Library
Select a TopicSearch
Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Forms
Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic, University at Buffalo School of Law — Jan 26, 2023
This is the set of forms that accompanies the Self Help Guide: How to Submit a Freedom of Information Law Request Without a Lawyer.
View Resource
Self Help Guide: How to Submit a Freedom of Information Law Request (FOIL) Without a Lawyer
Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic, University at Buffalo School of Law — Jan 26, 2023
The ‘Self-Help Guide: How to Submit a Freedom of Information Law Request in New York without a Lawyer’ (the “Guide”) is for anyone who has requested information under the New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). This Guide also assists users who have been improperly ignored, denied, or charged an unreasonable fee for their request for information. The Guide also provides the information you need when determining whether to pursue a pro se lawsuit and illustrates …
View Resource
How To Better Welcome Refugees and Secondary Migrants
Laila Rahbari — Sep 7, 2022
This report examines assets, challenges, and potential recommendations for supports for refugees and migrants in Buffalo.
View Resource
Language Access for Erie County is Essential and Overdue
Buffalo and Erie County Language Access Working Group — Sep 24, 2020
View .PDF
Buffalo Common Council Districts: Delaware District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: Ellicott District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: Fillmore District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: Lovejoy District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: Masten District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: Niagara District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye, Lorena Flores — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: North District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye, Katy Kaufman — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: South District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo Common Council Districts: University District
Sarah Wooton, Alana Barrington Dye — Aug 1, 2020
The "Buffalo Common Council Districts" fact sheet series is a set of 9 fact sheets about each of the 9 Common Council districts in the City of Buffalo. For each district, we explore resident demographics, community landmarks, household income, housing costs, and educational attainment data.
View Resource
Buffalo's History of Segregation: a Conversation with Sam Magavern and Lindsey Taylor
Sam Magavern, Lindsey Taylor — Jul 1, 2020
Special Guest Sam Magavern of Partnership for the Public Good, Attorney & Author will be talking about Systematic Disparities in Housing.
View Resource
Erasing Red Lines: Epilogue - Where Do We Go From Here?
Russell Weaver — Jan 29, 2020
While the Erasing Red Lines reports spoke of “distressed communities” and places experiencing “decline,” the core message—threaded through all three reports—is that patterns of “distress” and “decline” are products of a flawed and discriminatory political economic system. The formal act of mid-20th Century redlining was chosen to animate this core message because it is tangible and recognizable, and because its legacy is …
View Website
Western New York Census Toolkit
Anna Blatto — Jan 14, 2020
This toolkit provides information and actionable steps for getting involved with education, outreach, and support for Census 2020. It also offers specific information about local challenges and solutions .
View Resource
Photobank: Data, Demographics, History - Seniors Gather at West Side Community Services - Pt I
Buffalo Commons Photobank — Jan 14, 2020
Guidelines for using photos from the Buffalo Commons Photobank The Buffalo Commons Photobank is an issue-based Photobank for use by our partners and the general public. The purpose of making these photos publically available is to enhance the work of the social sector in Buffalo-Niagara. We believe that our partners’ work will be more effective when it features high-quality and artistic images for any number of occasions: an event, a fundraiser, a report, etc.
View Resource
Photobank: Data, Demographics, History - Seniors Gather at West Side Community Services - Pt II
Buffalo Commons Photobank — Jan 14, 2020
Guidelines for using photos from the Buffalo Commons Photobank The Buffalo Commons Photobank is an issue-based Photobank for use by our partners and the general public. The purpose of making these photos publically available is to enhance the work of the social sector in Buffalo-Niagara. We believe that our partners’ work will be more effective when it features high-quality and artistic images for any number of occasions: an event, a fundraiser, a report, etc.
View Resource
Poverty and Disparities in Niagara County
Anna Blatto — Nov 13, 2019
This Buffalo Brief provides an overview of the geography and statistics around poverty in Niagara County.
View Resource
Erasing Red Lines: Part 2 - Systems Thinking for Social and Community Change
Russell Weaver — Oct 29, 2019
What, if anything, can be done to push back against persistently uneven geographies of opportunity in Buffalo and other post-industrial, shrinking cities? And why the focus on systems science and its technical jargon? A response to both of these questions is that vicious cycles and ways out of them cannot be fully apprehended without thinking about the systems in which they are produced—and systems thinking is rarely the default toolbox that policymakers and community change organizations …
View Website
Distinguishing the Social Sector: A Buffalo-Niagara Labor Market Study
Sam Magavern, Kristin (Szczepaniec) Ksiazek, Russell Weaver — Sep 19, 2019
The study focuses on the two largest parts of Buffalo-Niagara’s social sector: nonprofit and government employers.
