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Downtown Malta Master Plan
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MASTER PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Qidong, China

"City Within a City" Master Plan

Suqian, China

"Ancient Yellow River" Master Plan

Beijing, China

Sinopec Corporation Master Plan

FEATURED PROJECTS:Qidong Master Plan | Qidong, Jiangsu Province, ChinaSuqian Master Plan| Suqian, Jiangsu Province, ChinaSinopec Corporation Master Plan | Beijing, ChinaPort Chester Downtown Waterfont | Port Chester, New YorkDowntown Malta Master Plan | Malta, New YorkPeekskill Southern Waterfront | Peekskill, New YorkPort Chester Kohls Plaza Redevelopment | Port Chester, New YorkFreemans Bridge Road Master Plan | Glenville, New YorkSchenectady / Scotia Waterfront | Schenectady, New YorkOgdensburg Waterfront Redevelopment | Ogdensburg New YorkPort Jervis Waterfront Urban Design Plan | Port Jervis, New YorkGrand Union Plaza Redevelopment | Rotterdam, New YorkADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:Watkins Glen Lakefront Management | Watkins Glen, New YorkTown of Ancram Hamlet Center Improvement Plan | Ancram, New YorkPort Jervis Waterfront Plan | Port Jervis, New YorkCity of Rome Urban Design Master Plan | Rome, New YorkSouth Troy Waterfront Study | Troy, New YorkAuburn Downtown Urban Design Study | Auburn, New YorkDunn & McCarthy Neighborhood Design Study | Auburn, New YorkRoute 4 Corridor Management Plan | Fort Edward, New YorkSchenectady & Scotia Waterfront |Schenectady, New York Grand Union Plaza Redevelopment | Rotterdam, New YorkBig Flats Town Center Master Plan | Big Flats, New YorkCity of Corning Master Plan | Corning, New YorkNYS Route 4 Corridor Management Plan | Fort Edward, New YorkHadley Town Center Master Plan | Hadley, New YorkBrant Lake & Adirondack Hamlet Development | Horicon, New YorkKent Town Center Master Plan | Kent, New YorkKingston Waterfront Revitalization Plan | Kingston, New YorkCDTC Land Use and Transportation Study | Rotterdam New York

Port Chester Downtown Waterfront

Downtown Malta Master Plan

Peekskill Southern Waterfront

MPLAN-UDES-MAIN-2

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Schenectady Scotia Waterfront
Ogdensburg Waterfront
Port Jervis Waterfront
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MASTER PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Port Chester

Kohls Plaza Redevelopment

Freemans Bridge Road Master Plan

Schenectady/Scotia Waterfront

Ogdensburg

Waterfront Redevelopment

Port Jervis

Waterfront Urban Design Plan

Grand Union Plaza Redevelopment

Qidong Master Plan

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Qidong "City Within a City" Master Plan

Qidong, Jiangsu Province, China

Competition 1st Place Winner:

2005 china, jiangsu province, qidong city

“city within city” master plan

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Royal Park City focuses on the human being as the lifeblood of urban design. The design takes its inspiration from the analogy of the heart at the center of an organism, ceaselessly pumping nutrients through the circulation system to nourish the entire organism. In the same way, our design focuses on a major park located at its core, symbolically replenishing the human beings that inhabit it. A green belt is positioned between the inner park and the outer edge of the development zone. Throughout the development, housing, commercial uses, and retail corridors open onto it, seamlessly weave nature into the quality of everyday life, similar to how the smaller veins of the circulation system are woven into an organism’s tissues. The buildings touching this greenway will have “green” roofs, capturing storm water to be reused throughout the site in a series of environmentally-friendly ways.Two major promenades, acting as special shopping and entertainment plazas, convey visitors from the City Governmental Complex across Renmin Road and from the main traffic Circle on Renmin Road. Both pedestrian plazas are directly on axis to focus the centerpiece of the park at the heart, the “Tower of Inspiration”.

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Suqian Master Plan

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Suqian "Ancient Yellow River" Master Plan

Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China

Synthesis won 2nd place in an international design competition to design 11 miles of riverfront along the Ancient Yellow River for the new city of Suqian, Jiangsu, China. Our firm was selected to compete among 15 finalists whittled down from over 250 applicants worldwide.The symbolism of the plan centers on the lost treasure, or necklace that is the Ancient Yellow River. It celebrates the jewels that are the nodes and special places that exist, and which are underutilized, along the River. The interconnections between the various jewels, ranging from the eco-park to formal gardens, along with a vibrant urban center give rise to Suqian's new identity that generates tourism and attracts international business.

