Published May 23, 2022
The School of Architecture and Planning grieves with the community after the abhorrent anti-Black racist shooting in Buffalo on May 14. We will continue to come together in support of those most affected by the tragedy - the families of the victims, the community members who live in the surrounding neighborhood and all those traumatized by this racist act of hate.
The event has underscored a new rise in violent culture of white supremacy in our nation that threatens the safety and health of Black citizens and our communities overall. It has also placed a national spotlight on the history of place-based racism that has created conditions of segregation, exclusion and disinvestment across East Buffalo - the very conditions that the shooter targeted in his act of hate.
In addition to directly working with community members to provide support in the aftermath of the shooting, several faculty members of the School of Architecture and Planning have been called upon by national media to shed light on existing conditions across East Buffalo and inform wider debate about enduring systemic racism in our urban context.
UB's Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab has released an East Buffalo Food and Health Equity dashboard to help shed light on conditions in East Buffalo. The portal contains information on Black health, Black-led organizations working to fight food apartheid, and general data on Black neighborhoods
A 2021 Center for Urban Studies report on inequality in Buffalo over the past three decades is receiving renewed attention following the May 14 mass shooting. The study focuses on conditions impacting Black residents, and explains how discriminatory policymaking fueled decades of underdevelopment in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Faculty at the School of Architecture and Planning have weighed in on issues of racial justice related to urban development and patterns of racial segregation, housing, and food justice. Meet our faculty experts
View UB's response to the mass shooting, including coverage, statements from leadership, and resources and opportunities to support the community.
The School of Architecture and Planning continues to push forward on its work with community members to advance equitable development and investment on Buffalo's East Side: