END 350 ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN WORKSHOP 1 UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO SECTION 2 FA 2019 VOLUME 2

Felicia Fortunato Final Portfolio

END 350 Environmental Design Workshop I: Methods of Design Inquiry Course #25187, Section 2

State University of New York at Buffalo Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Professor Jonathan Bleuer Teaching Assistant Andrew Schaefer

Fall 2019

Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction Section 2 Research in Planning Assignment Section 3 Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Assignment Section 4 A - Data Analysis Report B - Data Analysis Visuals Section 5 A - Data Collection B - Memorandum and Visuals C - PowerPoint Section 6 A - Case Study B - PowerPoint C - Script D - Handout

Section 1: Introduction Learning Outcomes This portfolio contains my semester’s length work for Environmental Design Workshop 1: Methods of Design Inquiry, Section 2. Each component represents the final product of what I learned and skills I developed, as each assignment was issued every few weeks, in consecutive order. This studio workshop taught me how to integrate research inquiry, information analysis, and environmental design, in a coherent, organized manner. Methods for gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating qualitative and quantitative information regarding the contemporary physical and urban environment were identified. Learning more about how to use our data, which included U.S. Census materials, state and regional agency databases, community master plans, historical archives, and online reports and surveys, involved lectures, discussions, and fieldwork. Enhancing communications skills was a big factor in how we present data or how to connect it together, coherently. The skills enhanced through this included: quantitative analysis, original field data collection, writing, report organization, presentation, and portfolio development.

Format Skills The format of this class was well-organized, and enough time was given for each project, with plenty of time for feedback and editing. I have learned several ways to produce a highquality annotated bibliography, a literature summary, Excel workbooks, smart analysis, tables, and graphs, written syntheses, and interpretations of information and an engaging, well-timed, spoken presentation accompanied with a well-formatted, substantive and audience friendly PowerPoint. Professional skills of collaboration and communication were enhanced as they were crucial to the practice of planning and designing.

Keys The key to this course was to always be punctual, not only in the sense of being on time to class, but pacing each assignment out in order to give enough time to the research and care of the presentation of the final products. Communication is the second key to enhancing skills in the course, as discussions with teachers and classmates helped to develop a clear understanding of what needed to be done for each assignment. Listening, reading, and paying attention to how each assignment was instructed to be conducted was also a major factor in getting every factor of information and progressing optimal learning experiences.

Presentation Styles The feedback for our work helped me immensely in shaping how I wanted the audience to perceive my work, and making my data legible and clear. For example, section 5 and section 6 had different ways of communicating information in the PowerPoint slides, mainly differing in who the audience was, and how the data was laid out for analysis. Section 5 was a PowerPoint that we did not present, and just handed in a hardcopy. The visuals had to connect with the limited text, to avoid clutter, but also express to the audience what the data and observations meant. Through color, shapes pertaining to the road type, and the main, laid out, minimal points, the work was conveyed. Section 6 was a PowerPoint that was actually orally presented to an audience of teachers, classmates, and guests who had a background in the field of Planning. The difference this PowerPoint displayed was a focus on simplistic visuals, along with a well-crafted script, because words having power and meaning was the main expression, and too many words or visuals on screen would have distracted from this articulate form of expression and communication.

Self-Criticism I have constructively challenged and criticized issues brought forth during the semester.

Data presented could be incorrect assumptions as correlation is not causation, and I enhanced my skills of putting pieces of data together that made coherent sense, but without wild assumptions.

The order and organization of final products was also changed from the original instructions if it made sense with my projects and flow of the assignment. I will definitely transfer these skills and experiences to my planning career and other classes. I have always been self-critical, and constantly and consistently challenged and improved my work. I have always found that I am responsible for my intellectual development, myself, and am capable of taking criticism and combining it into a stronger product. I feel confident to perform at the next level, and am excited for what is to come. I have consistently demonstrated and enhanced strong skills of preparedness, research, thought, and product. I have managed my time to always be prepared, acted, professional, and engaged with the course to gain knowledge. Consistently gathering information, and working with critique and changes have helped enlighten my topic with pertinent information. I generate ideas, concepts, and positions at a level beyond the collegiate level in a articulate manner. I edit and deliver a complete product, without technical flaws or error, and have worked to fix mistakes or visually unappealing demonstrations.

Reflection Environment is a spectrum of factors and topics that can be collaborated by data and research to put many aspects together in order to build an argument. The knowledge and skills I have gained in this course will be used through the rest of my life in my classes and career to make the planning world a more environmentally-friendly and well-thought out place.

Section 2: Research in Planning Assignment The objective in this assignment was to practice the process of generating ideas, where we picked 2 topics to write about with 3 sources each, and then we were assigned our final topics, mine was one I had written about, and was the stronger of the two topics.

This practice exercise helped set a precedent for out next Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography assignment. Our skills were enhanced on research, developing a list of sources, annotating sources, and writing summaries, within the context of the topics. Using the American Psychological Association (APA) style, feedback and how we write could be evaluated and tips given to help us strengthen our skills.

Felicia Fortunato 8/30/19 Assignment 1: Research in Planning END 350 – Professor Jonathan Bleuer

Topic 1-Designing a Walkable City A current urban planning issue is designing a city to be more walkable and pedestrian friendly. Designing or re-designing a city to work on a more human scale, rather than being based on car culture is a desirable solution to this issue. Maximizing land use potential for more sidewalks, bike lanes, and safe places to cross streets, as well as providing maintenance and repair for damages are all key starting points of this topic. Several people have studied and documented their research on what they think is the best way to design walkable cities, or help urban planners narrow their options for the best result.

One urban design consultant who has extensively researched and voiced his findings is Jan Gahl. In his film with Andreas Dalsgaard, Jan emphasizes that the most important scale of all is the “people scale.” Encouraging or inviting people to walk and bike by building infrastructures that allow them to do so is one of the main ideas to his work, without changing the people fees.

Obesity levels go down, more people stay in the city for activities and visit more shops and businesses after work, helping the health of the city physically and economically.

According to Randall Crane, the study of street patterns and access to goods is just as important as researching behavioral demand analysis. Linking streets in a pattern to make trips shorter seems logical, until you add the analysis of why people walk or take their cars and their mindsets. Shorter trips can mean more car travel, because people may shop more frequently if they don’t have to plan a long trip for shopping once a week, and thus become careless with their miles. People who want to walk or bike usually seek houses where they can do so, and walking in a city can become disconnected as only certain areas demand it.

Research has also been conducted on how fast and far the average person can walk, bike, jog, bike at a normal pace, and travel on public transit. In Edwards Handbook, he suggests a base

design assumption for urban planners as 4 ft/s. This can help planners to scale cities to be more walkable and dense.

If I was to do research to help the urban planning issue of designing a more walkable I would measure streets, directly observe the people in the area, and compile information like census data and map distances.

Bibliography

Crane, Randall. "Travel By Design?" Access Magazine, Spring 1998, pp. 2-7, www.accessmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/07/access12-01-travel-bydesign.pdf.

Dalsgaard, Andreas M., et al. The Human Scale : in 5 Chapters / Final Cut for Real Presents ; a Film by Andreas M. Dalsgaard ; Produced by Final Cut for Real Aps Written and Directed by Andreas M. Dalsgaard ; Producer, Signe Byrge Sørensen. Widescreen., KimStim, 2014.

Stafford, D. “Engineering -- Transportation Planning Handbook Edited by John D. Edwards.” Choice, vol. 30, no. 4, American Library Association dba CHOICE, 1 Dec. 1992, p. 651, http://search.proquest.com/docview/225944042/.