View Resource
Buffalo Niagara's Union Members: Good Neighbors and Active Citizens
Russell Weaver — Aug 30, 2019
In honor of the 125th anniversary of Buffalo’s own, President Grover Cleveland, signing the law establishing the federal Labor Day holiday in the U.S., this report creates a current profile of labor union members in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
View Resource
Erasing Red Lines: Part 1 - Geographies of Discrimination
Russell Weaver — Aug 28, 2019
Since at least the 1930s, the City of Buffalo, New York has been spatially and socially divided. While certain mixed use and residential communities across the map have shown remarkable resilience—and thrived—during the City’s history of deindustrialization and population loss, many communities of color on Buffalo’s East and West Sides have experienced persistent and increasing levels of distress. This series of brief reports examines those patterns and engages with …
View Resource
There Goes Our Family Friendly Neighborhood: Residents’ Perceptions of Institutionally Driven Inner-City Revitalization in Buffalo, NY
Li Yin, Camden Miller, Pascal Buggs, Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., Robert Silverman — Jul 19, 2019
This article examines residents’ perceptions of inner-city revitalization in legacy cities. The analysis focuses on neighborhoods undergoing revitalization in a legacy city, Buffalo, NY. The article draws from data for a larger research project called Turning the Corner which was sponsored by the Urban Institute. The focus of that project was to identify planning strategies to address negative externalities caused by neighborhood change and heightened risks of displacement due to …
View Resource
Census 2020: Making Western New York Count
Anna Blatto — Jun 10, 2019
This policy brief offers an overview of the 2020 Census: what it is and why it matters for Western New York.
View Resource
The Buffalo, New York Outer Harbor as a Cultural Landscape
Kerry Traynor, Annie Shentag, Camden Miller — Oct 31, 2018
"This cultural landscape report primarily focuses on the Buffalo Outer Harbor (Outer Harbor) located in Buffalo, New York, with an understanding that it is part of a much larger context including the Buffalo Inner Harbor (Inner Harbor) and Buffalo Middle Harbor (Middle Harbor) in order to provide context and a holistic understanding of the surrounding landscape. This cultural landscape report investigates and documents the landscape history and the existing conditions within the study area of …
View Resource
Rental Housing Costs in Buffalo
Sarah Wooton — Oct 15, 2018
With the renewed popularity of urban living, along with substantial public and private investment in the city, the value of property throughout Buffalo is on the rise. Certain neighborhoods, including Downtown, Allentown, Hertel/Parkside and areas on the West and East sides, are becoming hot markets – with many homes worth double or triple what owners paid for them. As property values rise in cities, rents do too.
View Resource
Employment Data for Buffalo-Niagara
Partnership for the Public Good — Jul 11, 2018
Unemployment in Buffalo and the surrounding region shot upward in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, but declined in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. In 2017, unemployment rose in the city and region while falling in the state and nation.
View Resource
Racial Disparities in Buffalo-Niagara
Partnership for the Public Good — Jun 1, 2018
Like many cities in the Great Lakes region, Buffalo-Niagara suffers from severe racial inequality and segregation.
View Resource
A City Divided: A Brief History of Segregation in Buffalo
Anna Blatto — May 7, 2018
This policy report was drafted by Anna Blatto, a senior at the University at Buffalo. It explores the history of segregation in Buffalo and offers policy suggestions for the years ahead.
View Resource
Urban Expressway Removal in Buffalo: The Historical Context
Daniel Cadzow — Mar 30, 2018
This policy brief was drafted by Daniel Cadzow, Policy Fellow at PPG and an advocate for environmental justice and equitable traffic infrastructure.
View Resource
Immigrants, Refugees, and Languages Spoken in Buffalo
Partnership for the Public Good — Feb 28, 2018
Buffalo has a low proportion of foreign born residents compared to other cities. But an unusually high percentage of the region’s foreign-born are refugees. Buffalo has become a top location for refugee resettlement in the nation.
