On Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending urban planner Lisa Nicholas’s talk on the past, present, and future of Ithaca’s infrastructure. I had been looking forward to this talk because of my past project research on Ithaca’s expensive housing market. Ithaca’s low supply of housing is the primary barrier to affordability. More than 50 percent of income goes to housing for the majority of renters. Because of the severe shortage of housing, many people who work in Ithaca commute; there are 16,000 employed in Ithaca and ~13,000 are commuters. Not only do Ithaca residents suffer, but also students are affected as well. Finding affordable, optimal housing at Cornell has been difficult for everyone. Even though I have lived on-campus since freshman year, I frequently hear stories from friends about the exorbitant rents they pay in Collegetown. Rents have increased each year and are almost on par with those in Manhattan. We all hope to lower rent, but the lack of available places to build suggests that prices in the future might not decrease.

I also learned about some interesting facts from Lisa Nicholas. She described the steps involved in the construction of a new building and the importance of how the projects fits with the community. Moreover, the planning board modifies projects such as lowering a building to improve residents’ life quality and the city’s landscape. Also, I learned that a Marriott hotel is being built in the Commons. Despite its high housing costs, Ithaca has a good future ahead because of many peoples’ constant efforts to better its community.