Felicia Fortunato 8/30/19 Assignment 1: Research in Planning END 350 – Professor Jonathan Bleuer

Topic 2-Congestion Urban planning has a current issue in traffic congestion, which is due to a number of factors such as: population growth, more highways and roads for cars to travel on, the density of cities, how far they have sprawled out, and jobs and housing being separated too far from each other. Designing for less traffic congestion is very difficult due to all the contributors to the problem, but many people and urban planners have done research and have expressed their thoughts on how to tackle the issue of congestion.

Debra A. Miller believes that we can build our way out of traffic congestion by using the math of the ratio of population growth and how much sprawl has occurred in square feet. As long as the ratio is balanced, a little growth is alright, but if the proportion becomes too high, then land use of sidewalks, where to put greenery, and traffic becomes too irregular, and inefficiently slow. Planning a balanced city with places to walk, places for plants, and places for traffic in relation to the population growth would be the smarter planning choice.

Brian D. Taylor recognizes the importance of balancing the car and pedestrian infrastructure, and balancing density with land use. He suggests that the best way to reduce traffic congestion is by making driving cars unattractive, with slow, uncertain, and expensive traffic calming strategies, which, in turn, makes walking and biking the better option.

Tom Vanderbilt has done extensive research on congestion, how behaviors change, and how humans think in driving situations. The Braess Paradox explains how building new roads causes more traffic and congestion. He also explains The Nash Equilibrium as the result of the paradox by saying no one can make traffic go faster by only focusing on trying to get home the fastest on your own. Everyone would have to distribute themselves along adjacent routes equally, and in the sense that everyone is looking out for everyone else, they all can get home faster than ever before.

The research methods that I would use to analyze the urban planning issue of traffic congestion would be observation, street light data, timing and observing when cars frequent a road and how slow traffic gets, and comparing it to census data and sidewalk use in the area.

Bibliography

Miller, Debra A., editor. Urban Sprawl. NewHaven Press, 2008.

Taylor, Brian D. "Rethinking Traffic Congestion." Access, Fall 2002, pp. 8-16, www.accessmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/07/access21-02-rethinkingtraffic-congestion.pdf.

Tom Vanderbilt: The Counterintuitive Science of Traffic. Performance by Tom Vanderbilt, 2013.

Youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA4WaNLR2gU.

Section 3: Annotated Bibliography & Literature Review The objective in this assignment was to demonstrate a mastery in searching for, locating, summarizing, and synthesizing high-quality sources pertaining to an urban planning topic. My topic, Traffic Congestion, was researched and organized into what was known, contested, and not known sections. The sources were found using University at Buffalo databases, and the vast majority are peer-reviewed journals or sources. The assignment was to find 20 sources and then cut the 4 weakest ones, to enhance the overall thrust of work.

The subtopics were formed through the answering of who, what, when, where questions.

Why the topic is important to planning and design was also explored. How old or new the literature was also important as to the specific time period and how it connected to planning at the time. Using Microsoft Word and Endnote, referencing organization and development skills were enhanced. A practice exercise was used to help start the process of generating ideas, where we picked 2 topics to write about with 3 sources, and then we were assigned our final topics, mine was one I had written about, and was the stronger of the two topics.

How my research method organized the document, connected my topic to adjacent correlating problems, future changes, and disproportionate financial factors. pollution, and solutions such as roundabouts to lessen accident rates.

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Felicia Fortunato 9/16/19 Assignment 2: Final Literature Review & Annotated Bibliography END 350 – Professor Jonathan Bleuer

Traffic Congestion Traffic congestion research has become a persistently relevant topic among urban planners, designers, government officials, and drivers; mostly concentrated in or around major cities since the mid-20th century. Cheap and mass-produced transportation such as cars and the growing number of roads and highway system have made urban sprawl apparent, and force more people to drive to their destinations because designs are for cars, not people. The research gathered in this document is all current, written and compiled in the 21st century. The broad topic of traffic congestion will be discussed, and then subtopics such as environmental impact, fees, road design, job and business access, and suggested solutions will be introduced. The broadly known, contested, specifically known, and unknown research and methods about the traffic congestion topic will be presented and examined below.

KNOWN-Agreed Upon Broadly Overall, the opportunities are great and abundant to solve the problems associated with traffic congestion if everyone invests in a better future. Funding sources and fees associated with public infrastructure make performance and safety better, but a larger financial burden is given to the poor and lower middle class, as consequence. It is also widely agreed that the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions due to prolonged commutes and more cars would need to be reduced by 60-80% if atmospheric concentrations in the atmosphere are going to stabilize by midcentury (TRB 2013). Pollution, noise pollution, and residential areas being congested by the need for roads, leave the residents left to be victims of the negative impacts (Fernandes 2019).

The disproportionate financial factors are a big part of problem of traffic congestion, as Americans generally spend more money on transportation than on housing. The freeway systems gave an opportunity for suburban life to be possible, (especially after World War II) thus leading more people to move out of the central city and commute to work, or develop more work in the

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suburbs. Mass production of cars, cheap energy, and the infrastructure of roads was a difficult combination all at once for planners and consumers (Muller 2004).

CONTESTED-Disputed Research Some planners view traffic congestion as a symbol of economically inclining cities, and not a cause of urban decline. They think the benefits of access to business and things that are good for economic city life outweigh congestion concerns. Nevertheless, Taylor states that congestion impacts need to be weighed and balanced with access benefits and delays to businesses (Taylor 2002). Driving speed and employment opportunities were found to have a correlation of being positive when low speeds are around them, and negative when high speeds are implemented along certain roads. Specific neighborhoods do benefit from delays and traffic slowdowns as more people pull over during those times and go into shops. Location has been proven to be key, but new developments are often discouraged in highly congested areas as fear on residents and commuters not being able to keep the economy flowing efficiently are contested (Thomas 2018).

Fees and tolls are the most controversial issue on the topic of traffic congestion, as where the money is coming from, and from who are big issues of debate among road and highway users. One side suggests that collecting a toll electronically that does not make traffic stop or slow down, by recording a license plate and billing the tolls to the addresses associated with the license, is the best way to conduct financial stabilization without congestion and without billing people who do not use the roads, because roads are still necessary for city economic movement (Blyth 2014). Free-market and laissez-faire economic liberalism clashed in the academic press in the 1950s on the big issues of traffic congestion and CO2 emissions. Ethically and economically driven ideas between the issues have been at odds, and the market for toll roads is the only way to sell driving on roads for financial gain. But the way infrastructure has developed, it puts the poor at a disadvantage as they cannot access jobs and food the way others with money can (Vanoutrive 2017).

Another controversial issue in traffic congestion is bottlenecking; the narrow section of a road, which deters traffic flow. Commerce emerges by money and people interacting in the meantime, but endless time spent in running, polluting cars backed up in congestion is the negative side. On the positive side, the research of observation by G. Pfeil suggests that

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commerce needs to be taken as a priority and traffic congestion should be encouraged through bottlenecking (Pfeil 2019). Bottlenecks are seen in a more positive light when you consider the ice, rain, snow, fog that increase the likeness of traffic accidents and other catastrophic events.

The narrow paths of escape or evacuation and how many people can fit through and how fast are crucial to saving lives. Research suggests that bottlenecking is a positive aspect, as long as routes are diverted equally, passing as much traffic as possible quickly and safely (Qu 2019).

SPECIFICALLY KNOWN-Subtopics and Examples of Solutions A known element to traffic congestion research that has been agreed upon by planners is that building more roads leads to more traffic. This attracts more travelers, and ironically causes more traffic and congestion. People who travel during peak hours of road use congregate in large numbers in the places they want to be the most. People congregate in these areas to get to jobs and businesses, and most live in low density housing settlements, thus establishing a need to travel all in one direction to a city center, daily (Downs 2004). In addition to the previous “if you build it they will come� concept, there are two mathematical premises that prove the nature of this idea. First, the Braess paradox describes the behavior of humans by two hypothetical roads: one takes a half hour to get through to the next city (unless it is crowded, then it takes an hour), and the other road that always takes an hour. Most people want to take a chance and get to their destinations sooner, but by doing so leads to the next premise: The Nash Equilibrium. This equilibrium explains that if everyone does what is best for everyone, and divides equally between the two roads everyone will get home sooner, but that is why the temptation of chance leads to more traffic congestion, even worse than before (Vanderbilt 2010).