View .PDF
Labor Force and Unemployment Data
Department of Labor — Dec 31, 2017
NYS Department of Labor Data for New York State, Labor Market Regions, Metropolitan Areas, Counties, and Municipalities of at least 25,000 Population
View Resource
Urban Design Project
Department of Labor Dec 31, 2017
The UB Regional Institute and Urban Design Project have officially merged under the UB Regional Institute name. Our long established history in the region and track record of success in public policy and urban planning/design, our professional staff, affiliated faculty and graduate students, our position as the research enterprise of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, and our strong connection to the University at large, are our greatest assets. This is what sets us …
View Website
What If...Pathways to Progress Vol. 2: Women and Girls in WNY
WNY Women's Foundation — Nov 22, 2017
The original 2010 Pathways to Progress Report provided a foundation for moving forward, the start of an ongoing region-wide dialogue on supporting women and girls and a call to action to us all. Pathways to Progress Vol. 2 expands this dialogue with updated data that explores the barriers and opportunities that WNY women face throughout their lifespans.
View Resource
Advancing Racial Equity and Public Health: Smarter Marijuana Laws in Western New York
Andrea Ó Súilleabháin — Nov 14, 2017
View .PDF
The Climate Justice Movement in Western New York
Sam Magavern, Lynda Schneekloth — Jul 12, 2017
Although climate change requires an international response and will require national policies and actions, local geographies have to be involved because it that is where the harms are felt. But how can local and regional areas respond to the climate crisis? This article offers a story of the emergence of a climate justice movement in Buffalo and Western New York as an example of how one community is addressing climate change and its unequal impacts.
View Resource
Initiatives for a Smart Economy 2.0
Mark Poloncarz — Jun 30, 2017
Just like its predecessor, I4SE 2.0 is organized in a manner that focuses on those sectors of the local economy identified by WNYREDC as growth sectors. It identifies initiatives within those sectors where ErieCounty can make a meaningful contribution. These sectors include: advanced manufacturing, smart growth implementation, workforce development, agriculture, bi-national logistics, energy, and tourism.The report also identifies specific initiatives that Erie County will undertake in other …
View .PDF
West Side Study
Clint McManus — Oct 1, 2016
Buffalo, New York is no stranger to spatial segregation along racial and economic lines. Conventional wisdom throughout the region traces this historic divide along the length of Main Street, a north-south corridor. It is widely believed that Buffalo’s affluent neighborhoods sit to the west, with low-income neighborhoods in the east. While Main Street serves as an easy point of reference, Buffalo’s demographics are not binary. Even dividing the city into …
View .PDF
Access to Justice in Buffalo and Beyond: Making the Justice System More Welcoming for Refugees
Fidèle Menavanza — Jun 23, 2016
As an essential human right, much has been written about access to justice. Still, too many poor people lack this essential access all over the world when they face major life challenges. The issue confronts people experiencing poverty around the globe, as well as close to home. Access to justice for the most vulnerable is as encompassing as our country is diverse, affecting all races, ethnic groups, and ages. Victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, homeowners facing …
View Resource
Bangladeshi Immigrants in Buffalo
Anthony Hilbert Jun 1, 2016
Bangladeshi immigrants have relocated to Buffalo, New York, at a pace that has surprised many. The size of Buffalo’s Bangladeshi population is unknown. The U.S. Census estimates that 316 Bangladeshis live in Buffalo, but Liberty Yellow Taxi alone employs about 367. Most Bangladeshi praise Buffalo, but some worry that social and religious intolerance is growing. A number of men in the mosque have expressed concern about anti-Muslim rhetoric on local talk …
View .PDF
Buffalo Niagara - How Are We Really Doing
Lawrence Brooks — Jan 20, 2016
There has been a lot of good news lately in Buffalo: Harbor Center and Canalside, RiverBend and Solar City, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus expansion, new hotels and restaurants, even an uptick in employment and population. But most of this good news is economic, and there is much more to our region than just economic activity. These positive developments have prompted reactions such as “rebirth” and “resurgence.” But perspectives on Buffalo vary …
View .PDF
Ba Zan Lin Interview
The Public Good Radio — Jul 14, 2015
The Public Good Radio interview with Ba Zan Lin of the Burmese Community Support Center on WUFO AM 1080.
