3.3 Native Flora & Fauna

3.4 DEMOGRAPHICS OF SITE & SURROUNDING AREA

A. DEMOGRAPHICS

Census data can provide insight into the demographics and economic makeup of an area. Using Social Explorer and U.S. Census Bureau data, we gathered key demographic information for the census tracts that surround the Starin Nature Preserve in the University Heights district of North Buffalo. The site is contained within tract 45 of Erie County, NY and is bordered by tracts 80.02 and 80.03 to the north; tracts 46.01 and 47 to the east; and tracts 51 and 48 to the west. For consistency, all data was collected using the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates as the most recently available census data. Although the data is recent, there have also been major economic shifts due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Survey data provides a solid foundation on which to better understand a community through quantitative research, but it may not accurately depict the truest or most current representation of community values and demographics. Therefore, it is imperative that we actively and directly engage with the community to account for shifts in socio-economic status not represented by this data, and to reflect the principles of inclusive planning.

B. RACE/ ETHNICITY

The site is predominantly White and Black, with a small percentage of Asian, American Indian, Pacific Islander and other races. According to the U.S. Census Data, 87% of residents in tract 80.03 are White, while other races such as Asian, African American, and Native Hawaiian only collectively comprise 13% of the tract. 99% of the population in tract 80.02 are White residents.11 Almost all the data collected shows that the White population around the study area is significantly higher than all other races, excluding tract 47. That is because Tract 47 is located east of Main Street, which is where 85% of Black Buffalonians live. This is due to Buffalo’s history in housing segregation that still persists today.12 FIGURE 2. Race By Census Tract

11 Race, Census Tract 45, Erie, NY. ACS 2019 (5-Year Estimates). Social Explorer. (2019). https://www.socialexplorer.com/ a9676d974c/view. 12 A City Divided, A Brief History of Segregation in Buffalo. A. Blatto. (2018). https://ppgbuffalo.org/files/documents/data-demographics-history/a_city_divided__a_brief_history_of_segregation_in_the_city_of_buffalo.pdf.