A solution to traffic congestion is roundabouts rather than 4 way stops or corners.

Roundabouts have been proven to decrease car accidents, improve the flow of traffic, and smoothly allow traffic to access many directions without stopping and waiting for a long time.

Compared with two way stops, serious injuries or death are reduced by 82%, and a reduction of 78% compared with traffic light car accidents. Traffic engineers say that this is the best and simplest way to improve congestion and accidents caused by it. Americans typically are confused by roundabouts, but as driver training programs implement them into their curriculum, more people can be aware and have knowledge of how to use them safely (Taub 2015).

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Another solution would be to plan more infrastructure that encourages walking or biking, rather than driving. Urban economic development, energy consumption, environmental pollution, which are caused by traffic demand development, are the main factors that affect the sustainable development. The mathematical proportions found in the percentages in research found that a priority should be taken for planning public transport, individual bicycle traffic and the infrastructures that come with these to work with existing infrastructure (Lu 2018). Heat and physical congested patterns can be evaluated more easily now with recent technology to develop heat maps of traffic speeds to show visually where congestion and traffic slow down and speed up occur. This research can be specific to any city and help with their specific problems in the future (Nguyen 2019).

Transfer of development rights are implemented in some states in order to be more flexible with land use and parking lot minimum requirements. Urban sprawl is evident by the population and developed land growth (agriculture to urban or suburban use) expanded more than 71%, measured to be 1.8253 million acres to 3.1228 million acres in Virginia. Other localities of 52% said they have no intention of using transfer of development rights in the future, which expresses the severity of the issue and how sprawl and traffic congestion connect because of laws and ordinances (Shriar 2018).

UNKNOWN-Future Predictions and More Research Needed Emphasis on biking, walking, shared mobility, healthy lifestyles and alternates to more roads and more traffic congestion are the most prevalent solutions that planners try to implement at the present time. What transportation people use largely depends on income, and the cheapest and fastest route. Creating change without segregating any group would be the ideal future for planners on this issue (Gรถssling 2018).

Predicting CO2 emissions and specifically tailpipe emissions that record fuel-combustion in cars and other gasoline-run transportation is key for leaders to try to reduce the emissions and keep up with those goals. A few algorithms and variables that are being left out of the current equations of predicting emissions are presented for local governments to use and compare data (Grote 2016).

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More research is needed in predicting traffic before solving congestion issues, especially when erratic traffic occurs. Problems in predictability can stem from holiday traffic congestion being unpredictable, random and scattered, while seasonal traffic follows peak times and schedules fairly accurately to predict what will happen next year (Zhao 2019).

The research of the future of traffic congestion in relation to job opportunities and access suggests that closer proximity to accessible areas will only get closer and better, while distanced areas will only grow further if infrastructure methods remain the same. Traffic congestion will continue to get worse unless planning methods change on a major scale (Thomas 2018).

CONCLUSION Overall, funding, fees, and CO2 emissions are the biggest concerns for planners on the topic of traffic congestion; weaving many suggested solutions together is the best way to achieve reduced congestion. Contested issues are if traffic ingestion causes economic incline or decline, tolls and how they impact the poor, bottlenecking and if it is safer with less accidents or just causes more congestion. The specific research states that more roads lead to more traffic, roundabouts are a solution, more places to walk and bike around a city are a solution, and less encouraging policies of sprawl are key features to understanding and easing traffic congestion. In the future, more research is needed for CO2 emissions, predicting sporadic traffic, and traffic congestion will get consistently worse if nothing is done.

The research suggests that the complex network of problems involved in traffic congestion needs to be researched more extensively, and suggested solutions need to be implemented according to what each individual city needs. Generally, better data and research will make bringing these issues to the attention of higher government officials and traffic planners easier and clearer, in order to activate more efficient change. Human nature and government policies based on money are the root cause of traffic congestion, but can definitely be used to make positive change for cities instead if education and awareness is promoted about the topic of traffic congestion.

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Bibliography Blyth, K., & Southern, K. (2014). SANRAL’s e-toll. Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, 22(5). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aci&AN=99834416&site=ehostlive&scope=site The controversial toll on highways to relieve congestion is argued in this journal. The positives and negatives of electronic tolling are discussed and data is shown on both sides. How road networks have been effected is researched and displayed. Improvement of road networks is stressed throughout the article.

Downs, A. (2004). Why Traffic Congestion is Here to Stay....and Will Get Worse. ACCESS Magazine, 1(25). Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3sh9003x In this magazine article, the common theory that traffic congestion will worsen unless something changes is present. Many solutions are offered such as charging for parking, building new roads, not building new roads, and restricting movement of new development. Mobility has increased, and cities are build more spread out because people can travel farther. Overcrowding can be the issue and the solution to its own problem.

Fernandes, P., Vilaça, M., Macedo, E., Sampaio, C., Bahmankhah, B., Bandeira, J. M., Coelho, M. C. (2019). Integrating road traffic externalities through a sustainability indicator. Science of the Total Environment, 691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.124 In the article on traffic congestion the authors give broad summaries of problems in sustainable transportation. Traffic congestion and the problems that cause and stem from the topic are outlined. Financial cost analysis is also given for each problem and solution faced in different areas. The environmental impacts on traffic emissions are discussed according to road dimensions and population.

Gössling, S., Cohen, S., Higham, J., Peeters, P., & Eijgelaar, E. (2018). Desirable transport futures. Transportation Research: Part D, 61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2018.01.008

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The unknown future of traffic is predicted in this article, as it is unclear if transportation is headed in a progressive or non-progressive direction. Many data and research approaches along with solutions to traffic congestion are offered. Barriers that must be overcome are listed for future use. Unclear obstacles and finance are ahead for traffic calming planners and designers.

Grote, M., Williams, I., Preston, J., & Kemp, S. (2016). Including congestion effects in urban road traffic CO2 emissions modelling: Do Local Government Authorities have the right options? Transportation Research: Part D, 43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2015.12.010 The main focus and goal of this article is to provide the reader with enough information to lessen the CO2 emissions caused by traffic. Congestion makes emissions worse, and government policies cannot be passed fast enough. More research is required they stress, and emission models can show where the most damage is and where the focus needs to be for our leaders.

Laws and policies can reduce traffic congestion and the harm it causes.

Lu, S., & Liu, Y. c2698197xionggo@163. co. (2018). Evaluation system for the sustainable development of urban transportation and ecological environment based on SVM. Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-169376 The growth of traffic volume has led to many suggestions on how to improve congestion. Where to direct traffic and the ecological environment mix has been a controversial issue for some time.

This article suggests ways in which smart growth in urban sprawl is possible. Emission reduction in traffic is the biggest goal of the research.

Muller, P. O. (2004). Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis. New York City, NY: Guilford.

This book describes transportation and the urban form cause and effects. The ways permanent cities developed and how transportation evolved were big factors of how sprawl occurred.

Comparing many different city maps shows many mobility problems and highlights how they can change. Financially, people spend more money on transportation than on housing.

Nguyen, T. T., Krishnakumari, P., Calvert, S. C., Vu, H. L., & van Lint, H. (2019). Feature extraction and clustering analysis of highway congestion. Transportation Research: Part C, 100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2019.01.017

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Data regarding traffic patterns is evaluated in relation to traffic congestion. A generic approach to comparing different places and patterns helps to analyze the situation in regard to traffic. This data pattern breaks away from traditional gathering and allows for a more direct information comparison guide. Using a color guide and maps, the software allows more direct comparisons to be made and solutions to be found for planning and design.

