We were thrilled to see such a great turnout at the community forum on downtown building height, and we want to thank all the Saratogians who came out on a snowy evening to engage in this important conversation about the future development of our city!
The event kicked off with a presentation by Georges Jacquemart of BFJ Planning, who shed light on how building height shapes people’s experience of a streetscape. To illustrate how cities can achieve that “magical” ambiance that makes people want to spend time in a given area, Mr. Jacquemart shared examples of well-designed streets from around the world and from Saratoga Springs’ past. Here is a link to Mr. Jacquemart’s presentation: Building Heights in Downtown Saratoga Springs.
Sustainable Saratoga would like to thank all the parties who came together to make this event possible: our co-sponsor, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; our presenter and panelists: Georges Jacquemart, Sonny Bonacio, Matt Hurff, Doug Kerr, Kate Maynard, and Matt Veitch; and Empire State College for hosting us.
Let’s keep the discussion going! If you have feedback or questions about this event or potential future events, get in touch with our Housing & Urban Planning team by emailing info@sustainablesaratoga.org.
If you missed the event and would like to read more about it, here’s a round-up of local news coverage:
The Saratogian: “Building heights the focus of Saratoga Springs Forum” (1/31/18)
The Daily Gazette: “Spa City forum focuses on impact of taller buildings” (1/31/18)
Albany Times Union: “Broadway buildings in Saratoga Springs could go higher, expert says” (2/1/18)
WAMC Northeast Public Radio: “Public Forum on Development Draws Crowd in Saratoga Springs” (1/31/18)
