Founded in 1638, Albany, New York, has a storied role in the history of both New York State and the United States. Situated on the Hudson River and the Erie Canal, and the seat of New York State government, the city boasts single-family neighborhoods, major universities and medical centers, and the Nelson Rockefeller-era state government complex. But it also struggles with neighborhood disinvestment and with a low property tax base due to the high percentage of tax exempt property in the city. Clarion Associates was retained to lead a team of consultants that included Dover Kohl
Associates, Nelson\Nygaard, Arnold & Porter, and Sherwood Engineering, among others, to develop a new Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance for the city. The ReZone Albany project began in early 2015 and resulted in the integration of over 20 city ordinances related to zoning, subdivision, environmental protection, signs, and specific use regulations, woven together to maximize sustainable redevelopment and promoted new opportunities for economic development in Albany. The Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance was adopted in April 2017.