Pfeil, G. E. (2019). Bottlenecks and Other Current Problems of Circulation. Current Anthropology, 60(2). https://doi.org/10.1086/702675 Traffic congestion and circulation is researched in a way that shines a negative light on bottlenecking methods of traffic control. This article argues that narrow spaces along heavy traffic flow that are otherwise wide in lane length and quantity ultimately slows progress down.

Research for both is provided, and information on the effects of narrowing streets as a mode of traffic calming are provided. The most recent data on speed and collision reports in bottlenecking is displayed here and other solutions to traffic as well.

Qu, Q., Chen, F., & Zhou, X. (2019). Road traffic bottleneck analysis for expressway for safety under disaster events using block chain machine learning. Safety Science, 118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.06.030 This article provides data on bottlenecking methods of traffic control for traffic congestion. This discussion is a contested issue that the authors are in favor of. Natural disaster panic control and evacuation examples are provided for how bottlenecking can be used correctly. Bottlenecks chain corridors are given as a solution to specific areas of highway congestion.

Shriar, A. J., & Akins, A. (2018). Transfer of development rights, growth management, and landscape conservation in Virginia. Local Environment, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2017.1382458 Urban sprawl is studied in Virginia and a heated debate over agricultural land is documented.

Automobile dependency has taken over and many roads are becoming congested. Protection of wildlife and agriculture legally is shown. The effect on the state is discussed as to compare to other states.

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Taub, E. A. (2015, July 30). As Americans Figure Out the Roundabout, It Spreads Across the U.S. The New York Times.

This newspaper article describes how crash rates have been reduced with the implementation of roundabouts in various places in the United States. Four way traffic stops with lights and stop signs cause many accidents because of drivers trying to get into a flow of traffic from a side street or turning. Taub discusses the history of roundabouts and how they are growing in popularity. Driver training programs have also added roundabouts to their curriculum.

Taylor, B. D. (2002, Fall). Rethinking Traffic Congestion. Access, (21).

This magazine article describes how expanding capacity always makes things worse for congestion. Reasons adding more roads or bigger roads are explained throughout. Offering a different perspective on how to view traffic problems helps to build new solutions. Traffic congestion solutions will be the result of many ideas together, not just a few.

Thomas, T., Mondschein, A., Osman, T., & Taylor, B. D. (2018). Not so fast? Examining neighborhood-level effects of traffic congestion on job access. Transportation Research Part A: Policy & Practice, 113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.04.015 Seeking to find how congestion effects the economy of cities, the article explores a subtopic of traffic congestion few have researched. The way congestion blocks certain businesses from being obtained and draws cars into other business districts is the main area of study. Jobs, income levels, and age groups in relation to travel hours and how business or finance is affected.

Housing regions and job/business areas are observed and analyzed in relation to how traffic congestion helps or hinders them.

TRB’s Critical Issues in Transportation: 2013 now available. (Public Information and Information Exchange)(Transportation Research Board)(Brief article). (2014). Public Roads, 77(6).

This news magazine article features the critical issues in transportation in recent years. In the past decade the environment, traffic, and traveling by water and air have been the central focus.

The data gathered in this article is very descriptive as to what the problems are exactly. They also offer solutions as to how to fix, discourage, and make better our systems of today.

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Vanderbilt, T. (2010). Traffic : why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us) / Tom Vanderbilt. (1st Vintage books ed.). New York: Vintage Books.

A collection of psychological notes and data about traffic and the theories that work and don’t in traffic calming. The main argument is that more roads lead to more traffic, and the congestion is even worse than before. Everyone acting for the greater good of everyone else will untimely leas to a faster commute time for everyone. Sharing the road, and how bottlenecking actually could be good for traffic is explained here.

Vanoutrive, T. (2017). Don’t think of them as roads. Think of them as road transport markets: Congestion pricing as a neoliberal political project. Progress in Planning, 117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progress.2016.04.001 Congestion pricing is a controversial issue in the planning and design world. This article explains how doing things such as charging people more for using the bus at peak hours is a debatable sub-topic of congestion. The authors are for congestion pricing and support their argument with observation data. Switching perspectives against the criticisms and the effects on Neo liberal thinking are explained.

Zhao, P., & Hu, H. (2019). Geographical patterns of traffic congestion in growing megacities: Big data analytics from Beijing. Cities, 92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.03.022 The journal discusses the geographical patterns of traffic congestion and common problems cities face. A long-term analysis of sustainability and data gathered in different locations is presented as evidence. Holiday congestion, where people are coming and going from, and peak periods of road use are recorded. Inner and outer city data is gathered and analyzed to show how traffic patterns conglomerate into traffic congestion.

Section 4: Data Analysis Visuals and Data Analysis Report Assignments 4-A The objective in these assignments was to create a demographic analysis of two cities in the United States. The first assignment set the stage on how to use people and places as background information when investigating urban planning issues.

The 1st assignment specified choosing a high growth city of the population growing 10% or more, and a no-growth city of 0% or a negative growth rate. This rate was calculated using the city population in 2010 (Census 2010) and the city population on 2017 (2013-2017 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates).

Critically comparing demographic and economic characteristics of the two chosen cities, and expressing the findings in a visual format was the objective before writing a report about the findings.

Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Microsoft word were utilized in order to organize and store information, until putting it all together, in a coherent format. Legibility was emphasized after a critique and pin-p, giving feedback before the written report.

4-B Following the Data Analysis assignment, utilizing tables, graphs, and charts into a written, narrative report around them was the next stage of the assignment. The narratives and visuals were interweaved from US Census Data and other sources for demographic and economic information. The most important facts of the findings from the raw data were emphasized and organized in a orderly way for the reader and viewer to examine. Subsections and subheadings were used where appropriate. There was not a page limit specified, as long as a concise, professional, and throughout report was formed. I created my own graphs and visuals for population, sex by age, race, educational attainment, unemployment rate, and transportation to work. An outline of my line of thinking is included, as well.

All visuals were properly cited and sourced, as our skills were enhanced in the sourcing of demographics. This is the most useful assignment of the semester, as I learned the most about excel, visuals, sourcing, and how to write about the connections perceived. I was careful and critical not to correlate information that did not conclusively cause or effect the other, and made suggestions made by thoughtful analysis as to why the data might suggest certain assumptions. I tried to be as objective and professional as possible, as to not confuse the readers.

Data Analysis: Austin, Texas Cleveland, Ohio

END 350 - Professor Jonathan Bleuer Felicia Fortunato

Population 2010 790,390

2017 916,906

Source: US Census Bureau 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates Source: US Census Bureau 2010 Demographic Profile

Population increases by 16% between 2010-2017 Math 100 * (916,906-790,390)/(790,390)=16.00678146231607

2010 396,815

2017 388,812

Source: US Census Bureau 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates Source: US Census Bureau 2010 Demographic Profile

Population decreases by -2% between 2010-2017 Math 100 * (388,812-396,815)/(396,815)=-.0201680884

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Age Range

Austin, Texas: Sex By Age 85 years and over 80 to 84 years 75 to 79 years 70 to 74 years 65 to 69 years 60 to 64 years 55 to 59 years 50 to 54 years 45 to 49 years 40 to 44 years 35 to 39 years 30 to 34 years 25 to 29 years 20 to 24 years 15 to 19 years 10 to 14 years 5 to 9 years Under 5 years 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000

0

20,000 40,000 60,000

Population Female Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Male By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Austin, Texas Sex by Age   Data                        

 

   

                 

                 

   

   

                  

   

   

                 

29,746 27,465 24,616 27,020 37,169 51,718 45,396 35,709 32,782 27,407 25,696 23,311 21,965 14,401 10,987 6,887 4,882 5,880

                 





Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates











Age Range

Cleveland, Ohio: Sex By Age 85 years and over 80 to 84 years 75 to 79 years 70 to 74 years 65 to 69 years 60 to 64 years 55 to 59 years 50 to 54 years 45 to 49 years 40 to 44 years 35 to 39 years 30 to 34 years 25 to 29 years 20 to 24 years 15 to 19 years 10 to 14 years 5 to 9 years Under 5 years 20,000 15,000 10,000

5,000

0

5,000

10,000 15,000 20,000

Population Male Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Female By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer







Cleveland, Ohio Sex by Age Data  

 

                   



  

       

 

 

                 

                 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

  13012 12208 11944 13065 15872 15204 12726 10985 10405 11685 13758 13268 11481 7705 4595 3554 2553 2407

                   

  12890 11977 11919 12780 16882 16223 13780 11269 11531 12032 13517 14711 11863 9231 7166 5383 4328 4903

                   

                    

Austin, Texas: Race Data

White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Some other race Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Cleveland, Ohio: Race Data

White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Some other race Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Austin, Texas Race Data       White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Some other race

      713,116 80,367 11,207 74,897 1,779 66,065

           

           

           

           

           

           

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

 Cleveland, Ohio Race Data       White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Some other race Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

      167,603 206,709 5,966 10,253 191 15,483

Austin, Texas: Education Levels

Education Levels

Graduate or professional degree Bachelor's degree Associate's degree Some college, no degree High school graduate (includes equivalency) 9th to 12th grade, no diploma

Less than 9th grade

0

50000 100000 150000 200000 250000

Population Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Cleveland, Ohio: Education Data

Education Levels

Graduate or professional degree Bachelor's degree Associate's degree Some college, no degree High school graduate (includes equivalency)

9th to 12th grade, no diploma

0

20000

40000

60000

80000 100000

Population Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Austin, Texas Education Data    



 Less than 9th grade 9th to 12th grade, no diploma High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree

 















 38,963 32,359 101,269

   

   

   

   

   

112,594 32,384 191,713 113,011

   

   

   

   

   





Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Cleveland, Ohio Education Data     

  Less than 9th grade 9th to 12th grade, no diploma High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree

   

 



 

  13,772 39,521 84,824

    

    

    

    

    

58,668 17,395 26,455 15,628

   

   

   

   

   

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Austin, Texas: Unemploment Rate

Percent of Population

7.0 6.0 5.0

4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Year Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov

Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Percent of Population

12.0

Cleveland,Ohio: Umemployment Rate

10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Year Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov

Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Austin, Texas Unemployment Data Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Observation Value Average 6.2 5.8 5.0 4.6 3.7 3.0 3.1 3.0

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov

Cleveland, Ohio Unemployment Data Year

Observation Value Average

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

10.8 9.7 8.7 8.8 7.8 6.6 7.1 7.3

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov

Austin, Texas: Transportation Data Worked at home

Transportation Method

Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means Bicycle Walked Public transportation (excluding taxicab) Carpooled Drove alone 0

200000

400000

600000

800000

Population Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Austin, Texas Transportation Data  

  

  

  



 

 

 

83.30% 73.80% 9.50%

 

       

   

       

       

       

       

   

   

Public transportation (excluding taxicab) Walked Bicycle Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means Worked at home

3.90%

       

2.30% 1.30% 1.30%

  

  

  

  

  

7.90%











Car, truck, or van Drove alone Carpooled

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Cleveland, Ohio: Transportation Data

Transportation Method

Worked at home Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means Bicycle Walked Public transportation (excluding taxicab) Carpooled Drove alone

0

100000

200000

300000

Population Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

By: Felicia Fortunato - END 350 Jonathan Bleuer

Cleveland, Ohio Transportation Data  

  

         

   

Car, truck, or van Drove alone Carpooled    

Public transportation (excluding taxicab) Walked Bicycle Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means Worked at home

80.30% 70.10% 10.20%    

10.10% 5.10% 0.60% 1.10% 2.70%

 

 

 

 

 

           

           

           

           

           

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Felicia Fortunato END 350-Jonathan Bleuer 9/30/19

OUTLINE 8 regular pages before formatting Intro- 1 page Conclusion ~1 page 1 page for each of 6 topics Population Initial observations: Austin TX 16% increase, Cleveland Ohio -2% decrease https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2019/04/19/study-cleveland-continues-toexperience-significant-neighborhood-economic-decline-little-measurable-growth https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-leads-nation-in-population-growth-for-8-consecutive-years Sex By Age Initial observations: older females slightly in Austin, male dominant in Cleveland overall, more retirement, more men die in car crashes because more truckers/drivers, less t cells, don’t go to the doctors as often, don’t read, companies want to attract more women, but still male dominated https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06-women-longer-men.html https://www.crainscleveland.com/small-business/business-future-female Race Initial observations: white flight in ohio? black majority, austin-white majority, initiative to rebuild downtown-find old notes Education Initial observations: Austin TX more educated completed more opportunity? quanity of collees and prices? https://www.statesman.com/news/20190722/report-austin-is-most-educated-city-in-texas-no-9-in-us https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/22/1836887/-Education-or-the-Lack-of-It-in-Cleveland-Ohio

Umemployment

Initial observations: both declining, good? or just moved to get jobs? Is it because of education attainment lead to more unemployment? https://patch.com/ohio/cleveland/unemployment-down-hiring-clevelands-economy-improving https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/austin-unemployment-rate-continues-drop

Transportation Initial observations: car alone-austin, cleveland-slightly more public transport and carpool biking and work at home austin https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/1995-12-22/530313/ https://www.tripsavvy.com/understnading-the-cleveland-rta-system-752958 dig deeper-planning documents, mayor bring back jobs and this is how business, bike comprehensive plan single fdriven cars to public transit – find a shift no population to apa style layout play with margins orientations columns home, arrow under formatting, styles, new style, high light text saved in there topic sentences change female to male in sex by age charts transit and unemployment in packet

Austin, Texas and Cleveland, Ohio: Interpretation of Census Data for Comparisons on City Development

Felicia Fortunato END 350: Professor Jonathan Bleuer University at Buffalo October 7th, 2019

Introduction Beginning of data Analysis The aim of this analysis is to investigate the cities of Austin, Texas and Cleveland, Ohio; interpreting census data, and obtaining further research that can explain why these American cities have developed the way they did. The reason for choosing these specific cities was that one demonstrates a high-growth city, while the other displays a no-growth or city in decline (between the years of 2010-2017). The areas of census data initially collected where population averages, characteristics of sex by age, race, education, unemployment, and transportation. Organizing the data into charts, tables, and graphs, the differences and percentages make potential connections, key differences, and special cases that stood out more clear to connect, and to see where further investigation was needed. The analysis attempts to explain how census data and development of the growth of these cities was effected, and how their histories have gotten them to the point where they are.

Overall Initial Findings The population growth for Austin was 16%, a high-growth rate over the period of 2010-2017, and the population decline or no-growth for Cleveland was -2% in the same period of time. The sex by age comparison shows that Austin has a slightly older female population overall, while Cleveland has a male-dominated city. Education and Race are the categories with the most drastic differences between the two cities. Cleveland has the majority of their population having a high-school level degree as their highest level of completed education, while Austin has most of its city population recorded to be at a Bachelor’s Degree or higher as their highest level of completed education.

Unemployment in both Cleveland and Austin is declining at about the same rate, and is the closest similarity between the cities in this regard. Austin and Cleveland both have the vast majority of their populations as single passengers in automobiles, but Cleveland surprisingly has slightly more people using public transportation, such as buses. What does this information tell us about the story of each city? More research and investigation put the missing pieces together as the research was conducted throughout this analysis.