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Suqian Ancient Yellow River

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CLICK TO VIEW SUQIAN COMPETITION SUBMISSION Sinopec Master Plan

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Corporate Campus Master Plan Sinopec Corporation Beijing, China

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Synthesis was short-listed as one of ten international design firms to compete in a design for a corporate campus plan for the Chinese petroleum giant, Sinopec. Working with CABR, a Class A architecture firm in Beijing, Synthesis developed a concept that takes inspiration from two parallel metaphors in the concept poem written by a Synthesis principal:The productive cycle of fossil fuels, which generates the business products of Sinopec; and the ancient Chinese art of placement, FengShui, which affirms that the arrangement of our surroundings exerts a powerful influence upon the well being of our lives. By using the five elements in the proper location and manner, we bring abundance, stability, health, harmony and success to our human endeavors.The main site feature is the open green space at the center of the buildings, limiting vehicular movement to outside this interior court. It is a large and varied space that we envisioned being used often by workers and visitors to the site.

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Port Chester Downtown

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Port Chester Downtown Master Plan

Port Chester, New York

Award Winner:

2009 American Society of Landscape Architects New York Upstate Chapter Merit Award - Planning and Analysis

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Located along the Byram River and bordering Greenwich, Connecticut, the Village of Port Chester is fortunate to have an intact downtown core located directly adjacent to a navigable waterfront. Consistent with many urban waterfronts, the historic development along the water was and remains largely industrial, which limits public access to the waterfront and potential benefits to the adjacent Downtown. This lack of access and absence of waterfront attractions limits the Village of Port Chester in its potential as an attractive waterfront destination for residents and visitors. In addition, the Downtown Core has been victim to late 20th Century urban renewal and has several pockets of one story infill that has weakened the vibrancy of the Downtown and limited the amount of mixed use opportunities. In addition, the relationship of the Downtown/Waterfront to the Train Station provides excellent opportunities for Transit Oriented Development.Working with the Laberge Group and the Mullin Associates, Synthesis developed a Conceptual Downtown Waterfront Development Plan that celebrates the Waterfront and provides important connections and redevelopment opportunities between the Waterfront, the Downtown and the proposed Transit Oriented Development at the Train Station. A key feature of the plan is a centralized waterfront park that would anchor the public space and draw visitors to its many attractions including a band shell, open lawn areas, gardens, and overlooks. The park would be flanked by waterfront shops and restaurants, providing opportunities for outdoor dining and access to the public promenade. Many of the industrial sites would be redeveloped into waterfront condominiums to add a strong residential component to the Downtown Core. Multi-story mixed-use infill development and pedestrian friendly streetscape enhancements would effectively restore the downtown urban fabric and waterfront access.

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Downtown Malta Master Plan

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Downtown Malta Master Plan

Malta, New York

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The Town of Malta had a vision for the area which could be a catalyst for increasing the economic viability of the Town. Synthesis, River Street Development & Planning, and the Town of Malta evaluated ways of creatively using green space that would shape a “sense of place” for the downtown district. The result was the planning document, “Green Space and Economic Development Plan.” The plan is a written guidance accompanied by plans, maps, figures, drawings and photographs to illustrate a cohesive future direction for the Town to be used as a tool toward providing green and public spaces, community and economic stability. Applying New Urbanist principles, the overall plan is intended to promote balanced growth and a new sense of place in the face of the imminent growth impacting Malta. A new town identity will coalesce the community by providing safe walkable streets, a new vibrant downtown, a celebrated history, and a network of parks and green space.

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Peekskill Southern Waterfront

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Peekskill Southern Waterfront

Peekskill, New York

Award Winner:

2009 American Society of Landscape Architects

New York Upstate Chapter Merit Award - Unbuilt Design

The Peekskill Southern Waterfront improvements are designed to provide an unbroken link between five segments extending from the Riverfront Green Park on the north end to Lent’s Cove on the south. The linkages would take the form of multi-use paths and boardwalks, with other improvements that would enhance the various segments, including picnic and gathering areas, benches, trail connections and focal points. Additional park visitors from both land and water will increase the awareness and appreciation of cultural, historical and natural features of the local landscape. The Peekskill Southern Waterfront trails project would become an integral component of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Watertrail system. Bio-engineered slope stabilization measures will protect the riverbank and provide natural food and cover for upland and riparian wildlife species while enhancing the aesthetic character of the waterfront.

