Shovel Ready: Razing Hopes, History, and a Sense of Place: Acknowledgements

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Shovel Ready: Razing Hopes, History, and a Sense of Place:
Acknowledgements

[This information is from p. 5 of Shovel Ready: Razing Hopes, History, and a Sense of Place: Rethinking Schenectady's Downtown Strategies, a master's thesis in city planning by Christopher Patrick Spencer (MIT, 2001), and is reproduced with his permission. It is in the Schenectady Collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at Schdy R 711 Spe.]

As much as this thesis is presented as the work of one person, it would not have been possible without the help from so many. I would like to thank John de Monchaux, my thesis advisor, for his many thought-provoking contributions, guiding spirit, and ever-calming presence; Anne Spirn, for her encouragement and inspirational comments; and John Onofrey for his fine last-minute editing.

Without listing every course and professor at MIT and Roger Williams University, I would like to express my appreciation for all those professors and colleagues who have had an impact on shaping my understanding of the built environment and its impact on the people who are part of it.

I am greatful to the many people in Schenectady who graciously gave up so much time to sit and share their insights and opinions about the city. The archival research for this thesis was greatly assisted by those at the Public Library, the Efner History Research Center, the Historical Society, and The Daily Gazette.

I would also like to thank two truly great friends, Jeff Denney and Mark Esposito. Jeff's late-night checking of the formatted copy and sarcastic comments about cul-de-sacs made a few late-nights a lot less stressful. Mark's graphic design expertise and assistance, troubleshooting advice, and extremely generous contribution in time and office resources are what made finishing this thesis possible.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family for all the encouragement they have given me in my educational endeavors and for feeding me every time I was in town doing research but too busy to stay and visit. But most of all, I would like to thank my parents, who have taught me so much about community through example. Despite hectic schedules over the years, neither of them have ever been too busy to reach out to those in need and play an integral role in improving their community.

https://www.schenectadyhistory.org/schenectady/shovelready/acknowledgements.html updated April 3, 2015

Shovel Ready: Razing Hopes, History, and a Sense of Place:Acknowledgements

Shovel Ready: Razing Hopes, History, and a Sense of Place:
Acknowledgements