Cities across the country are redefining themselves in an age of fierce competition to attract the coveted creative class. One way of doing this has been through the creation of quality of life amenities such as parks, trails and bicycle facilities. It is marketed as being "Green" or "Healthy" and has become trendy, but more importantly in these times, it has a significant economic impact.
In a White Paper from
CEOs for Cities entitled Portland's Green Dividend by Joe
Cortright, Portlanders, on average, drive 4 miles less then the rest of
America's most populated metro areas. They have invested in a bicycle network
unsurpassed in the United States (although NYC is making great strides) coupled
with an excellent transit (bus and rail) system, and have created urban growth
boundaries, creating mixed uses and density all supporting the urban fabric.
What does this mean? Well, by being green, Portlanders save $2.6 Billion
annually that goes back into the local economy!
This can happen here in Buffalo! And
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Green Options Buffalo, and the University
of Buffalo are conducting a survey to determine current challenges and
behaviors associated with the likelihood of your participation in Active
Transportation (walking, riding a bicycle, rollerblade, etc.).
By filling out the five minute survey
found online at www.bnmc.org those who live, play,
and work in the City of Buffalo have an opportunity to report on the benefits
and challenges of bicycle and pedestrian travel on Buffalo's roadways. This work is being funded through a
grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and this information is
being used to develop a Healthy Communities Addendum to the City of Buffalo's
comprehensive plan so that health, through an increase in Active
Transportation, is an outcome of the official decision-making process.
As an
extra bonus, all respondents are entered in a raffle for a bicycle and helmet
provided by Green Options Buffalo.
This is
a continuation of this partnership's work through RWJF's "Active Living by
Design," a national program designed to establish
innovative approaches to increasing physical activity through community design,
public policies, and communications strategies that can become models for
success nationwide. The Buffalo Partnership received this five-year grant in 2003
through a highly competitive process; nearly 1,000 communities applied, and
Buffalo was one of 25 to receive funding.
What they have done in Portland is incredible. Just like Buffalo they began to lose industry in the 1960s and population began to dwindle, crime rose, people moved away, downtown life crumbled, and historic strcutres were lost. Then in 1973 Portland turned around for the better with Oregon putting strict rules on all cities in the state to end sprawl in order to build cities up, not outward. Portland enacted the stictest version of laws in the state and faced many, many critics. They even went as far as to tear up their waterfront thruway and replace it with a parks system. The city has grown over 50% since this has happened with only using 2% more land and has an incredible city center. Portland is a prime example of what foresight can do for city like us and although they began in the 1970s I beleive there is still an opprotunity for this to happen here.
Now is the ideal time to make Buffalo a revived city in a similar fashion to Portland. With millions of stimulus dollars available at the moment it can offer us a chance to do thing that Portland did such as creating an extended light rail and bus system, increase the amount/maitenance of parks (they have the largest park in the country weighing in at 5000 acres), and many more projects. Brown among other politians need to step up and make the hard choices now in order to secure our future as a city like Portland.
Portland encourges small business over corporate chains and as a result is a very unique city. Instead of giving Bass Pro over $30 million in tax breaks and what not, thay money should have been divided up and given to local businesses. Think of the positive effects of giving 30 small businesses $1 million apiece or 60 business half a million. This city will not be saved by big projects like Bass Pro, it will come back to life with small efforts and accomplishments equally a greater whole.
Now is the time to step up, let's hope we don't get screwed again by greeding politicians, with no or bad foresight
I whole-heartedly agree. Bass Pro isn’t the answer nor is a new stadium on the water. If you look at the places people flock to they generally have one thing in common, lots of small shops. With quirky individuality in each (does that make sense?) It’s the shops where you won’t find things made in China but the things that an artisan makes by hand that people want to shop in. Employ our artists. Yeah people will go to Bass Pro at first out of curiosity. But then it becomes another chain store with a corporate mentality and an iron clad business plan. Give me millions of guaranteed tax breaks to come to your town, and then guarantee those same breaks every time I may have to start paying or we’ll leave.
Didn’t or doesn’t the Harbor prohibit Bicycles? That’s not embracing Active Transportation. When they started tearing out meter poles the city didn’t think of bikers, it took local people to change their minds and help fund it. Buffalo has a long way to go with city halls “mind set” before we can become another Portland. Sadly we missed a chance to change part of that mind set last week.
agree on bass pro. went to one across the river from louisville. it's a really neat place. and they have lots of stuff. but it isn't really the everyday persons store. it's more specific, pricey, and more for the real outdoorsman... not always the person you typically find in an urban area. so are people gonna make the 25 minute drive into downtown when they can just drive 10 minutes to their local Dick's and pay far less?
Could not agree with you more Mike.