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Port Chester Kohls Plaza

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Port Chester Kohls Plaza Redevelopment

Port Chester, New York

Working with the Laberge Group and Mullin Associates, Synthesis developed a Conceptual Mixed-use Redevelopment Plan for Kohls Plaza along Rte. 1 in Port Chester, New York. The proposed plan would transform the suburban strip mall and the sea of underutilized parking into a vibrant and pedestrian friendly mixed-use community. The proposed development would have an appropriate balance of retail, commercial office and residential options, as well as provide opportunities for entertainment and hotel accommodations. The plans improved connectivity and Smart Growth principles will act as a Gateway to the region. The plan would also provide the new residents of the adjacent hospital to condominium redevelopment project a beautiful place for dining, shopping, entertainment and work within walking distance of their home.

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Freemans Bridge Road Master Plan

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Freemans Bridge Road Master Plan Glenville, New York

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Synthesis, along with its project partners, River Street Planning & Development and Transportation Concepts, is working with the Town of Glenville to develop a Master Plan for the Freemans Bridge/Dutch Meadows area which is facing strong development pressures and transportation issues.The Synthesis team conducted an extensive analysis of the Freemans Bridge area and developed a Master Plan that suggested appropriate land uses, including areas of mixed use as well as areas targeted for particular types of development; modification of the transportation network to move traffic more efficiency and provide for pedestrian safety; the development of pedestrian and bicycle friendly routes and linkages; and a design strategy that will provide cohesiveness and reflect the identity of this formerly rural area. The plan was designed to be compatable with a townwide Master Plan and complementary to plans for a new Town Center.

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Schenectady Scotia Waterfront

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Schenectady/Scotia Waterfront Master Plan

Schenectady, New York and Scotia, New York

Award Winner:

2006 American Society of Landscape Architects

New York Upstate Chapter - Merit Award - Planning and Analysis

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Ogdensburg Waterfront Redevelopment

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Ogdensburg Waterfront Redevelopment Ogdensburg New York

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Located at the confluence of the St. Lawrence River and the Oswegatchie River with six miles of shoreline along the St. Lawrence, the City of Ogdensburg developed as a port city and a commercial and industrial center of northern New York State. The City today maintains a vibrant contemporary waterfront that attracts tourists for fishing, boating, and a variety of water-related activities, yet lacks an overall plan for land use and development.Working with River Street Planning & Development, Synthesis developed concept plans for seven areas near the waterfront. Each area emphasizes a special aspect of the waterfront area, from Lighthouse Point, celebrating Fort LaPresentation, a site of the French and Indian War, to a marina district with hotels and amenities for boaters. Fishermen’s Village is a mixed-use area of commercial and residential development and the former Shade Roller site and land in the vicinity of the OMH facility are dedicated to residential use. Furthermore, an RV park and scuba facility would fill the former Diamond industrial site.

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Port Jervis Master Plan

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Port Jervis Waterfront Urban Design Plan

Port Jervis, New York

Synthesis collaborated with the community, city officials, and other planning professionals of Port Jervis, New York to develop a visionary plan that serves the economic, social, and functional needs of the community, while attracting new residents and tourists. The redevelopment concept includes four major design components. The first is developing the Heritage Rail Museum/Train Station and conference center, designed around a historic rail turntable, with significant roadway re‑alignments to ease traffic flow into Front Street through the downtown core. The next component consists of the downtown itself, where mixed‑use development will be promoted by taking advantage of infill opportunities and incorporating standard traffic-calming measures and landscape amenities to create a pedestrian-friendly downtown. The most dramatic feature of the concept plan is the conversion of a side street into a pedestrian way that culminates in a public plaza which is situated directly at the heart of the downtown core.The renderings on this page are indicative of the graphics our firm uses during the public process, giving a community a great deal of confidence that quality of the urban fabric will be maintained and enhanced by our vision.

Grand Union Plaza

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Grand Union Plaza Redevelopment

Rotterdam, New York

The vacant Grand Union site was one of the key redevelopment opportunities identified in the NY7/NY146 Land Use and Transportation Study. Shortly after the study completion, the Rotterdam IDA hired Synthesis to develop a site specific vision for the Grand Union site that met the goals of the study and the surrounding community. Due to the central location along the Hamburg Street Commercial Corridor and the close proximity to the vast residential neighborhoods adjacent to the corridor and the Senior Center, the Grand Union site offers a tremendous opportunity to be redeveloped into a vibrant, pedestrian friendly, mixed-use Neighborhood Center. This redevelopment at the core of Hamburg Street would provide a new standard of quality along the corridor, as well as provide an important pedestrian linkage to the thousands of residents that live within walking distance. By utilizing traditional smart growth principles that bring the proposed buildings to the street to create an appropriately scaled street wall and pedestrian environment that would act as a catalyst and standard to be duplicated to rejuvenate the rest of the Hamburg Street Commercial Corridor.

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Schenectady, New York 518 370-1576

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