Author: LM
Check out this great article from “The American Conservative”, with arguments to support high quality civic projects to beautify urban areas, street cars and light rail, building codes and new urbanism.
Why is this article important? The case needs to be made to all politicians and government leaders that we want (and need) anti-sprawl policies, metropolitan policies that facilitate cooperation/consolidation, light rail extensions and street trolleys, and civic projects that benefit the region such as high speed rail (see Elon Musk’s “Hyperloop” concept) and Central Terminal redevelopment.
The article explores the benefits of New Urbanism that shows us why it’s so important to garner support for our cultural institutions like the Albright Knox expansion, while restoring our urban street grid and remembering the city’s tragic losses such as Shelton Square.
Whether we are creating presidential libraries, rebuilding a signature historical ship for our downtown harbor, a new convention/conference center, or rebuilding Calvert Vaux buildings in the Olmsted Parks… or even building 1901 Pan Am Statues and Fountains to beautify our public areas, we must remember that the seeds of New Urbanism are strong, and Buffalo can benefit from moving in the most common sensical directions.
We must get back to our roots… to the ideals that made us strong in the first place.