Buffalo Rising Online

It should -- really, it MUST -- but there's a lot of barriers to overcome; mainly Buffalo's culture. With very little migration into the region, so there's little to dilute the dominant "city bad, sprawl good" mindset among the general population, much less add to the diversity of other values and beliefs in the region. No new blood, no new ideas, no fresh thinking.

About four years ago on another message board, I posted my thoery about why New Urbanist development is nonexistent in Buffalo. I'll try to recreate that post, and add a bit more. (I apologize in advance for typos or awkward wording.)

Let's take a family with lower middle class or middle class roots, like so many in Buffalo. The breadwinners may be children of the city; they could have grown up in a lower middle class 1920s era neighborhood like Kensington or Riverside, a place that has its charms but which is more often than not gritty around the edges. All their lives, they've had images of the contemporary American dream as the ideal living situation; a house on a cul-de-sac in the 'burbs, with a two car garage, a big yard, and neighbors that aren't so close that you can see into the rooms of their house just as easily as yours. A NU community might not appeal to them, because it's not like their idea of the American Dream; it's a glorified version of the rough neighborhood where they spent their childhood.

Let's go to Buffalo or Cleveland. Unlike Denver or Seattle, there's a larger working class. Many live in relatively dense neighborhoods with a well-connected street grid and pedestrian-oriented retail within easy walking distance; the comfy areas that exhibit the qualities admired by New Urbanism promoters. The folks living there, though, usually want out. When the working and middle class fled the 20,000 residents/mi2 neighborhood of my childhood (Kensington-Bailey), they didn't go to the Elmwood, Parkside or North Buffalo neighborhoods, despite the large houses, charming retail districts, and distance from "da' hood." "The houses are so close together." They all went to Tonawanda, or like Mom and Dad, "made aliyah" to Amherst. They swapped a 1,500 square foot bungalow on a 3,000 square foot lot in the city for a 2,000 square feet ranch on a 12,000 square foot spread. Corner lot, too, so there's only one house nearby ... about 20 feet away from a short windowless wall.

When my folks visited me one week, several years ago when I was living outside of Orlando, I took them down to DPZ's Celebration. They were impressed ... impressed that someone would recreate North Buffalo so well in the central Florida swamps. "It's pretty, and there's lots of people around ... but the yards are so small, and the houses are so close together." Mom and Dad preferred my third acre spread at the end of a cul-de-sac. They were proud that their kid made it out of the city, and was living in the suburban environment that they tried so hard to get to themselves. The house was just like theirs ... a big, sprawling ranch on a big sprawling lot.

In a region where the population is more educated, urban decline was minimal, and there are more transplants from outside of the area, the collective attitude is "suburbs bad," NU is wildly successful; Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Orlando, Washington, and so on. In places where the suburban built environment is admired and sought after among the masses, and traditional urban neighborhoods are normally associated with decay and decline, like Buffalo and Cleveland, NU seems to have limited or no appeal.

NU communities also tend to be quite dense -not just to recreate older urban neighborhoods, but because undeveloped real estate in the majority of urban areas in the US is quite expensive. If a NU project -- really, any residential development -- was developed at a low two to three du/ac density, it wouldn't be profitable unless the houses sold for high six-figure or low seven-digit prices. In suburban Buffalo, where greenfield land is still quite cheap -- yes, even in Amherst, Clarence and Orchard Park -- a developer can build $200,000 houses on 1/3 acre lots, and still make a tidy sum. There's no economic incentive to build at higher densities, and no pressure on local governments to change their zoning to allow it.

NU is non-existent in Cleveland, too, and I've come across much resistance when I've tried to promote it as a way for some suburban communities to create a sense of place. Although it's never spoken, it's implied from time to time; urban design elements and density ... just like old neighborhoods in Cleveland ... where a lot of minorities now live. NU = minorities = bad. I wouldn't doubt the same sentiment is held among some in suburban Buffalo, even in more integrated communities like Amherst. There's also what I call "Lake Wobegon Sybdrome", where communities all want development that's "above average." With smaller lots and some multi-family housing, they see NU development as a step down, not the step up that they want.

Another barrier to NU in Buffalo is the limited resources of the mom and pop developers in the area.

One thing that's very unusual about residential development in Buffalo compared to other medium and large metro regions is that most developers and builders are local. Instead of Toll Brothers, Pulte, US Home, KB Home and other national players, Buffalo area builders and developers are almost all small family-owned firms; the likes of "Rocco D'Calzone and Sons" or "Stugots Brothers Building." Marrano and Forbes-Capretto would be considered very small mom & pop builders in any other market in the country. Ryan is about as large as it gets, and they're just a regional builder with local roots; the big nationals are absent from the market.

