How does a windswept parking lot recapture its significance as the historic terminus of the Erie Canal?
In a city experiencing epic population loss, a forgotten historic site captures the public’s imagination. Add participatory planning with lots of stakeholder engagement. And then add even more. The public’s imaginations are stirred, cultural connections are re-established and urban history is revealed and reinterpreted on the site. The result? A new civic destination in the city and a new real estate sub-market which attracts private investment and the re-birth of the city. The Buffalo Inner Harbor, once the lifeblood of one of America’s greatest cities, reasserts the power of the land meeting the lake.
Services included research, engagement, planning, and design, in a process that began with market research, small-group visioning, and alternative planning scenarios, followed by EIS environmental review, design development, and construction. Client: Empire State Development & City of Buffalo, 1996-2000. Completed while serving as project manager at JSPC Architects & Planners. Key collaborators included WSP, Flynn Battaglia Architects, and MNLA Landscape Architects.