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About Syracuse
2nd Environmental Studies Summit @ Syracuse
The Planning Committee has decided that the Second Environmental Summit should draw upon local treasures and local case studies in Syracuse and Central New York. Our keynote speakers have close ties to the area and exemplify the ways that interdisciplinary knowledge and concerns can lead to transformative and inspiring work. We hope that Summit participants will take advantage of the field trips and other opportunities to get to know the area and experience the host institutions' strong academic engagement with this place.
Environment and Society in Syracuse - a brief overview
The City of Syracuse is a particularly appropriate site for the second Environmental Studies Summit. Not only is it home to several educational institutions with strong environmental research programs, it also has a unique natural environment that has shaped the local human culture in profound ways. The waters of Onondaga Lake and Onondaga Creek are spiritual centers for the Haudenosaunee (Onondaga) Nation and an important historical meeting place for the Six Nations of the Iroquios. Salt beds near the lake attracted animals and hunters alike, and later became the source of great wealth for European settlers in the area. The Erie Canal transported salt from Syracuse to New York City and into the Midwest and made the Salt City a center of trade and industry in the 19th century. The pristine waters of Onondaga Lake and its exceptional fish species attracted tourists to Syracuse's renowned resorts.
In the 20th century, chemical industries took advantage of the unique mineral deposits around the lake to process soda ash (the Solvay Process got its start here), and many other industries grew up here as well, notably typewriter and air conditioning manufacture. These businesses replaced salt production and canal transportation and kept the local economy strong for several decades. Sadly, these businesses also rapidly degraded the water quality in the lake; the fisheries vanished, as did the resorts.
Syracuse fell on hard times in the late 20th century as industry moved out of the "Rust Belt." Presently the educational and medical institutions anchor the city's economy. Syracuse remains a transportation crossroads, with two major interstate highways providing rapid access to many of the largest metropolitan areas in the U. S and Canada. But with the interstates intersecting at the heart of the city, there has been serious urban fragmentation.
In recent years new collaborative efforts have brought together the academic, political, social service, and business institutions to rejuvenate the city and plan for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Cleanup of Onondaga Lake (a federal Superfund site), construction of a Creekwalk through the city, collaborative efforts on environmental health, food security, and biofuels, and development of a Connective Corridor to link the university neighborhood to downtown are just a few of the multi disciplinary, multi-institutional efforts underway.
Links for visitors
Syracuse Convention and Visitors' Bureau
City of Syracuse visitor information
Syracuse Tourist Guide
SUNY-ESF guide to local attractions
SU Admissions Office visitor's guide
(.pdf file, 948 KB)
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