Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan

Rochester 2034 is a 15-year comprehensive plan to improve the community. Rochester’s population losses over the last several decades have left a legacy of vacancy – an urban challenge common to Rust Belt cities. Key takeaways in this work note that half of the vacant parcels in Rochester are owned by the City; all City-owned vacant lots are maintained at a ‘clean and green’ standard that exceeds many other cities; the City recognizes a need to be more strategic in planning for and disposing of City-owned land, especially for housing needs; until redevelopment is feasible, vacant lands provide opportunities for creative, community-oriented interim uses.

This report may help other cities change their thinking of vacant land and may inspire new ways to plan for and around it.