Deniz Gulay
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In a past article, I argued for the need to prioritize redevelopment in Binghamton. At that time, I focused more on rebuilding what was already here, albeit deteriorating due to abandonment. However, if Binghamton is to overcome its malaise as a postindustrial city, one thing to do beyond preservation is building new ties between the school and the diverse sources of labor that gave the city its identity.

Binghamton is unique among most other places in this part of New York state, as its growth came from a diverse pool of sources rather than clinging to one kind of income. Instead of being only a mining town or a factory town or a college town, it existed at one point or another as all of these things, generating its own talent and history across the years. That makes the history of Binghamton the story of many things simultaneously, from which this city benefited by being the place where progress and culture were made together.

Companies were founded and expanded, inventions were made and spread, all of which was only possible thanks to the people coming here not just from all over the country, but also the world. There truly were reasons in the past decades of history for people to come here, settle down, work and create things.

These days, I don’t feel the same enthusiasm among the people who are living here. For students, a large majority will only be here for a couple of years, which will be spent mostly on campus and occasionally in clubs. The skills and talents they will gain here will be put to use in completely different places, which Binghamton will always miss out on. And as for the citizens of the city themselves, they continue to live here and uphold the legacy of their ancestors through traditions — the heritage culture the descendants of the various immigrant communities are continuing to preserve in the theaters and churches of Binghamton. Yet that aspect of Binghamton also faces the risk of becoming more and more consigned to obscurity. As old generations die or move away without having new people to pass their history onto, this place can eventually lose the traits that made it “Binghamton” and not just any other town.

What is to be done then? What is to be done, indeed, is to embrace the history of this place and find ways to reignite the driving force behind its past glory. That can only happen by looking at the potential of Binghamton and surrounding areas as a whole rather than small, disconnected pieces. Economically, both industrial powers such as the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company and technological pioneers like International Business Machines had their initial footholds in this very city. As they grew, so did the city. When they moved away or declined, the wealth of the city contracted as well.

Holding on to the talent and skill generated by Binghamton University is key to bringing the city back to its old status as a hub of development across various fields, and the way to do that is to incentivize a new wave of growth. The aim of this development needs to be in equal parts infrastructure, housing and employment prospects that prioritize the future of the residents’ prosperity through employment in high-paying jobs in construction and manufacturing. The University itself takes some important steps to invest in local facilities, but BU cannot single-handedly change Binghamton. There will need to be more investments coming from the government, from companies and an interest from the public to build on top of Binghamton the foundations of a new citywide center of innovation instead of being just the place where one university happens to be.

Along with economic growth, cultural growth is also going to be vital. Binghamton owes its success to the many immigrant and native identities that found a home here. The churches and other sites they built through collective efforts have facilitated across many generations many distinct traditional events. The heritage communities in Binghamton represent the high culture of the city, and spreading their name can go a long way towards popularizing their legacy and bringing the student population to interact with local, homegrown culture.

I played a role in this goal myself by both inviting Pipe Dream to cover the traditional celebrations of local Eastern Orthodox churches and presenting my own local history research on the culture of Binghamton’s immigrant workers at the University to actively spread awareness of their history. Beyond academic projects and news coverage, one thing the student body can be incentivized to do would be to interact with the small communities and groups based in Binghamton to foster more cultural engagement and give life to their heritage.

In essence, all things local should be the focus of Binghamton’s future business. The University plays a significant role in generating growth and talent, but there is a certain limit to those achievements without laying new foundations for sustainable growth in the city itself. Piece by piece, Binghamton must recapture and then expand all the traits from the diverse past that made it grow. That can surely open the doors for a much more prominent, dynamic, wealthy and vibrant city in the coming years and decades.

Deniz Gulay is a sophomore double-majoring in history and Russian. 

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.