View Website
Immigrants, Refugees, and Languages Spoken in Buffalo
Deandra Fike, Subin Chung, Emily Riordan — Jul 14, 2015
According to 2000 Census Data, Buffalo ranked last of 48 major metro areas in gaining immigrants, and the percentage of Buffalo residents born in foreign countries remains relatively low. However, from 2000 to 2010, the Buffalo-Niagara Metro Area saw a 33% rise in foreign-born population, growing from 4.4% of the total population in 2000 to 6.0% in 2010. The main reason for this increase is the number of refugees being resettled in Buffalo. Refugees are people fleeing war, …
View .PDF
Eritrean Refugees in Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia, but began a struggle for independence in the 1960s and finally became established as a separate country in 1993. The civil war that preceded the separation lasted for approximately 30 years, beginning while Eritrea was still considered part of Ethiopia and continued until 2000, even after independence was granted. Three waves of migration from Eritrea to the US occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, as refugees escaped the violent civil war, finding …
View .PDF
From Central Africa to Buffalo: Refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Rwanda, and Burundi
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
For the past several decades Central Africa has been wrought with conflict, including both civil wars and international conflicts. Many different ethnic groups are involved in various capacities, creating tensions within and between countries. Do not assume that individuals from the same country are of the same ethnic group or religious affiliation. There are important differences among the ethnic and tribal groups, and because of the longstanding tensions among some of the …
View .PDF
Nepali Bhutanese Refugees in Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
Bhutanese refugees have a complicated history. In the late 19th and early 20th century, an influx of undocumented Nepali immigrants into Bhutan occurred. These individuals were settled in the southern region of Bhutan and referred to as Lhotshampas, meaning “southerners”. The Bhutanese government enforced the Bhutanese Citizenship Act of 1958 as an effort to more closely control the immigration. The government wished to promote cultural and national unity …
View .PDF
Refugees from Iraq in Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
The country of Iraq suffers from war and terrorism on a daily basis. Currently the population of Iraq is approximately 28 million, of whom about 75% are Arab, 17% are Kurds and the remainder mostly Armenians, Assyrians and Turks. The turmoil in Iraq includes violent disputes among Sunni Muslim and Shi’ite Muslim; persecution due to political allegiance; and targeting of vulnerable populations, such as women, by militias and insurgents. Over two million Iraqis have …
View .PDF
Refugees from Somalia in Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
Somalia is a country that has been divided by civil war since the 1980s. It began due to resistance to the regime of Siad Barre. Once he was overthrown in the 1980s, the resulting power vacuum led to violence. Peace efforts from multi-national groups, neighboring countries, and the United Nations have been attempted, but violence continues and has forced many to flee the country for safety. Somalia is one of the most homogenous countries in Africa. Approximately …
View .PDF
Refugees from Sudan in Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
Sudan is ethnically diverse and physically vast. It has endured many years of violent civil war between the Arab/Muslim North and the Black/Christian South. In 2011, South Sudan gained its independence from the North so that two governments now rule; however, the conflict has continued. There are at least 10 different ethnic groups among the refugees from Sudan that have resettled in the United States. Since 2003, New York State has resettled 897 Sudanese refugees, with …
View .PDF
Yemeni Immigrants in Western New York
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 8, 2015
The country of Yemen came into being in May of 1990 when North Yemen merged with South Yemen. Sanaa, the former capital of the North, became the political capital, and Aden, the former capital of the South, became the economic center. Because of the less-developed economy in Yemen, many Yemenites (predominantly males) have emigrated out of the country seeking employment, often to send money back home. In addition, a brutal police force and government have led to violence and …
View .PDF
Afghan Refugees in Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 7, 2015
Afghanistan is a diverse country with many different ethnicities, often differentiated by language or religious beliefs. Many of the groups can also be found in the nations that border Afghanistan: Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Since 2003, New York State has resettled 395 Afghan refugees, including 63 in 2013. Many of these have settled in Erie County. Many recently resettled individuals from Afghanistan have come with “SIV” …
View .PDF
Burman, Karen, and Chin Refugees: From Burma to Buffalo
Sam Magavern, Daniel Cadzow Jul 7, 2015
Burma, officially known as the Republic of Myanmar, is a small nation in Asia, bordering Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. For many years, the nation has suffered military dictatorship, inflicting violence and torture on various ethnic groups. Burma is one of the most diverse countries in the world. The largest ethnic groups, making up approximately 68% of the nation’s population, are the Burmans, also called Bamar. Other ethnic groups include the Chin, …
View .PDF
From Puerto Rico to Buffalo
Jun 22, 2015
Puerto Rico is currently an unincorporated territory of the U.S. There is much debate over the future of Puerto Rico, usually focusing on three major choices; statehood, independence, or remaining a U.S. territory. Since 1917, its people have been U.S. citizens, and their movement throughout the states is therefore officially termed internal migration. However, the transition made by Puerto Ricans who move to the continental U.S. can involve the same changes and challenges …
View .PDF
Gamileh Jamil Interview
The Public Good Radio — Jun 2, 2015
The Public Good Radio interview with Gamileh Jamil of ACCESS on WUFO AM 1080.
