Hobart and William Smith Colleges
IN-25: Innovation B

Hobart and William Smith have continued locally-focused collaborations with Geneva, N.Y. to advance and promote innovative urban revitalization ideas and projects in the city’s downtown, contributing to the broader sustainability efforts being carried out by the HWS community.

During the past several years, the Colleges’ Department of Art and Architecture and the Sustainable Community Development (SCD) program introduced – through both curricular and public engagement efforts – “parklets” in locations across downtown Geneva. The parklets are extensions of the sidewalk, which use parking space(s) to provide additional outdoor and “green” space locations for pedestrians to stop, sit, rest, eat, drink, and/or take in art or some other amenity. The “parklets” served as a way to repurpose and invigorate downtown areas of Geneva, a small city located in the heart of the Finger Lakes, which like similar municipalities across the Rust Belt have faced struggles in keeping downtown spaces economically and culturally vibrant.

In spring 2013, a group of HWS students working on a SCD capstone project proposed installing the parklets in the city. Through research of best practices of other cities and urban spaces, they also proposed other creative urban renewal projects, including wall gardens, rain gardens, green roofs and outdoor amphitheaters. The students presented visual designs to demonstrate how stagnant areas could be revived into vibrant spaces for citizens and visitors.

Following the initial plan, two HWS students from the capstone course continued their efforts with Geneva as summer interns working for the newly established Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center (GNRC), a resource center of the City of Geneva Office of Neighborhood Initiatives. The interns developed a proposal for the introduction of “parklets” on a one-way street in downtown Geneva. Through parklets and other creative uses of urban spaces, the downtown was able to offer more green space and outdoor eating space, a way of attracting more residents and visitors to downtown businesses.

Between 2014 and 2015, HWS furthered its involvement and leadership regarding local urban renewal with the formation of a unique collaboration. HWS Assistant Professor of Architectural Studies Gabriella D’Angelo worked with the Geneva Business Improvement District (BID), Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce, and City of Geneva to create a Parklet Competition for the City of Geneva.

On May 1, 2015, the City announced the winners of the Parklet Competition in front of City Hall from a newly established parklet that was created as part of the competition. Two student groups from D’Angelo’s Architectural Studies course submitted winning designs and built two separate parklets in downtown Geneva. The parklets were constructed and then installed in front of two downtown businesses, offering outdoor seating for eating and drinking during warmer summer months. Due to their success, the City is considering a parklet ordinance through City Council and many Genevans and downtown businesses hope that the parklets will be installed during the summer annually going forward.

With limited green space and outside eating space in downtown Geneva, this collaborative initiative and competition brought together key City and downtown Geneva stakeholders to create innovative ideas for use of parking spaces. Through conception, proposal, competition, to installation, several HWS curricular programs have been involved in parklets and urban renewal efforts for downtown Geneva. In a small city like Geneva (population 13,261 according to U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census of Population), HWS classes, students, programs, and efforts are important to the vitality of the City and downtown. The installation of parklets in downtown Geneva is an example of creating innovative curricular applications to meet local needs.