In some ways, it's a good thing: construction laborers in the region usually get good wages and benefits compared to their peers elsewhere, they're often unionized, and profits stay in the local economy instead of going to Dallas or scattered shareholders. However, while local builders can afford 10 or 20 acres here and there for small subdivisions, but they don't have the financial backing to buy and consolidate larger parcels needed for larger-scale NU development. It's something a national builder can pull off without a sweat, and larger local builders in growing markets. For Buffalo's small mom & pop builders and developers, though, it would be very difficult to take on anything more than the usual small projects.

Local builders are slow to pick up trends sweeping the national housing market. Consider bathrooms. In most of the US starting in the mid-1960s, a full bathroom off the master bedroom was the norm for most new single family houses; most new houses had at least two bathrooms. In the Buffalo area, into the 1970s and even the early 1980s, a half-bath off the living or family room was considered cutting-edge; two-bathroom houses were still the exception rather than the norm. Buffalo builders' infatuation with large dining rooms endures to this day, even though the little-used space has been downplayed in most other housing markets. If Buffalo's builders are now just getting around to second floor laundry rooms, do you think they even know about New Urbanism, much less neotraditional architecture?

Right on, Dan.

People in this area certainly love their sprawl.

This is an attitude held by the majority of this area's population. Once you get outside buffalo small handful of urban enclaves, the suburban consensus becomes all too clear.

Sorry I dont agree with that people love the sprawl.

If the city and the older suburbs built more business parks then jobs would be staying in their communities and would still be in South Buffalo, the Eastside and Westside.

There are townhomes being built on the westside and their selling easily (and their not cheap either). So the problem isnt Buffalonians but the developers.

If more developers decided to rebuild a city block and published the design in advance to allow for all the units to be pre-sold before construction, then I think that you would see there isnt as much of a problem with residential demand within the city limits or quality design or quality materials or density, etc.

There are two problems the city needs to work on: 1) Buffalo Public Schools (families will not live in unsafe and poorly performing school districts) 2) Lack of jobs (that means more business/office parks to anchor South Buffalo, the Eastside and Westside). More jobs will stabilize the surrounding community.

Attack those two problems and the middle class, retail and quality of life amenities will follow.

PS The trend in Buffalo is Patio Homes and assisted living because f the high number of seniors. Seniors can be marketed to easily because they dont like to drive and they need quality of life amenities from doctors to grocery stores close which makes city living attractive as many top quality hospitals are either in the city or within a short distance. Of course the young singles like the city because its so easy to socialize and there are so many things to do which leaves the middle class families out of the urban demographic...until you fix the public schools.

If a developer came and bought up the city blocks surrounding City Honors and Masten Armory and City Field and Masten Park....many parents would buy $200,000-$300,000 townhomes. Think about it....Life Sciences Corridor, Humboldt Park and the Science Museum are a short distance away making it ripe for large scale redevelopment. I have no doubt if a developer offered floor plans to build...that they would sell and sell fast.

L, you need to get out more.

Most of WNY's population resides in suburban areas. People there, in addition to good schools, like the space and privacy. Oh and importanly, lack of poor minorities, people they are scared sh**less of thanks to the top stories every night on the 11 o'clock news.

A huge problem, as Dan makes clear, is that there are so many people in the area who are afraid of the city, have bad memories of it, and won't respond to development that brings back these memories.

Do you seriously think a bunch of timid old retirees who lived their entire lives in quiet suburbia will be tempted to move into an area they percieve to be a warzone/ghetto?

JD - Thanks. I didn't realize I was afraid of poor minorities. I thought it was just the schools I was here for. Space? Big lot with 2 story houses that look over my fence. That's privacy. L has some points.

I really think we need to have this discussion without playing the bullsh*t "afraid of minorities" card. The suburbs are actually quite culturally diverse--in some ways more than the city. So that just leaves class and the line of economic division drawn by Main Street in Buffalo is just as sharp as the one drawn by the borders between the city and its suburbs.

Really, I'm a very strong proponent of New Urbanism. It's not a hard sell in regions where there's a large population of upwardly mobile professionals, young educated Generation Xers and Millenials, transplants, and middle-to-high income white collar workers.

Now, try to convince these guys of the benefits of a NU-based comp plan, form-based codes, or other contemporary planning practices. These are folks who haveprobably never seen a NU development, much less any healthy urban neighborhoods; their view of the world is limited to Buffalo's suburbs, Florida and the Las Vegas Strip. Even among the "New Buffalonians" here, I've seen it - "Let Portland and Seattle have their foo-foo planning; we'll keep it real back here in Buffalo." Someone here wrote a glowing story about the Delta Sonic car wash on Main Street not too long ago. All of that doesn't bode well for NU in Buffalo.

Like I said before, it's not just jobs, weather, and taxes. It's also the mindset of the region.