View Website
Vacant and Abandoned Housing in Buffalo
Marc Masson — Dec 1, 2014
Buffalo has the oldest housing stock in the nation, with the largest percentage (67%) of homes built before 1940. In Erie County in 2013 there were 275 cases of elevated lead levels in children. The City of Buffalo has three of five zip codes in state with worst lead poisoning levels and accounts for roughly 95% of county lead cases. As of 2008, 13%-22% of children in the City suffered from asthma. In 2006, the City received 7,460 calls regarding housing violations and …
View .PDF
Talking Proud: Telling Buffalo's Stories
Sam Magavern — Nov 1, 2014
In 1978, the directors of the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce met in a workshop to create a five year action plan to improve the region’s economic climate – in particular, to increase the number of private sector jobs. The Chamber decided that their prime strategy would be to upgrade Buffalo’s image, both among its own residents and nationally. Eventually, they created a “Buffalo Image Campaign,” valued at three to five million dollars, with radio, …
View .PDF
Employment Data for Buffalo
Allison Considine — Sep 1, 2014
The types of jobs available in Buffalo have changed post-recession, with midlevel skilled jobs disappearing and high and low skill jobs growing. The loss of jobs in fields such as teaching, office administration, factory work and construction work during the recession is exacerbated by the fact that many midlevel jobs, such as manufacturing, are being automated or sent to cheaper markets. Growth has occurred on the high and low skill ends of the spectrum, however, with increases in …
View .PDF
Buffalo Poverty Research Workshop
Mark Poloncarz — Mar 28, 2014
While Erie County’s unemployment rate and levels of poverty are better than the state and national averages, not everyone is benefitting from our resurgent economy. In fact, many at the lowest rung of the economic ladder are being left behind, and income inequality is now putting at risk the middle class. Poverty plays a profound role in the educational challenges in a city where nearly one in two students does not graduate high school on time. Poverty also contributes …
View .PDF
From Mandalay to Nickel City
Craig Centrie — Mar 6, 2013
After independence from British colonialism in 1948, Burma, once part of the Raj system and one of Southeast Asia’s largest countries, became engaged in one of the longest civil wars in the region’s history. A democratic republic from 1948 to 1962, Burma experiencing the turmoil of nation state building in a post colonial world was unable successfully to incorporate its ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse population into one national identity, forcing hundreds of …
View .PDF
The Great Recession in Buffalo-Niagara
Ramon Garcia — Jan 17, 2013
At the end of the last decade, the U.S. experienced its most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. The so-called “Great Recession” shocked the economies of virtually every metropolitan area in the nation. Officially, the recession began in December of 2007 and ended in June 2009. But for much of the country, recovery has been very slow; over three years since the expansion began the nation had gained back less than half of the jobs it had lost during …
View .PDF
Health Data for Buffalo and Erie County
Sam Magavern, Jacqueline MacKeller, Jessica Bauer-Walker Nov 26, 2012
Health data for Buffalo and Erie County redacted from the Erie County Community Health Assessment from 2010-2013.
View .PDF
Population Trends in Buffalo-Niagara
Ramon Garcia — Oct 2, 2012
Like a number of places in the nation’s manufacturing belt, the Buffalo-Niagara metropolitan area has been losing population over the past several decades. This decline reflects the ongoing population shift from the Northeast and Midwest to warmer places in the South and West, as well as the considerable loss of manufacturing jobs in the region. In recent decades, some large metros experiencing domestic out-migration have seen their populations bolstered by migrants from …
View .PDF
Buffalo's Assets
Perry Choice Neighborhood Planning Team Jun 1, 2012
In its Principles for a Revitalized Buffalo, the Partnership for the Public Good calls for a strategy that starts from our assets. This Buffalo Brief provides just a small sampling of our region’s assets.
