Smart Code in Buffalo?

by queenseyes

How do buildings like the City Court building (featured in 'continue') fit in with the rest of Buffalo's built environment? Many will tell you that they don't. That's why I'm sitting with 80-100 other community activists, developers, and City Hall officials at The Saturn Club on Delaware Avenue at this moment. Yesterday I had the opportunity in participating in a citywide tour where Chuck Banas and Chris Hawley (NMG) showcased the good and the bad of Buffalo’s urban design to Nathan Norris and Chad Emerson of PlaceMakers, LLC. As we approached City Hall, the City Court building stopped Nathan and Chad dead in their tracks. After driving all the way down Delaware Avenue, there was City Court to greet us.

SmartCode has a lot to do with the density and consistency of the built environment... it is designed to implement guidelines that developers must take into consideration when building a thoughtful living and working environment. What place does a building with no windows have at the hub of our city? (Photo: Nathan Norris points out another city's brilliant idea... a giant lava lamp)

What had stood on the footprint of the City Court building (above right)? David Granville, Assistant to Commissioner Tobe, pointed out that the gothic Louise Bethune Women's Building once stood where the City Court building now stands. Juxtaposed against our wonderful City Hall and The Statler, the 'modern' brutalist City Court building is just one of those unfortunate decisions made during an era when anything new was considered progressive. As far as architecture in our city goes, many will say that the lack of development in past years has led to the preservation of so many of our architectural masterpieces. Smart Code is not designed to stop progress, as a matter of fact it is designed to encourage progress.

Our visitors for the SmartCode Conference arrived in Buffalo expecting the worst and have been shocked that our city is as intact as it is. Like every city they visit they have witnessed the over-abundance of parking lots situated in otherwise impressive blocks... many located on high-profile corners. They have noted tragic single story 'office park' style developments along Main Street. These are the types of issues that SmartCode is designed to combat. There is a lack of design regulations that give developers a free-for-all pass to build inappropriate designs for urban areas. Buildings with no windows should not get a free pass in this day and age. Neither should projects that are built around the almighty parking lot.

Nathan refers to the City Court building as the RoboCop building and jokingly suggests that Buffalo turn the facade that faces Niagara Square into a repelling wall. "Until your city can repair some of the damage that has been done in the past, you must preserve the integrity of design that previous generations of Buffalonians have instilled upon the city. If you need to build a new parking lot, make sure that it's a mixed-use lot that fits in with its environment. These developers that build to suit... who are the buildings suiting? You have a wonderful city here with great streets, incredible restaurants, trees... many other cities and suburban communities would kill for the infrastructure that you have."

If you drive around the city it's not hard to point out buildings that do not respect the community. Are the sidewalks wide enough? Does the building encroach on the sidewalk? Where does the parking go... front or back of the building? How tall can a pole sign be built? Can anyone put a billboard on their building? Which areas of the city are appropriate for big-box supermarkets and what will they look like when they are built? These types of builders are notorious for taking easy way out. They build the same building no matter where they're building it. Are trees and green space incorporated into the design? What is a great urban environment? Smart interaction between people and the built environment should be common sense, no?

To end on a positive note (the 2nd part of the conference is just starting), Rich Tobe and David Granville are actually attending this conference. In past administrations I never saw any city representatives at these types of conferences. That’s a good sign. Where there is an interest there is hope. It’s refreshing to know that these types of conferences are attracting so much attention from community interest groups all over the city.