Population Analysis of Increasing Population in Austin, Overall The 16% increase in population from 2010 to 2017 in Austin, Texas was 790,390 to 916,906 (Fig 1). Examining the data further, the vast majority of people moving to Austin are moving there from other Texas metropolises. The growing downtown skyline adds more businesses, condominiums, apartments, and suburban housing, attracting 100 more new city residents, on average, each day. Austin has led population growth nationally for 8 consecutive years (Cross, 2019).

Population increases by 16% between 2010-2017

Figure 1: Population Austin. Source: US Census Bureau 2010 Demographic Profile/ U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Analysis of Decreasing Population in Cleveland, Overall The -2% decrease in population from 2010 to 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio was 396,815 to 388,812 (Fig 2). Eastern Ohio poverty levels were studied by The American Neighborhood Change in the 21st Century, who provided a detailed analysis of neighborhood economic decline in the United States. Their main conclusions for the decline in population were due to displacement of low-income people, concentration of poverty, and abandonment (of housing). McGraw mentions the increasing percentage of the population living in poverty in Ohio, and discusses the common reason for this decline across the U.S. being “white flight.� This will be further discussed in the Race

section of this analysis, and the Transportation section because each is closely tied to the economic and social reasons for population and overall city economic decline.

Population decreases by -2% between 2010-2017

Figure 2: Population Cleveland. Source: US Census Bureau 2010 Demographic Profile/ U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Sex by Age Initial Observations between Age Groups and Sexes, within Austin and Cleveland Initially, looking at the US Census Bureau data, Austin has an overall male dominated population, except for senior citizens, whose female population is dominant (Fig 3).

Figure 3: Austin Sex By Age. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The initial observations for Cleveland are that they are largely female dominated, except for the population under 18 years old, then it is male dominated (Fig 4).

Figure 4: Cleveland Sex By Age. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Validation Data on Why the Trends in Sex by Age Differ The Subsequent analysis required more research and support to the theories of retirement, average life spans between sexes, and offices trying to attract more women to their firms.

The reasons more females are the majority for senior citizens in both Austin and Cleveland are a combination of longer life spans for women on average and retirement.

In Austin, more women move there in their old age to retire, alone because more retirement housing and socialization is available there. The Morbidity-Mortality Paradox states that women go to the doctor more to be treated, or in other words tend to be sicker, but have a longer life. Men are more prone to heart disease because of hormones and visceral fat, and more prone to car crash deaths because more male truck drivers are on the roads. Less women are dying from child birth through medical advances, contraceptives, and family planning. These are not conclusive facts on why women tend to live longer than men, but they are insights backed with data (Martin-

Khan 2019).

The logic behind the female dominated population in Cleveland is the encouragement of female business owners and careers to attract more women to their companies. According to a 2018 newspaper article about women business leaders in Cleveland running companies and trying to encourage other women, women created 24,500 new businesses in the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistics Area, with 72,100 women-owned companies, increasing the businesses in the area by 52%. More employment rose by 11% with 69,300 people employed, and sales increased from 52% to $10.6 billion (Stringer 2018).

Race Initial Observations between Race Percentages, within Austin and Cleveland

Figure 5: Austin Race. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Figure 6: Cleveland Race. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20132017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The most evident observation between the cities is that Austin’s population is mostly White (Fig 5), while Cleveland’s population is mostly Black or African-American (Fig 6). Location has to do with where people moved or settled, and “white flight,” mentioned in the Population section above, and how car culture has changed or settlement patterns is the predominant reason for this data.

Validation Data on Why Race Percentages Differ The city of Austin has been predominantly white due to intentional racial

segregation. The GI Bill was a contributing factor for white flight to the suburbs similar to Cleveland, but the practices happening afterwards to residents showcase the segregation of the races of White and Black. (Busch 2013). African Americans traveled into the city after white flight for the cheaper accommodations and industrial jobs, but redlining practices made segregation so eminent from higher rents to restrictive covenants (Xiong 2018).

Cleveland, Ohio was once America’s 5th largest city, but the common impact of car culture, sprawl, and white flight is in direct relation to what is showcased by the race data pie charts. After World War II, veterans received cheap housing and jobs in the suburbs, through the GI Bill, of 1944, and too many people sprawled outward too fast, taking business and economic stimulus with them, and leaving behind the poor in the central downtown area, who could not keep up the buildings or businesses, which became increasingly run down. The land was made accessible by The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, encouraging further and further development away from the central core of the city, because traveling was cheap and fast as long as they had a car and could get from home to work (Lincoln land Policy 2016). This is why the majority of the people who live in Cleveland, not the people who work there, are mostly Black or African American. The data reflects the common factors of many declining cities due to white flight across the United States of America.

Education Initial Observations between Completed Education Levels, within Austin and Cleveland The initial observations from the bar graphs on Census Data are that Austin has higher completed education levels as the majority of the population has a Bachelor’s Degree and many have a master’s degree (Fig 7), while the highest completed level of education in Cleveland is a high school degree (Fig 8).

Reasons for Highly Contrasting Education Levels The quality and quantity of opportunity and place to receive higher education is the main factor in the differences between Austin and Cleveland. “Austin is the most educated city in Texas, No. 9 in the U.S.” is the title of the article describing how Austin’s educational quality is high and their race gap low. Thus, this attracts other workers with the same degree levels attained (Ren 2019).

Figure 7: Austin Education. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Figure 8: Cleveland Education. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

“Education, or the Lack of It, in Cleveland, Ohio.” is the title of another article describing how industry and manufacturing is the main workforce makeup with half the state’s civilian workforce is employed in education and health care (24%), manufacturing (15%) and retail trade (11%). There is also a connection to race, as the Black and Hispanic families in Cleveland work the lower paying jobs or live in poverty more than the White population. The main problem is being born into poverty, failing

before earning a high school degree, and then their children do the same. This side of the population is stuck in an endless cycle, without education on nutrition or physical fitness, and skimping on education funding and extra help hurts the city, as a whole (Holzman 2019).

Unemployment Initial Observations between Completed Education Levels, within Austin and Cleveland The most obvious observation is that both Austin and Cleveland’s unemployment rates are declining (Fig 9 & 10). But is this a result of more people being hired, more job opportunities, or that the population without jobs just moved somewhere else to be employed?

Figure 9: Austin Unemployment. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov

Figure 10: Cleveland Unemployment. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov

Why Unemployment is Declining In Austin, Texas they are hiring at a very fast rate, with growing opportunities, daily. The business companies are the ones encouraging higher educational degrees and a variety of skills, which is the main employment sector, as opposed to agriculture or manual labor job opportunities (Cantu 2019).

Cleveland’s unemployment decline is simply that job losses are continuing, but are being positively outweighed by job hiring in other sectors. Many jobs are lost in education, health, trade transportation and utilities industries, but more hiring is occurring in the professional and business services sectors. Also, the majority of the metro area of Cleveland’s population is living in poverty and has been declining in numbers in the last few years, adding to the “decline” in unemployment (Mosby 2018).

Transportation Initial Observations about Transportation, within Austin and Cleveland Based on the US Census Bureau Data bar graphs, the main findings display that Austin has more single-passenger car drivers, and more of the population works from home (Fig 11), while Cleveland’s population uses slightly more public transportation and carpooling, but ultimately uses single-passenger cars (Fig 12).

Figure 11: Austin Transportation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Figure 12: Cleveland Transportation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Key Findings in Transportation Differences The urban planners in Austin constantly battle with trying to stop more highway development that leads to sprawl, and inner city traffic jams. They are trying to implement more light rail systems but the process is slow, because they fear angering

the powerful highway department. Trying to design more pedestrian and bike friendly paths and walkways is also trying to be implemented, but the process is slow, because neighborhoods are under pressure to expand highway lanes, and thus the focus currently is expanding public transit (England, 1995).

On the other hand, Cleveland’s battle resides in getting more people to use the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit System (RTA). These electric railways, buses, and trolleys, and park and rides all contribute to the increase of public transit use over Austin, but only slightly, because of America’s addiction to car culture (Mitchell 2019).

