Download CNU's Report: An Urban Alternative for the Outer Harbor

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has taken a major step in realizing his vision for the City of Buffalo, New York’s largely vacant Outer Harbor waterfront by transferring more than 400 acres of vacant waterfront land bordering Lake Erie on Buffalo’s Western shore to the State. In his Fall 2013 announcement, Governor Cuomo stated: “Buffalo is a beautiful lakefront city and the community deserves a world-class waterfront.”

Today, the future of the land is yet unplanned. The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is leading an exciting debate about the future of the site and, more broadly, Buffalo’s connection to Lake Erie. Thus far, much of the debate has focused on how much or how little development should be allowed on the Outer Harbor and whether the land should maintained as a large public park. Rather than advocating for a specific cause, CNU purposes a different perspective that has not been a part of the public dialogue: how the Outer Harbor’s future might look if its redevelopment was guided by the principles of New Urbanism.

This report - Buffalo, a City on the Waterfront: An Urban Alternative for the Outer Harbor - details an urban vision for the Outer Harbor, which foresees a transformed district that past generations have abandoned but that future generations will seek. Key new urbanists contributed to the vision which was led by CNU co-founder Stefanos Polyzoides or Moule & Polyzoides. The team consulted with local experts on how best to maintain public access to Lake Erie, balance greenspace with development, and create connectivity between the Outer Harbor and downtown. 

The illustrations, maps, and images of this report are the result of a work session CNU held in May 2014 and was later proposed at the 22nd annual Congress for the New Urbanism in Buffalo, New York on June 5, 2014. This report details an alternative urban vision for the Outer Harbor. It aims to spur debate on how development of this land could better connect the residents of Buffalo to their waterfront. CNU envisions: 

• 112 acres of greenspace;
• Approximately 5,000 dwelling units, 3.5 million square feet of office space, and 5 million square feet of commercial space, including retail, entertainment, and live-work units, preserving almost 3,000 acres of greenspace in the region;
• Maintaining the Times Beach Nature Preserve;
• Converting Route 5 on the Outer Harbor to a local boulevard
• Several new bridge crossings over the Buffalo River and Ship Canal to increase overall connectivity between Buffalo’s downtown and Lake Erie waterfront;
• Better transit, bicycle, and pedestrian connections;
• An interconnected street grid for good vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian access within the Outer Harbor;
• A diverse real estate market to respond to changing preferences and demographics.