JD, everything between Blasdell and Kenmore has a blue print compatible with New Urbanism so lets cut the psychobabble of demographics and city planning.

Oh and if you go to the suburban town centers, many of those are based on pre-war lot sizes and densities that are compatible with New Urbanism too.

Therefore, I would say that its you that are probably more out of touch than the average Buffalonian. If anything, your being an elitist in assuming that Buffalonians are to ill informed, small minded, uneducated and prejudiced to accept New Urbanism.

I simply and absolutely REFUSE to believe that Buffalonians are more prejudice than anywhere else. People make decisions based on quality of life decisions and if the schools were on par with or above those in the suburbs then there would be a significant move-back into the city where taxes are lower and there are more options.

Here is the deal with the suburbs that is similar with Buffalo Municipal Housing. Unlike the city which was built for different income groups....the suburbs and municipal housing is built for narrow bands of income groups which is why many people get bored in the suburbs.

Lets just face the facts.....civil servants whether in colleges or municipal government have unions and seniority....which result in the utter disregard for being able to plan for stability and growth. They are still locked in 1950s and 1960s urban redevelopment, municipal projects and expressways. They refuse to put traffic back on local streets, they refuse to change zoning laws or permits or tax abatements/subsidies to preserve/maintain the urban fabric instead of demolish it.

Then you have the developers whose only demographic they understand is the 1970s Brady Bunch Split Level, Senior Patio Homes and now minimalist lofts. All built and financed in much the same way as 50 years ago. Their not building according to modern development and financing. They dont work with the city to rebuild an entire city block by pre-selling urban developments or allow people to choose exterior styling or floor plans.

They wont embrace school vouchers or school choice or school charters.

They wont embrace our light rail even though 80% is financed by federal money and the only proof is ridership and operating expenses which Buffalo can easily support.

They wont move the access ramps further away from our urban core and put traffic back on the streets.

They wont build business and office parks in the inner city communities that ring the city to stabilize the neighborhoods.

These problems arent coming from a population seeped in prejudice or ignorance but structural and leadership problems. Buffalonians may struggle with being poor by national standards but that just means we never caught the shallow...bigger and better deal...shallowness that has plagued all those other growing boomtowns across the nation. When a Buffalonian pushes your car out of the snow...its because their REAL PEOPLE who CARE!

Dan,

It's not just jobs, weather and taxes. It's just jobs, really. Nah, actually, it's like Deepthroat said - 'follow the money.' And from money flow comes jobs.

Richard Florida and his 'creative class' blather has the causal relationship backward. Regions experiencing fundamental economic growth (where more money is flowing in than moving out) enjoy a rise in a so-called 'creative class.' They also enjoy an increase in nice coffee shops, high-end retailers, and european imports on their roadways, but none of those things LEAD to economic growth - they are the result of it.

Of course, different regions have different cultures. But for the most part, those cultures emanate from when and where those regions make their money. Buffalo enjoyed the haydays of the 1870's - 1930's given our geographic location and the manner in which commerce was conducted - a lot went through Buffalo. Because of that, we have a whole lot of great buildings from that era. And a portion of the 'Buffalo culture' has emanated from that period.

As commerce patterns changed, so did Buffalo's fate. Our 'rust' industries held up, though, until the late '70's and early '80's, when in 1983 Bethlehem closed its steel-making facility in Lackawanna. Well, with that as the last major period of success, it's not surprising that another significant portion of Buffalo's culture emanate's from that time period. And that's perhaps the only portion of our culture you seem to be aware of given your incessant references to our infatuation with 97 Rock, Journey, Zubaz and the rest of it. But that inch-deep sociocultural analysis of Buffalo's mindset is just that - an inch-deep.

For every Snorton Norton, there is an Ani DeFranco, and for every mullet-haired Bills fan, there is a Tom Fontana. Like a lot of areas that suffer through tough times, Buffalo produces a disproportionate number of creative artists - whether they be writers, musicians, actors or comedians. We already have a real live creative class, but at the moment, it's facing some overwhelming economic headwinds.

Through some smart public policy and the help of an aware and visionary group of business leaders, those headwinds can be turned into tailwinds. When that happens, the city - and the suburbs, for that matter - will enjoy all the benefits associated with economic growth. You'll see more european imports, more coffee shops, and more high-end retailers. But again, those things will come from, not lead to, economic growth.

I'm sure you're already aware that your intellectual icon Richard Florida put Buffalo at #2 on his list of future 'creative class' desinations. That might give someone some comfort, or at least get Mr. Florida booked for a few more speaking engagements in town. While here, maybe he can expand his repertoire from dime store sociology to include some psychobabble and give us an update on our region's feng shui and spirituality levels.