Conclusion Overall Summary In summary, the US Census Bureau Data reflects the social and economic factors of the deeper connections and reasons for the way the cities of Austin, Texas and Cleveland, Ohio developed. The growth of Austin and the decline of Cleveland can be shown through the combination of population, sex by age, race, education, unemployment, and transportation data. Each category is connected to the rest, as every issue is interconnected with the other categories and sub-categories.

Austin, Texas has a high-growth rate and fast development due to many factors.

Their population growth is explained through fast housing developments for people to live in when they move there, longer lifespans of women and retirement, segregation by race has presented sprawling development problems, education levels are high, attracting more people with higher degrees for jobs, hiring people on a fast rate, with more job openings and opportunities, but sprawl and inner-city traffic jams are a problem because of how development has occurred.

Cleveland, Ohio has a no-growth rate and declining development due to many factors. Their declining population is explained through abandonment of housing, poverty, low-income, “white flight,” too many people sprawling outward too fast, underfunded and poor education opportunities, unemployment is declining only because the encouragement of female business leaders in certain sectors dominates it, and not enough people using public transit, but single-passenger cars.

Deeper Connections Austin, Texas seems to be thriving in spite of its race and transportation problems, as education and employment increase its population and economic business flow. So, the population growth of people who can spend and make more money for the city is what makes it high-growth at such a fast rate. Combating sprawl will lessen innercity traffic jams and make the city grow even more, but car-dependency must be combated with public transit and walkable infrastructure in order for transportation issues to be combatted.

Cleveland, Ohio’s population decline seems to be combatted through new jobs with the encouragement of more female business leaders, thus having a more female dominated city. Race and education seem to be the main division of keeping Cleveland from becoming a thriving city once again. White flight, and poor quality or abundance of education and educational programs to help everyone graduate at least high school are the main factors of decline. In order to help Cleveland’s economic development, more educational priorities must be taken, and inner-city housing and jobs must be moved from the suburbs, and back to the inner city.

Bibliography Cantu, T. (2019, June 21). Austin Unemployment Rate Continues To Drop. Retrieved from https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/austin-unemployment-ratecontinues-drop Cross, B. (2019, April 18). Austin leads nation in population growth for 8 consecutive years. Retrieved from Cbsaustin.com website: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-leads-nation-in-population-growth-for-8consecutive-years England, N. (1995, December 22). Planning a Compact City in the Midst of Urban Sprawl. Retrieved from https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/1995-1222/530313/ Holzman, M. (2019, February 22). Education, Or the Lack of it, In Cleveland, Ohio.

Retrieved from https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/22/1836887/-Educationor-the-Lack-of-It-in-Cleveland-Ohio Lincoln Land Policy. (2016, May 18). Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City Full Version [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljlgSjXWH3A Martin-Khan, M. (2019, June 10). Why do Women Live Longer than Men? Retrieved from MedicalXpress.com website: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06women-longer-men.html

McGraw, D. (2019, April 19). Study: Cleveland Continues to Experience Significant Neighborhood Economic Decline, Little Measurable Growth. Retrieved from http://Clevescene.com Mitchell, S. (2019, June 26). Guide to Cleveland's RTA System. Retrieved from https://www.tripsavvy.com/understnading-the-cleveland-rta-system-752958 Mosby, C. (2018, April 2). Unemployment Down, Hiring Up: Cleveland's Economy Is Improving. Retrieved from https://patch.com/ohio/cleveland/unemployment-downhiring-clevelands-economy-improving Ren, V. (2019, July 22). Report: Austin is the most educated city in Texas, No. 9 in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.statesman.com/news/20190722/report-austin-ismost-educated-city-in-texas-no-9-in-us Stringer, J. (2018, September 15). In Business, the Future is Female. Retrieved from Crainscleveland.com website: https://www.crainscleveland.com/smallbusiness/business-future-female Xiong, C. (2018, February 23). Keep Austin Divided: A Foundation of Segregation.

Retrieved from https://medium.com/the-healthy-city/ keep-austin-divided-a-foundation-of-segregation-af40e5b35c3f

Section 5: Data Collection, Memorandum, and PowerPoint Assignments The objective in these assignments was to work with a partner to observe an intersection or roundabout and critically compare them. My partner was Leslie General, and I credit her with half the work.

5-A The personal automobile has shaped how we transport ourselves and goods from place to place. The electric traffic signal has been the preferred method of controlling traffic within intersections since the early 1900s, but the late 1900s brought about other forms of traffic control, such as the roundabout.

My partner and I observed our chosen crossroads: Main Street and Bailey Avenue intersection, and the Kensington, Wehrle, and Harlem Roundabout. We filled out a data collection form, took pictures, hand and digitally drew maps, wrote a hypothetical memorandum to the mayor of Buffalo about our findings, and made a PowerPoint about presenting our Memorandum.

5-B

A “memo� is a form of technical writing used often in the workplace, and urban planners use them to concisely describe an issue of concern, with getting to the point immediately being stressed. Our prepared design was a roundabout, and thought that based on the research, Main and Bailey should be converted into one, as well. We graphically formatted and designed our Memorandum based on what was clearest to convey our idea.

5-C The PowerPoint was used as a method of communication, in order to convey our idea for a group. Since this was not an oral presentation, enough information was inserted and formatted in order for the information to stand on its own, without oral remarks about the information, but also needed a balance as to not be cluttered. I learned a lot about PowerPoint and how to use color and shape to simplify ideas, express and emphasize points, and how everything needed to have a reason as to why it is shaped or colored that way. The roundabout pictures were round and the intersection pictures were square or rectangular. The color of green was used to outline good examples, and red to outline bad examples, with the organization of the layout falling into place within the criteria.

Data Collection Analysis Form END350 Fall 2019 Your Names

Felicia Fortunato/ Leslie General

Name of Site/Streets Type of Site Address City, State, Zip Date and Time

Intersection at Main Street and Bailey Avenue Signalized Intersection N/A Amherst, New York 14226 10/10/19 At 9:15 AM This site is a heavily congested intersection with turning lanes on every corner except there is no left turn from Main Street onto the north direction of Bailey Avenue. This intersection includes spaces for bike, pedestrian, bus, and vehicle use.

Description of Site

Sketch of Site: lanes, intersection design, control, pedestrian features, surrounding land use, streets, bus stops, etc.

1

Site Conditions number of converging streets type of intersection design type of intersection control

number of turning lanes

presence of sidewalks and bike lanes presence of crosswalks and crossing control presence of bus lanes/stops, street parking presence of landscaping, amenities surrounding land uses Behavior Analysis - Vehicle speed and acceleration

There are 2 converging streets at this intersection.

Signalized Intersection This is a controlled intersection with signalized traffic and pedestrian lights, signage controlling speed and direction, and designated turning and regular lanes.

Bailey has 6 lanes at the intersections. Main Street has 4 lanes west of Bailey. Main Street to the east of Bailey has 5 lanes.

There are sidewalks. There are no bike only lanes but there is a designated bike lane mixed in with vehicle traffic.

There are crosswalks and crossing lights for pedestrians.

There is no street parking or bus lanes at this intersection but there is a bus stop.

