It used to be that Rochester's fortunes were tied to its hometown company, Eastman Kodak. Peter Applebome looks at how the city has managed to avoid the long slide of its famous inhabitant.
With talk of Eastman Kodak's inevitable bankruptcy as its stock price hovers below $1, Applebome's article details the surprising resiliency of what was once the "ultimate company town."
"Rochester has been a job-growth leader in the state in recent years. In 1980, total employment in the Rochester metropolitan area was 414,400. In 2010, it was 503,200. New businesses have been seeded by Kodak's skilled work force, a reminder that a corporation's fall can leave behind not just scars but also things to build upon. "
Despite a bright future for the city, residents feel the pain of nostalgia for a company that provided, "the bountiful jobs that allowed children to follow their parents into Kodak's secure embrace [and] the seemingly endless largess that once allowed the company's founder, George Eastman, to provide dental care at little or no cost to every child in town."
Kodak's slow decline into irrelevance ended up being a blessing however, as it "allowed people at the company and elsewhere to explore new options - to take skills in medical technology, photonics, imaging or optics to small startups or to start their own."
FULL STORY: Despite Long Slide by Kodak, Company Town Avoids Decay
Rochester Approves Tenant Protections
The city adopted the strictest possible version of New York state’s ‘Good Cause’ eviction protections, which cap rent increases at 10 percent.
Book Excerpt: Rochester, New York’s Forgotten Subway
Did you know Rochester, New York, once had a subway? This book excerpt tells the story, complete with a custom map, of the only city in the world to build a subway and then close it.
Rochester Shows Possible Future for Former Highways
A former freeway is undergoing a massive redevelopment that goes beyond highway removal to reconnect and revitalize surrounding areas.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research