Dan

Your so called Buffalo mind set is a national mind set. Perhaps Cleveland is overflowing with Nu Urbanist developments but I can pretty much guarantee that the rest of the country is not. There are NONE that I know of in the chicago area. The suburbs here are flowing out into the corn fields at an alarming rate. You can drive half the distance to Springfield before you break out of the sprawl mess.

On top of that many of the New urbanist developments that are built ar done so in a half hearted way. About a year ago I read on Cyburbia.com a great description of a half @assed Charlotte area NU subdivision and its apparent failure.

As for 97 Rock, one of Chicago's most popular radio station is one of those automated type with no real people. It plays mostly disco and classic rock. The local NPR station is dropping jazz from its programing. Hmmm maybe too many Buffalonians are moving into Chicago. Goooo Beearssss !

As for Buffalo (the city) going New Urban. that movement has already started in parts of the city. (the parts people like the best) Elmwood avenue south of the park already has zoning that prevents big box development and several suburban style store proposals have been defeated.

The thing with New Urbanism is that it should be a planning tool and not a developer's subdivision theme. New Urbanism as a development theme is not New Urbanism... that would more accurately be described as Disney

NU in Sacramento- not much. A few transit-oriented developments are starting. Some of the larger suburban projects have incorporated 'town centers' with mixed-use zoning, BUT, the developers see it as an amenity and not a solution to sprawl and driving. Here, they like to say new urbanism, but what they are really proposing is high density to squeeze the most units ($$$) on a property as possible. Definitely nothing Kentlands-like here, even the Calthorpe stuff is garbage.

Most of the larger developments have a mix of housing, but it is all production housing- single-family, cluster, semi-detached, townhouses, and rentals- each built by seperate builders and segregated by type into 'neighborhoods' and commercial development at the community entrance. The same formula over and over. Fewer builders are developing their own subdivisions, most are done by land developers.

20,000 homes on 5,000 acres (large and slow loading pdf):

http://www.placer.ca.gov/planning/project-docs/documents/pvsp-specificplan.pdf

Steel,

What's wrong with disney?

nothing. It make for a great amusement park.

Dan,

Lakefront Commons, the brick townhouses built between LaSalle Park and the Niagara section of the Thruway, had the option of 2nd floor washer/dryers, and they were built almost twenty years ago.

> The thing with New Urbanism is that it should be a planning > tool and not a developer's subdivision theme. New Urbanism > as a development theme is not New Urbanism... that would > more accurately be described as Disney

So I take it you would prefer to see loop-and-lollypop subdivisions in the 'burbs instead of NU projects? Development in Amherst WILL continue, so "I prefer to see it in Buffalo" isn't an option here. I take it you've got an "old Buffalo" mindset and prefer the cul-de-sacs and 1/3 acre lots with vinyl-sided, blah-styled houses built by Calzone Brothers on the urban frontier, instead of more contemporary alternatives like NU. After all, sprawl is "real", not "Disney" or "fake" or "another outsider's idea" like NU.

II said Cleveland has almost no NU development. Try reading my posts next time, instead of posting a kneejerk "Dan's entirely wrong" reaction next time.

That mind set I described - hey, it's everywhere, I know, but it's FAR more prevalent in Buffalo than in other regions its size. (I'm sure someone will point out that there's 1980s-style metalheads in Portland and bingo fanatics in Milwaukee. True, but there's MORE of them in Buffalo.)

Dan

Never said that I wanted cul de sac subdivisions. Why is it either or. I am asking for real new urbanist development. Most (by a wide margine) new urbanist developments are done so in name only with half @ssed use of "Urban themes". The whole manner of creating subdivision developments is so anti urban to start with. "what subdivision to you live in" That is the kind of question suburban residents ask rather than " what neighborhood do you live in"

Buffalo is not so far behind as you seem to think and that is why people jump down your back with every zubas comment. Chicago is a big wealthy sophisticated city and from my experience all the attributes ou place on Buffalo are also present in abundance in Chicago as I am sure they are in your Cleveland (also a much bigger city than Buffalo).. Buffalo's stagnant economy prevents it form getting many of lthe latest trendy developments and chain restaurants, not its level of sophistication. As a matter of fact I believe that Buffalo is very sophisticated for an American city of its size and has many more high level cultural and cullinary assets than other comparable cities and even many larger cities.

You make it sound like the whole US has gone New Urban and that poor old zubas wearing Buffalo has been left behind. Well I can say that there is no trend for New Urbanism in Chicago and I can say that I have NEVER seen anyone wearing zubas in Buffalo (though I have seen the strange garment on the streets of the windy city) What that says about Chicago or Buffalo I do not know but I would be willing to bet that the zubas wearing portion of the population in Chicago, Cleveland and Buffalo is about equal.