In 2005, the American Planning Association (APA)
awarded The Queen City Hub: A Regional Action Plan
for Downtown Buffalo the Outstanding Planning
Award for a Plan. APA is a nonprofit public interest
and research organization committed to urban,
suburban, regional and rural planning. The award is
the
highest honor a plan can receive from this
prestigious
association of professional planners.
The winning of the “Outstanding Planning Award” by
the Queen City Hub is just the latest in a string of
positive developments occurring in Downtown
Buffalo. New residential development has been
completed or is continuing at The Belesario, The
Sidway Apartments, Ellicott Lofts, IS Lofts, Granite
Works,
The Lofts at Elk
Terminal, Holling Place
Apartments and the Pierce Building. The upscale Washington Market has opened and new construction projects are underway or have been announced with the expansion of Erie Community College and the $100 million headquarters for HealthNow New York. Public concerts and events continue to draw huge crowds and national attention, including the ever popular Thursday at the Square Concert Series and Taste of Buffalo. Work is progressing on the Erie Canal Harbor Project. During this decade Downtown will enjoy $1 Billion in new investment, with $400 million already completed or under construction. We look forward to helping to spur more positive development in 2007 and working together with all of our partners to produce a more vibrant, prosperous and vital Downtown Buffalo.
The action plan provides discrete recommendations within nine topic areas. These nine areas are organized into activities and the principles that guide those activities. The activities for Downtown are living, working, shopping, and visiting. The principles that will guide the activities are access, urban design and management, preservation, energy and green design and image. Support for The Queen City Hub implementation has come from the private sector, state and local government and the academic community. This important and innovative plan will guide Downtown for many years to come. The Board of Directors and staff of Buffalo Place Inc. would like to take this opportunity to thank and recognize our partners the City of Buffalo and the Urban Design Project of the University at Buffalo for their hard work and commitment to Downtown Buffalo. To download a version of the Queen City Hub Plan, click here for Volume One and click here for Volume Two. For a Queen City Hub Summary click here for Poster1 and click here for Poster 2.
What’s in a Plan? A Plan is more than just ideas and words. It’s a course of action, based on quantifiable research, that is the crucial first step in spurring development and creating long term, substantial growth. Without a plan, there can be no coordinated development. The Queen City Hub Plan was a collaborative effort and included the input and participation of dozens of public and private sector constituents in our Implementation Council and literally thousands of citizens and stakeholders in plan development and review. With the publicity and recognition that follow the awarding of the industry’s leading planning award, the dream for a new Buffalo is one step closer to becoming a reality.