View .PDF
Geographies of Poverty: Buffalo-Niagara Metropolitan Area
Christopher Szczygiel — Mar 16, 2012
The local economy is often discussed in terms of the Buffalo-Niagara Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), a multi-county area with a population of over one million. While it is useful to take a regional perspective, it is also useful to consider individual cities, towns or villages. The economic picture in the city of Buffalo (population 266,012) is so quite different than that of the town of Holland (population 3,430). The poverty rates in the cities of Buffalo (29.6%) and …
View .PDF
The Geography of Poverty: City of Buffalo
Robert Grimaldi — Mar 16, 2012
Between 2000 and 2010, several census tracts on the East and West Sides fell deeper into poverty. Broadway-Fillmore’s poverty rate rose from 45.9% to 51.9%, the Niagara Street neighborhood immediately west of Downtown rose from 45.6% to 62.5%, and two tracts in Black Rock rose from 39.2% and 36.3% to 46.0%. Also, several North Buffalo neighborhoods experienced significant drops in poverty rates, including Parkside falling from 28.2% to 15.8%, Central Park falling from 16.0% to …
View .PDF
Profile of Buffalo and its Region
Open Buffalo, Partnership for the Public Good, PUSH Buffalo, VOICE Buffalo, Coalition for Economic Justice — Jan 30, 2012
Like many places in the nation’s manufacturing belt, the Buffalo-Niagara metropolitan area has been losing population over the past several decades. This decline reflects the long-term shift of population from the Northeast and Midwest to warmer places in the South and West, as well as the considerable loss of manufacturing jobs in the region. Population loss has been especially severe in the Buffalo area, however, mostly due to its obvious weather disadvantages and an economy …
View .PDF
Buffalo, Amherst, and Erie County: Worlds Apart
Jonathan Baird Aug 31, 2011
Examines demographic, population, and economic markers between Buffalo, Amherst, and Erie County.
View .PDF
Education Data for Buffalo
Jonathan Baird Aug 18, 2011
Fact Sheet Outlining Education Data for Buffalo. Includes: Educational attainment of those over 25, four year graduation rate, and percent's of adults with Bachelor's degrees.
View .PDF
Bypassing the Bust: The Stability of Upstate New York's Housing Markets During the Recession
Jaison Abel, Richard Deitz — Dec 31, 2009
View Resource
Individuals Below the Poverty Level
Sam Magavern, Partnership for the Public Good Dec 31, 2009
Census Tracts in the City of Buffalo.
View .PDF
The Connection: Schooling, Youth Development, and Community Building– The Futures Academy Case
Linda McGlynn, Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. — Jul 26, 2009
Using, as an example, a case study of Futures Academy, a K-8th grade public school in the Fruit Belt, an inner city neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, this essay will demonstrate that universities can play a leading role in remediating the problems of public schooling, youth development and inner city distress. Through the development of authentic, democratically-based partnerships among universities, schools, and communities, young people in distressed neighborhoods can become successful …
View Resource
The Futures Academy Community Garden Project
Center for Urban Studies, UB — Jul 26, 2009
Project Name: Futures Academy Community & Creative Placemaking Initiative This report proposes the creation of the Futures Academy Community Garden in a series of vacant, city-owned parcels across from Buffalo Public School 37.
View Resource
The Historical Overview of Blacks in the Fruit Belt: The Continuing Struggle to Build a Vibrant Community
Center for Urban Studies, UB, Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. — Jul 26, 2009
Project Name: The Fruit belt Redevelopment Project This report provides and overview of the history of blacks in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt and the classic tale of how urban policies have destabilized the African American community and robbed low to moderate‐income blacks of the wealth producing power of home-ownership.
