Economic analysis
Economic impact & significance
Analysis of the economic and community contribution of Schenectady’s parks and the Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center.
Map: OpenStreetMap / OpenFreeMap.
Jackson LaSarso
Community planner working in economic development, housing, and economic impact analysis.
Detail view
Work through time
Explore my work year by year.
20192026
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Map: OpenFreeMap / OpenStreetMap / OpenMapTiles
Cemetery: Albany Rural Cemetery Explorer / UAlbany
Elevation: Mapzen / AWS · Sources
At a glance
About me
I'm a community planner at Saratoga Associates, where my work focuses on economic impact and significance, economic development, and housing planning. I work with communities across upstate New York to understand the contribution of public facilities and plan for investment in their downtowns, housing, and public spaces.
My recent work includes economic and community impact studies for Schenectady's parks and the Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center. I helped develop the analysis, write the reports, and present the findings to public officials. These studies consider how facilities contribute to economic activity and community life, including benefits that do not appear in an operating budget. Alongside that work, I prepare municipal planning and funding applications and help carry awarded projects through implementation.
I bring a background in development finance to housing and economic development planning. At Smith & Roller in Philadelphia, I tested affordability and unit-mix scenarios in development pro formas, compared financing proposals, and prepared public funding applications. That experience helps me examine both what a proposal could contribute to a community and what it would take to carry it out.
I've also worked with the Orange County Transportation Council (OCTC) and Transit Orange through the Orange County Planning Department, and served on Queensbury's Planning Board and as a Zoning Board of Appeals alternate. GIS and spatial analysis remain part of my planning practice, and I teach Environmental Planning and GIS Project Management at the University at Albany.
Selected work
8 entries
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Economic development / Housing & real estate
Economic development & housing planning
Municipal planning, public funding, and implementation for housing, downtown revitalization, and waterfront investment.
Housing & real estate
Housing & real estate finance
Affordability scenarios, development pro formas, and public funding at Smith & Roller.
Planning & GIS
Maps & spatial analysis
Terrain, visibility, and field documentation for planning and environmental review.
Planning & GIS / Software
Albany Rural Cemetery
Burial search, tours, and mobile navigation for Albany Rural Cemetery.
Transportation / Planning & GIS
Transportation & transit
Freight analysis, transit access, and public participation for OCTC and Transit Orange.
Teaching
Environmental Planning
Environmental review and planning decisions, taught at the University at Albany.
Teaching / Planning & GIS
GIS Project Management
Scoping, managing, and delivering a GIS project, taught at the University at Albany.
Experience
May 2024–presentSaratoga AssociatesCommunity Planner · Saratoga Springs, New York
- Prepare economic impact and significance studies of parks and civic facilities, including analysis, report writing, and presentations to public officials.
- Examine economic activity and the contribution of public facilities to recreation, health, environmental benefits, and property values.
- Work on municipal planning for economic development, housing, downtown revitalization, and waterfront access; prepare grant applications and supporting materials.
- Administer funded projects through work plans, procurement, budget amendments, reporting, and reimbursement requests.
- Conduct geospatial and visual resource analysis for planning and environmental review, including viewsheds, scenic resource inventories, and field documentation.
January 2025–presentUniversity at AlbanyAdjunct Professor · Albany, New York
- Teach Environmental Planning and GIS Project Management, drawing on municipal consulting and geospatial analysis.
- Develop assignments and workshops that ask students to assess source documents, maps, and field evidence and explain their implications for a planning decision.
December 2022–May 2024Smith & RollerReal Estate Analyst · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Compared New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing proposals, including upfront fees, ongoing costs, and repayment obligations.
- Updated development pro formas and sensitivity models to test affordability and unit-mix scenarios alongside debt, equity, operating projections, and tax-abatement assumptions.
- Prepared Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) and NMTC application materials, including project narratives, budgets, schedules, and supporting documents.
- Coordinated design-development drawings, construction estimates, application corrections, and required disclosure forms with architects, contractors, attorneys, and public agencies.
- Prepared lender, investor, and tenant materials. Documented meeting decisions and follow-up responsibilities, and tracked outstanding information.
