BRO reader submission by Ben Perrone
One can’t help but think about the missed opportunities that could have changed Buffalo. What would the city look like had SUNY been built downtown or on the waterfront? While we can’t change the past there is still the possibility or changing the future. The state of the East Side, with many of its homes and buildings torn down, can be viewed as an opportunity instead of a problem. The greater question is: can the city planners and decision-makers rise to the occasion and exhibit the necessary creativity to transform these skeletal remains into a modern attractive plan that will bring people and business back to the center of town? It doesn’t look like that is going to happen.
In an effort to rebuild, the city has accepted any building offer, without a creative plan and regardless of future impact or its aesthetic value. More building continues on the East Side with new suburban houses replacing those torn down without a creative plan and thought of how the city could be ‘redesigned’.
The city has plans but apparently has no vision. We have an opportunity on the East Side with its close proximity to downtown to rebuild a community that will attract people and revitalize the downtown area. In order to accomplish this we have to adopt and improve on some of the values that have attracted people to the suburbs, rethink the horse and buggy city layout, use old ideas that have worked and have the courage to be creative.
For example we could create a design where housing is developed around small parks, (much like Arlington Park and Johnson Park), with a mix of traditional, town and multi-unit housing. The idea here is to create mini-communities instead of drive through neighborhoods, each community built around a park. There would be many parks, which would vary in size and use, some containing play and recreational areas. Access to housing and parking areas (parking would get the cars off the street for plowing) would be from perimeter streets so that the parks became the extended front yards of the houses. The streets involved could be redesigned to discourage through traffic, (but include bike paths and access drives) while other designated streets around these complexes would be for service, parking access and ‘cross town’ traffic, with timed signals to encourage traffic flow. (Redesigning all city streets to both facilitate and in some cases inhibit traffic would be an achievement that would make driving safer, more economical and less frustrating.) Existing houses could be moved when feasible to facilitate the design (it was done when the Kensington Expressway was built). As these small communities grew, the commerce on the radiating large avenues would increase to meet community needs. One can imagine what an improvement to living and to the quality of life this would make. A project like this would take time and be expensive, but it beats trying to revive a design that no longer works.
Perhaps the most important part of the revitalization would be access to good schools. Giving teachers incentives to live and work near their schools is a good first step but they certainly deserve at least the same pay as their suburban counterparts. Incentives to get teachers to buy near their schools could make up for pay disparities. Instead of the trend to larger schools we should consider small units within easy access to these park communities. Small schools could be special grant schools that would be administered electronically with visitations from administrators. Buildings for grades K through 8 could dot the area according to density needs, eliminating the need and cost for so much busing.
Buffalo is a city rich in usable space that now lies dormant. Many vacant buildings could be converted to inexpensive lofts for artists and other creative people. We could bring artist to Buffalo from New York City with a little advertising and the incentive of studio loft space and the low cost of living. We are after all just a forty nine dollar trip and an internet connection away from Manhattan. Making the city into a haven for artists has made other cities grow. With artists come galleries and other support business and a lively cityscape. Getting a few name artists besides Ani DiFranco could start a trend that would attract others.
Other ideas could be to build a golf course adjacent to downtown on the East Side. It would solve the Delaware Park meadow problem and would be an attraction for downtown living. Another idea would be to have the Zoo split into annex parts one part being downtown solving some space problems for the zoo and becoming another attraction to city living. There are many ideas others may have to revitalize the city, but I have my doubts that the city officials can or will act creatively and boldly. Perhaps we need a group of interested, creative and influential persons to get something done. Is anybody out there?
See Two Slide Shows of East Side opportunities.
BRO Reader Submission
We love to hear what the Buffalo community has to say. We offer a space to those who feel that they want to share their stories, without committing to writing ongoing articles. Typically reader submissions are one-offs that contribute to the broader Buffalo conversation.