View Resource
Buffalo Poverty Reduction Blueprint
Donna Brown — Apr 29, 2009
High levels of poverty in the City of Buffalo continue to persist despite significant economic development in the last several years. With recent data by the U.S. Census Bureau listing Buffalo as the third poorest city in the nation, it is imperative that a comprehensive and strategic approach be put into place to address this situation. This report is designed to be a blueprint for strategic planning and action to reduce the level of poverty in Buffalo and assure that all of …
View .PDF
Artspace Buffalo: Buffalo Artists Residence & Gallery
Gary Phillips — Nov 20, 2008
Located at 1219 Main Street in Buffalo, New York, Artspace Buffalo provides affordable housing and work space for artists and their families, and commercial space for arts organizations and arts-related businesses. Even though the project is relatively new, American Style Magazine, in its April 2008 issue, named Buffalo the top "Arts Destination for Mid-Sized Cities." Among the attractions and facilities that the magazine noted was Artspace Buffalo, which it said added to the city's …
View .PDF
Immigrants and Refugees in Buffalo
Louise Calixte — Nov 20, 2008
Many of the refugees were living in refugee camps until migrating to Buffalo. In these camps, time was not regulated. In working for an employer, many immigrants find the time-orientation very challenging. A similar problem involves calling employers in situations where the worker is going to be late or will not be able to make it in that day. In many of the foreign countries that the immigrants come from, a worker needs only come in late or the next day and explain what had …
View .PDF
The Broadway Market Management Corporation
Rachel Jones — Nov 16, 2008
Until very recently, the Broadway Market was run by the Broadway Market Management Corporation, under Executive Director, Richard Fronczak. James Malczewski, Helen Wylubski, Peter Cammarata, Otis Cowart, and Joseph Petruso were members of the board. Some of the members were appointed directly by the mayor. Other members included the city comptroller, the Fillmore District member of the council, the Erie County Legislator representing the area, tenants and the neighborhood …
View .PDF
The Buffalo Central Terminal and Economic Development
Karen Andolina-Scott — Nov 16, 2008
BCT was completed in 1929 by New York Central Railroad, shortly before the stock market crash leading to the Great Depression. Between 1929 and 1933 the railroads’ gross operating and net revenues fell; costs dramatically increased while passenger’s disposable incomes decreased. The railroads were responsible for their own maintenance and capital improvements, while the Federal Government was actively subsidizing auto, bus and air travel. In addition, taxes paid by …
View .PDF
Saving Buffalo's Untold Beauty
Nicolai Ouroussoff — Nov 14, 2008
One of the most cynical clichés in architecture is that poverty is good for preservation. The poor don’t bulldoze historic neighborhoods to make way for fancy new high-rises. That assumption came to mind when I stepped off a plane here recently. Buffalo is home to some of the greatest American architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with major architects like Henry Hobson Richardson, Frederick Law Olmsted, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright …
View Website
Catholic Church Closings
Karen Andolina-Scott — Nov 7, 2008
The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo was established on April 23, 1847. It serves the following counties in New York State: Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Allegany. The Diocese covers 6,455 square miles and has a Catholic population of 702,884. In June 2005, Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, the bishop of Buffalo, initiated a “parish-based strategic plan and spiritual revitalization initiative” called “Journey in Faith and …
View .PDF
Richardson Center Corporation
Gary Phillips — Nov 7, 2008
The mission of the RCC is to rehabilitate the Richardson Olmsted Complex, which is located in the City of Buffalo. Generally, the RCC ―envision[s] the rehabilitation of the National Historic Landmark H. H. Richardson Complex (the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane), comprised of the H. H. Richardson-designed buildings and Frederick Law Olmsted-designed grounds, to be the crowning jewel of a mixed-use, multi-purpose civic campus of public and private activities.‖ Additionally, the …
View .PDF
Historic Preservation
Rachel Jones — Nov 6, 2008
Historic preservation is the physical rehabilitation of historical buildings and neighborhoods. The United States began its campaign for preservation in the 1960s. Historic preservation has been a concern for the United States for a long time. In 1966, the federal government established the “National Historic Preservation Act”. The purpose of the act was to insure that the cultural and historical foundations of the country were preserved in the face of …
View .PDF
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System: Plan for the 21st Century
Changxing Ma, Pavan Yadav, Samina Raja Jan 1, 2008
The System Plan for the Buffalo Olmsted Park System is a blueprint for the future of this unique “cultural landscape”. The Buffalo Olmstead Parks Conservancy, charged with the management and operations of these parks since 2004, initiated an inclusive and comprehensive planning process with the goal of restoring the system and enhancing the parks and parkways in ways that respect their status as important neighborhood, regional, national, and international resources. The …
View Website
The Geography of Urban Poverty
Wende A. Mix — Jan 1, 2008
The Census Bureau reports poverty statistics annually based on American Community Survey (ACS) data. For the past two years this has included listing the ten places with the highest poverty rates and the ten with the lowest poverty rates. This study considers the interpretation of these statistics when different geographies form the analytical framework. As expected, interpretation of these statistics is influenced by the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) in geography.
View .PDF
Blueprint Buffalo
Joseph Schilling, Lisa Schamess, Jonathan Logan — Dec 31, 2007
Regional strategies and local tools for reclaiming vacant properties in the city and suburbs of Buffalo.