Fall 2023University of PennsylvaniaTeaching Assistant, Introduction to Property Development · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Served as teaching assistant for Introduction to Property Development.
November 2021–August 2022University at AlbanyGIS development and research · Department of Geography and Planning
- Developed maps, burial search, tours, and mobile navigation for Albany Rural Cemetery Explorer in collaboration with faculty and cemetery staff.
- Prepared and maintained the geographic data used by the application.
June–August 2021Orange County Planning DepartmentTransportation Planning Intern · Goshen, New York
- Prepared maps, transit planning materials, public participation documents, and meeting minutes for the Orange County Transportation Council (OCTC) and Transit Orange.
- Analyzed freight production, consumption, and movement across the Mid-Hudson Valley Transportation Management Area using GIS and IHS Transearch data.
- Contributed to documentation on transit access, environmental justice, language access, and ADA paratransit.
February–June 2021Percipi GlobalDigital Media / Public Affairs Intern · Remote
- Prepared client communications and digital media for a public affairs firm; maintained its online platforms.
June 2020–August 2023Warren County Board of ElectionsVoting Systems Technician · Warren County, New York
- Configured and tested election hardware and software.
- Wrote guidance for electronic poll books and ballot-marking devices and helped train poll workers and election officials.
March–November 2020Tedra Cobb for CongressDigital and relational organizing · New York's 21st Congressional District
- Supported relational organizing and SMS outreach, wrote scripts, and trained staff and volunteers.
- Assisted with the campaign's email and digital communications.
August 2019–January 2020Veterans CampaignCommunications Assistant · Washington, DC
- Prepared social media content and event promotion for Veterans Campaign.
- Reviewed engagement and assisted with scheduling and administration.
Education
University of Pennsylvania
Master of City Planning
- Stuart Weitzman School of Design
- Concentration in Public and Private Development
- Certificate in Real Estate Design and Development
University at Albany, SUNY
Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning
- Minor in Public Policy
Writing & coverage
All writing & coverageSchenectady City Parks Economic Impact Report
Project report · Saratoga Associates · PDF
The published study of Schenectady's municipal parks. My work included analysis, report writing, and presentations on the findings.
Study: TL Civic Center draws 5x economic value than it costs
Coverage · Chris Gaige
Coverage of the Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center assessment and my presentation to the school district's Board of Education.
Albany Rural Cemetery Explorer and Grave Finder
Project profile
SUNY's profile of the cemetery applications, crediting the development team: Rui Li, Kurt Swartz, James Billings, and me.
Teaching & talks
I teach Environmental Planning and GIS Project Management at the University at Albany. Both courses draw on my consulting experience, connecting analysis to the decisions a planner needs to make. My presentations to municipal boards and professional audiences address grants, visual assessment, parks, and community development.
- February 16, 2026
New York Association of Towns
Co-presenter, The Economic Power of Parks: A Case Study from Schenectady.
- February 11, 2026
Saratoga County Planning and Zoning Conference
Lead presenter and panel moderator on recreational resources in planning and zoning review.
- February 3, 2026
Capital Region Parks and Recreation Association
Co-presenter, Recreation Grants: Winning Strategies for Parks and Trails.
- October 9, 2025
APA New York Upstate Chapter Annual Conference
Co-presenter, Pedal Power and Park Value.
- May 29, 2025
New York Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting
Co-presenter on the economic contribution of city parks.
- April 7, 2025
Schenectady City Council
Co-presenter, Schenectady Parks Economic Impact Report.
- December 10, 2024
Capital Region Parks and Recreation Association
Guest speaker, Recreation Grants: What You Need to Know.
- November 8, 2024
World Town Planning Day
Presenter, Pro-Housing Communities in Rural America.
- November 6, 2024
Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce
Presenter with the project team on partnerships and revitalization.
- October 2024
APA New York Upstate Chapter Annual Conference
Co-presenter on grant stacking and rural downtown and waterfront revitalization.
Public service
I served on the Town of Queensbury Planning Board and as an alternate on its Zoning Board of Appeals. I also conducted research with the Warren County Historical Society and contributed to The Post-Star's editorial board.