Buffalo: A green Archipelago?
Published January 26, 2023
In Spring 2021, students within the Master of Architecture program’s Urban Design studio worked with Master of Urban Planning (MUP) and dual-degree students in direct correspondence with People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH), a Buffalo nonprofit organization. The students within this studio worked closely with PUSH to develop a neighborhood development plan as a response to their Green Development Zone (GDZ).
This neighborhood plan would be used by PUSH to receive grant funding for further investment in the communities of Buffalo’s West Side. The students worked directly with PUSH representatives, including monthly meetings with community members, to track and gauge their progress.
Students worked in groups throughout each phase of the studio. Within the first phase, students formed small charrettes to develop ideas for the PUSH neighborhood development plans. Teams worked to document existing conditions of PUSH’s GDZ and gathered information to create maps, digital underlays, property conditions, and commercial corridor assessments. The studio’s MUP students organized a zine about PUSH and the GDZ, as well as a self-guided tour of the GDZ.
The second phase of the studio allowed teams to work on topics specific to either the neighborhood plan or prob - lem-solving for existing conditions discovered in phase one. Planning students gathered information on residents’ lived experiences in the area and used technologies to understand the data of the existing neighborhood. The students also discussed ideas with stakeholders and potential partnering organizations, and consistently revisited the aspirations and values of both PUSH and community members. Architecture students within the second phase of work continued brainstorming ideas to pursue within the GDZ. Students refined initial proposals by using testing methods and running them by PUSH and community members to better fit their needs
Throughout the semester, students frequently met with and collaborated in different teams. Since the students were all working towards similar goals, the seven teams were eager to share ideas with one another. If one group could not fit a concept into their proposal, they worked with another team to find a solution to incorporate the idea elsewhere. MUP students also helped to organize the studio. Since these students were organizing the greater neighborhood development plan, they oversaw the coordination of the teams and asked for specific representational work. The work will continue to be used by PUSH Buffalo to spur investment in the communities of Buffalo’s West side.
"This studio was an inspiration as to what UB can do for its students, school, and for communities in the area." -A.Z.
Students
Richa Lukra, Mira Shami, Liya Rachal Chandy, Sneha Arikapudi (Pocket Park), Thaina Guinzani, Isha Bubna (West Side Market), Leah Carpenter, Rene Franqui, Joseph Galasso, Gwyneth Harris, Zoe Nye, Forrest Rall, Jaidon Ramirez Zeno, Debbie Urban, Aishwarya Vyawahare, Christopher Welch, Adara Zullo
Faculty
Nicholas Rajkovich
Term
ARC 606, URP 581, URP 582, Urban Design, Fall 2021
Program
MArch, MUP