View Resource
Poverty and Buffalo: Beyond the Headlines
Wende A. Mix — Dec 31, 2007
On August 28, 2007 the U.S. Census Bureau released statistics on poverty and earnings in the United States. These statistics were based on results from the 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) which is an ongoing (continuous measurement) survey conducted by the Bureau. The Buffalo News published a front page story on August 30, 2007 with the following headline “Buffalo falls to second-poorest big city in U.S., with a poverty rate of nearly 30 percent”. The Census …
View .PDF
Niagara River Greenway Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (Part I)
Niagara River Greenway Commission — Apr 4, 2007
The Niagara River Greenway is a world-class corridor of places, parks and landscapes that celebrates and interprets our unique natural, cultural, recreational, scenic, and heritage resources and provides access to and connections between these important resources while giving rise to economic opportunities for the region.
View .PDF
Niagara River Greenway Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (Part II)
Niagara River Greenway Commission — Apr 4, 2007
The Niagara River Greenway is a world-class corridor of places, parks and landscapes that celebrates and interprets our unique natural, cultural, recreational, scenic, and heritage resources and provides access to and connections between these important resources while giving rise to economic opportunities for the region.
View .PDF
Niagara River Greenway Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (Part III)
Niagara River Greenway Commission — Apr 4, 2007
The Niagara River Greenway is a world-class corridor of places, parks and landscapes that celebrates and interprets our unique natural, cultural, recreational, scenic, and heritage resources and provides access to and connections between these important resources while giving rise to economic opportunities for the region.
View .PDF
Can Buffalo Ever Come Back?
Edward Glaeser — Jan 1, 2007
At the onset of the Great Depression, Buffalo had 573,000 inhabitants, making it the 13th-largest city in America. In the 75 years that followed, this once-mighty metropolis lost 55 percent of its population, a decline most dramatic in its blighted inner city but also apparent in its broader metropolitan area, one of the 20 most quickly deteriorating such regions in the nation. Twenty-seven percent of Buffalo’s residents are poor, more than twice the national average. …
View Website
Framework for Regional Growth
The League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara Oct 1, 2006
The absence of a region-wide vision for conservation, development, and public investment has become an increasingly central concern of the Region’s leaders. For the past two to three decades—the last regional plan was completed in 1974—local and regional actions have occurred without the benefit of reference to a larger policy or planning framework. Important decisions regarding the location and pace of development, investments in economic development, the …
View .PDF
The High Cost of Being Poor
Rod Watson, Jonathan Epstein, Brian Meyer — Jun 21, 2006
A FOUR-PART SERIES REPRINTED FROM JUNE 18-21, 2006. In November 2005, about half-a-dozen Buffalo News reporters and editors sat in a circle and began brainstorming story ideas. As part of a two-day training session conducted by the Committee of Concerned Journalists, the News staffers were looking for story ideas that would be worth an extended investment of time and resources. Jonathan Epstein, a News financial reporter who specializes in banking and insurance issues, suggested it might …
View .PDF
Losing Ground: Income and Poverty in Upstate New York, 1980-2000
Rolf Pendall, Susan Christopherson — Sep 1, 2004
Over the past several decades, Upstate New York has transitioned from a stable middle-income region to one with serious income and economic problems. In 1969, per capita personal income (PCPI) in Upstate exceeded that of the United States, but by 2000, it trailed the national average by 11 percent. These lagging incomes likely contribute to the substantial out-migration of mobile residents from the area—especially in the mid-1990s—which in turn is threatening economic …
View .PDF
From Theory to Practice: The Quest to Radically Reconstruct Buffalo's Inner City Neighborhoods
Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. — Jul 26, 2004
Project Name: The Inner City Transformation Project The Inner City Transformation Project (ICTP) was launched in 2001 to develop a model of community development that can be applied to the radical reconstruction of distressed neighborhoods in metropolitan Buffalo and similar size cities in the United States. The project is based on the assumption that distressed urban neighborhoods now represent the epicenter of racism and social class inequality in the United States and that the quest to …
View Resource
Black in Buffalo: A late-century progress report
Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. — Jul 26, 1996
In this essay commissioned by The Buffalo News, Henry Louis Taylor takes a look at the struggles of community building and neighborhood development within Buffalo’s East Side.
View Resource
Governance in Erie County: A Foundation for Understanding and Action
Kathryn Foster, David C. Perry, Alfred D. Price, John B. Sheffer, II, Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. — Jan 26, 1996
Project Name: The University at Buffalo Governance Project The University at Buffalo Governance Project was an interdisciplinary research effort to study governance issues in Erie County. The Governance Project was founded upon the premise that a vigorous region requires competent, informed decision making, especially in the public sector.