2025 Theses Master's

Highway Infrastructure in Rochester, New York: Removing Barriers & Reconnecting Communities

Goldman-Nedergaard, Caspar

This thesis investigates highway infrastructure in Rochester, New York, with a specific focus on the effects of the original construction and eventual partial filling of the 'Inner Loop'. Constructed in 1965, the Inner Loop is an extension of the I-490, an interstate highway that connects Rochester to major cities like Syracuse, Buffalo, and Albany. This loop-shaped freeway encircled Rochester's downtown business district, isolating it from surrounding neighborhoods for half a century.

Since 2014, the city has taken a phased approach to its removal and redevelopment of the land into housing, mixed-use spaces, cultural centers, and multi-modal infrastructure. This thesis asks to what extent highway removal creates opportunities for reconnection and urbanization for the City of Rochester. Archival research and semi-structured interviews with key planners, businesses, cultural institutions, and residents are the primary research methods.

I supplemented this research by conducting a historical analysis of the Inner Loop’s original construction in the mid-20th century, as well as a spatial analysis of the study area before and after the Inner Loop’s partial removal (2010-2020). The research concludes that highway removal can be used as a tool for planners in mid-sized American cities looking to reintegrate urban fabric and improve neighborhood equity, quality of life, public health, connectivity, urban services, etc.