Yesterday, while at lunch, the topic of conversation was that of Richard Florida (theory of the creative class) and his recent move to Toronto. The conversation led to a Globe and Mail article that he had written that gushingly laid out Toronto as a much better city than Torontonians were willing to take credit for. In the article he noted that Buffalo would be better off if the city would leverage its relationship with its ‘neighbouring’ metropolitan friends like Toronto and Rochester. The triumvirate that he prescribes is better known as Tor-Buff-Chester, a word that he uses when he refers to Toronto, Buffalo and Rochester as a region. He formulates, as many of us have been doing for quite some time now, that the key to growth and prosperity it to capitalize on the fact that we’re already a major force if you look at our region as a network. Does anyone remember when Steel posted satellite images of our region to prove his point that we were a force to be reckoned with?
Florida goes even further though. In his article he talks of a Mega Region – from Buffalo to Quebec City, and its ability to drive the global economy “with 22 million people and $530-billion in economic activity, making it the 12th-largest mega-region in the world and fifth-largest in North America”. Unfortunately, the example that he uses to make a point repositions the Buffalo Bills in Toronto… a move that many Torontonians would love to see, but would forever sever any sort of relationship with the city that snagged our beloved Bills from us… nothing like kickin’ us when we’re down, right? Maybe this is the time to consider moving the football stadium to downtown Buffalo, so as to make it an easier drive for Torontonians to catch a game. That would be a win-win for Buffalo and Toronto, and as our university makes further attempts to build upon its presence downtown, the relocation (not to Toronto) of the stadium would heal yet another old wound.
As Florida goes on to detail the benefits of thinking in terms of a Mega Region, he points out many of the benefits… including that of enhanced transportation between the cities that comprise the Mega Market. We all know that Buffalo must do a better job in marketing what we have, and what we are getting. One of those assets is our relationship to Toronto. When someone comes in to Buffalo for the first time Toronto is always on the laundry list when I talk of the great assets of our city. I tell them that they can leave Buffalo at 9am and still be in Toronto for breakfast. Then they can spend the day there and be back in their favorite city in time for dinner. That’s the same length commute that many of my friends who live outside NY take to get into the city. It always amazes people that Toronto is so close. It also reinforces the idea that Buffalo should aim for becoming a strong mid-size city… with a mega cosmopolitan city within a short drive. Listen to what Florida writes as part of the lead-in for his article:
“And yet everywhere we go we are met by Torontonians who either seem mystified that we would move to what they imply is a second-rate city, or seem to be seeking some kind of validation in our answer.”
Sounds a bit familiar doesn’t it?
Bill Zimmermann
Bill runs Seven Seas Sailing school, and is a staunch waterfront activist. He is also heavily involved with preserving, maintaining, and promoting the South Buffalo Lighthouse. When Bill first started writing for Buffalo Rising, he wrote an article a day for 365 days - each article coincided with a significant historic event that happened in Buffalo on that same day.