capital Center. More than 650 community members gathered to help shape the future of Albany’s downtown core as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s historic $400 million Championing Albany’s Potential (CAP) Initiative, which was announced earlier this year.
Governor Hochul Emphasizes Critical Role of Public Engagement
Speaking at the event, Governor Hochul underscored the vital importance of community input in this transformative process. “We need the community to be engaged. The planning, the ideas, the vision must come from the people who live here and call this home,” she said, according to NEWS10.
The Governor further emphasized her commitment to swift action based on community feedback: “It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Public engagement is paramount to success. We have the funding, we have the momentum, and now it’s up to the public to let their voices be heard. By working together, we will transform Albany into a better, brighter city for residents and visitors to enjoy,” as reported by CBS6 Albany.
Highland Planning Leads Strategic Community Engagement
Highland Planning, working in collaboration with MIG and Empire State Development, played a crucial role in designing and facilitating the workshop’s innovative engagement activities. The firm’s Albany-based team, including Director of Planning + Design Liz Podowski King, Planner Nora Culhane Friedel, Chief Operating Officer Diana Searl, Landscape Designer/Planner Sara Constantineau, Urban Designer/Planner Anagha Arunkumar, and Engagement Planner Lauren Oertel, applied their signature “Highland Way” approach to public engagement.
“We were thrilled and honored to have so many community members join us to share their ideas for and demonstrate their commitment to Downtown Albany,” said Liz Podowski King, Director of Planning + Design at Highland Planning. “Our role is to ensure every voice is heard and that community feedback directly shapes the strategic investments that will revitalize downtown Albany.”
Strategic Three-Phase Approach Captures Community Vision
Highland Planning designed the workshop to align with the Downtown Albany Strategy’s comprehensive three-phase approach:
Phase 1: Growth and Positioning
The current phase focuses on establishing Albany’s competitive market positioning, defining growth targets, and evaluating real estate and economic opportunities. Highland Planning’s engagement activities during this phase involve deeply listening to community voices to understand Albany’s past, present, and future potential.
Phase 2: Catalytic Project Development
The upcoming second phase will identify and refine catalytic sites and district-level interventions, strategically integrating real estate, public space activation, and infrastructure improvements.
Phase 3: Implementation and Governance Strategy
The final phase will translate catalytic project priorities into a structured investment roadmap, governance framework, and funding strategy for long-term success.
Interactive Workshop Activities Drive Meaningful Community Input
Highland Planning facilitated two key activities at the first public workshop designed to capture community priorities and vision:
Activity 1: Community Benefits and Success Metrics
Participants worked in small groups to identify the top five positive changes they want to see realized through the CAP Initiative and discuss how success should be measured. Positive changes identified by the groups included creating high-quality jobs, providing affordable housing, enhancing public spaces, and improving public safety.
Activity 2: Priority Investment Areas
Using maps of Downtown Albany, community members placed numbered sticky dots on specific sites or areas needing investment, then described their vision for each location. Groups collectively identified the most transformational investments and sites for the Downtown core.
The workshop also included an interactive mapping exercise where participants identified where they live, work, and play in downtown Albany using color-coded pins, providing valuable data about community connection patterns throughout the area.
Comprehensive Engagement Strategy Ensures Accessibility and Inclusion
True to Highland Planning’s commitment to inclusive engagement, the workshop featured American Sign Language interpreters, Spanish language interpreters, and was held in an ADA-compliant, transit-accessible venue. The firm’s “Highland Way” public engagement philosophy, rooted in the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) framework, ensured that traditionally underrepresented voices were included in the process.
Downtown Albany Strategy: A Blueprint for Transformation
The Downtown Albany Strategy serves as the cornerstone of the CAP Initiative, focusing on a one-mile radius around the State Capitol. The strategy aims to:
- Define and deliver catalytic projects and investments
- Align public programs and policies to unlock private investment
- Create an actionable blueprint targeting key areas and sites
- Reinvigorate commercial corridors and strengthen small businesses
- Promote housing growth and revitalize underutilized real estate
- Transform open spaces and improve public safety
Next Steps and Continued Engagement
The feedback gathered during this first workshop will inform the refinement of project evaluation criteria and help shape priority investments throughout the downtown area. Highland Planning will continue to facilitate community engagement activities throughout the three-phase planning process, with additional public workshops, creative pop-up events, and online surveys planned.
Community members can stay informed about upcoming engagement opportunities and project updates by visiting the project website at downtownalbanystrategy.com and signing up for project updates.
About Highland Planning’s Downtown Revitalization Expertise
Highland Planning brings extensive experience in downtown revitalization initiatives throughout New York State, including work on the NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and NY Forward programs. The firm’s team has successfully facilitated public engagement for revitalization efforts in communities across the state for the past three years, developing strategic investment plans worth millions in state funding.
The firm’s approach combines technical planning expertise with authentic community engagement, ensuring that revitalization efforts reflect community needs while providing realistic implementation pathways. Highland Planning’s recent projects have garnered recognition, including the 2024 Upstate APA Award for Best Practice in Public Outreach for their work on the City of Rochester’s Urban Forest Master Plan.
About Highland Planning: Founded in 2007, Highland Planning is a planning + design studio known for our commitment to community, innovation, and quality. A certified women-owned business with offices and staff in Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany, New York, we are driven by a passion for social good to implement creative public engagement, planning, and design strategies through collaborative partnerships across the northeastern United States. The studio specializes in comprehensive planning, downtown revitalization, public engagement, climate resilience, and urban design.
Media Contact:
Megan Morsch, Director of Marketing + Business Development
Highland Planning
Phone: 585-504-1672
Email: megan@highland-planning.com
