| "Communiversity" is how Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located in Troy, New York, describes the network of community-university partnerships that it is helping to create. The activities of Rensselaer's Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) are aimed at enhancing livability, economic development, and infrastructure in three neighborhoods adjacent to the RPI campus, building on ongoing initiatives spearheaded by RPI's Campus Planning & Facilities Design and other departments.
Located on the Hudson River, Troy faces challenges similar to those of other older, urban centers that once relied on heavy industry for their economic and community vitality. When manufacturing industries became less reliant on water power and water transportation, Troy's economy suffered. Newer industries have not replaced jobs lost due to the decline in manufacturing. The percentage of labor force participation by individuals working or looking for work is only 60.4 percent.
Despite consistent increases in regional population, the population of Troy continues to decrease. The residential vacancy rate is now 16 percent. Nearly two-thirds of Troy households were low- to moderate-income in 1999, with approximately 43 percent of households earning 50 percent or less of the median family income in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan area.
Rensselaer's COPC activities are focused on the adjacent Hillside, Congress Street/Ida Hill, and Downtown neighborhoods. Hillside has a long tradition of being populated by owner occupant families and Rensselaer students. Congress Street/Ida Hill has a predominance of rental housing. Downtown residents are largely renters and among the poorest in the city. While Downtown has experienced increased investment in recent years, the commercial districts surrounding RPI have suffered disinvestment and deterioration.
COPC activities include participatory design and planning for neighborhood revitalization, small business development, housing improvement, development of a technology infrastructure, community organizing/job training aimed at bridging the digital divide, and an innovative educational program.
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