I was experimenting with QGIS and old maps from the 1963 Plan for the Capital City and overlaid the proposed development plan over an aerial photo of the city from 1952. While overall this plan didn't come to fruition, many elements did and can be seen in the contemporary downtown.
Lately I have been experimenting with digital terrain models extracted from the LIDAR point cloud. It allows me to measure the height of buildings and tree cover and can be used for better 3d modeling.
This shows the terrain around Ferris Lake, including Jerseyfield Lake. What I found real interesting with this terrain map was the long valley that goes through the entire area, over 50 miles. Too bad there are many lakes and marshes, as otherwise that would be a natural travel corridor.
In 1958, the Oswego Boulevard Expressway ended at North Salina Street in Downtown Syracuse.
Weedsport is a small village located along the marshy flatlands of the Erie Canal and the hills that rise to the south.
Only a few years before the modern state office campus and SUNY Albany.
On this LiDAR you can clearly see the original Erie and Enlarged Canals even in places like the farm where it might not be visible today.