The area around the intersection is heavily landscapes with two different areas with trees and benches on opposite corners. There is also Golf Courseland on use a corner of the intersection that provides The asurrounding is commercial and residential

When approaching this intersection drivers tend to accelerate quickly and prematurely before the light is green. Majority of people failed to reduce speeds when turning or going through this intersection especially when taking a right from Bailey heading west on Main.

turning intention and recognition

Majority of the time turning intention and recognition is clear other than the occasional driver who failed to get in the correct turning lane and cut across traffic last minute to make the turn.

waiting time

Average wait time for a light to turn green took approximately 50 seconds. Wait times for turning ranged from 2 seconds to 48 seconds.

gap acceptance

The majority gap size was approximately around 3 to 4 feet

braking behavior

Trend of quick hard braking at this intersection due to frequent stopping. There was also a number of drivers who failed to come to a complete stop.

perception reaction time distance to leading vehicle and headway

Short amount of reaction time available Shorter distances to leading vehicle and headway

Behavior Analysis - Pedestrian walking speed

Varied Walking speeds but majority tended to walk at fast pace or jog

crossing speed waiting time

2 males crossed slowly, 1 female crossed with average speed, 3 people ran at a faster pace to cross Most of the sections allowed for pedestrians to cross within a few seconds except for crossing Bailey from the north direction. The wait time for this section varied with some pedestrians who failed to wait at all and for others it took a couple of minutes to cross. This 2 could have to do with the fact that the pedestrian signal and button was not functioning properly.

waiting time

Most of the sections allowed for pedestrians to cross within a few seconds except for crossing Bailey from the north direction. The wait time for this section varied with some pedestrians who failed to wait at all and for others it took a couple of minutes to cross. This could have to do with the fact that the pedestrian signal and button was not functioning properly.

visual acuity

Limited sight lines but pedestrian still crossed with the signal

route and crossing choice

Majority of people used the cross walk to get across the intersection but failed to wait for the signal that it was their turn. There were a couple of cases where pedestrians not only went without waiting but also cut through the intersection outside of the crosswalk without regard for the oncoming traffic.

perception reaction time gap acceptance

Very little perception reaction time Most pedestrians and vehicles used the crosswalk as the gap acceptance standard

Behavior Analysis - Bicycle, Skateboard, Wheelchair, Other movement speed N/A- Only one bike approached the intersection and rounded the sidewalk without crossing. crossing speed waiting time N/A visual acuity N/A route and crossing choice N/A perception reaction time N/A gap acceptance N/A Questions to Consider Rationale of existing design Rationale of existing control Benefits of existing design and control

The design of this intersection is focused primarily on elevating vehicle congestion The rationale of existing control is to direct vehicle traffic in an efficient manner For the most part this intersection is clear on what direction a vehicle is travelling and the right of way for drivers.

Deficiencies of existing design and control

The biggest flaw in this design is that there are many components for a driver to focus on combined with limited reaction times caused by the short and frequent light changes. Drivers tend to trust the signal as a sign that means clear and go without having adequate time to properly assess the surrounding vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Flow of users

The heaviest flow of traffic during this time comes from the north direction of Bailey Avenue going right onto Main Street. There is a steady stream of traffic that goes in all directions that comes from both Bailey and Main being main paths of travel for users.

3

Flow of users

The heaviest flow of traffic during this time comes from the north direction of Bailey Avenue going right onto Main Street. There is a steady stream of traffic that goes in all directions that comes from both Bailey and Main being main paths of travel for users.

Safety of users

This intersection is dangerous for pedestrians crossing and getting on and off the bus. Limited sight issues lead to potential problems turning into a bus from the close proximity of the stop. Dangerous to vehicles that stop to quickly because of limited sight and because of impatient drivers who do not utilize the correct lanes or speed limit standards because of a rush to beat the light rotations.

Intention vs Reality

The intention of quickly moving the traffic with signals creates a reality where drivers rush through the intersection in order to beat the signals without having to wait.

Ease of use and understandability

The understanding is clear and very easy to understand because of lane markings and signage.

Site Observation Driver Behavior

There was a large amount of aggressive driving behavior observed at this site with a number of honking and squealing tires witnessed.

Road Conditions

There were large potholes in a couple of locations, the narrow lane size, and deep grate covers caused a number of drivers to stray from their lane while driving.

Usage Besides Vehicles

No bicycles, wheelchairs, or skateboards attempted to cross this intersection. Very minimal pedestrians were seen crossing this intersection. Most rounded corners and crossed else where. In two cases where pedestrians crossed without waiting or at the crosswalk the pedestrian signal was broken.

4

5

6

Data Collection Analysis Form END350 Fall 2019 Your Names

Leslie General/ Felicia Fortunato

Name of Site/Streets Type of Site Address City, State, Zip Date and Time

Harlem Road at Wehrle Drive and Kensington Ave Roundabout N/A Amherst, New York 14226 and Cheektowaga, New York 14215 10/11/19 At 9:30 This site is a pair of roundabouts that are designed to work together to move traffic through the three major crossroads of Wehrle Drive, Kensington Ave, and Harlem Road without having signals to bring traffic to a halt while changing or moving through the area.

Description of Site Sketch of Site: lanes, intersection design, control, pedestrian features, surrounding land use, streets, bus stops, etc.

1

Site Conditions number of converging streets type of intersection design type of intersection control

number of lanes number of turning lanes presence of sidewalks and bike lanes presence of crosswalks and crossing control presence of bus lanes/stops, street parking presence of landscaping, amenities

surrounding land uses Behavior Analysis - Vehicle speed and acceleration turning intention and recognition waiting time gap acceptance braking behavior perception reaction time distance to leading vehicle and headway Behavior Analysis - Pedestrian walking speed crossing speed waiting time visual acuity route and crossing choice perception reaction time gap acceptance

There are 3 converging streets but 4 approaching directions This intersection has a controlled design.

This intersection uses signage to control direction, speed, and pedestrian access with speed limit signs, painted crosswalks, and yield signs.

Single lane There are 4 exit points from the single lane design.

There are sidewalks but no bike lanes.

There are crosswalks before each roundabout for the three main roads.

There are no bus lanes, stops, or street parking.

There are barrier walls on the corners to protect pedestrians on the sidewalks. There are trees and green spaces on the corner spaces of the roundabout with a few benches available for sitting.

Primarily commercial with some residential uses.

Vehicles that move through this roundabout typically move with slower speeds and with less acceleration but at a steadier pace.

Turning intention and recognition is not very clear The wait times vary but majority of drivers had to wait less than 20 seconds to enter the roundabouts.

People tend to leave more of a gap as they approach other cars at this intersection.

Drivers tend to break more gradually and less often on approaching and travelling through the roundabout.

Higher perception reaction time Varying distances to leading vehicles and headway

Slower Walking speed Slower crossing speeds Longer wait times due to pedestrians waiting to make sure vehicles are going to stop High rate of visibility Pedestrians used the crosswalks to get across the major streets.

Higher reaction time due to slower speeds and better visibility.

Approximately a 3-5 Ft. range of gap where cars slowed to allow pedestrians to cross.

2

Behavior Analysis - Bicycle, Skateboard, Wheelchair, Other movement speed Bicycles moved through at slower speeds crossing speed Bicycles maintain the same slower pace while travelling through. waiting time No waiting time during this time visual acuity High visibility of oncoming traffic but poor visibility of vehicles moving behind and coming up to bicycles. route and crossing choice Bicycles enter and exit in varying directions with the flow of traffic perception reaction time Higher reaction times gap acceptance Varying range of gap space Questions to Consider Rationale of existing design

Rationale behind this design is to move traffic through safer and faster by eliminating the need for stopping and reducing speed limits.

Rationale of existing control

Rationale behind existing control is to use signage to enforce lower speeds and the direction of traffic. The placement of crosswalks controls where pedestrians can cross more safely without entering the roundabouts.

Benefits of existing design and control

Benefits of this design are increased safety for pedestrians and drivers with reduced speeds and more personal awareness combined with increased visibility.

Deficiencies of existing design and control Flow of users

Safety of users Intention vs Reality Ease of use and understandability

Harder to tell where and when drivers will leave the roundabout Majority of drivers during this time went strait through the roundabout from Wehrle to continue onto Wehrle. The flow was steady and continuous.

Primarily safe for the users of this roundabout. Only a limited about of drivers went through at higher speeds and witnessed one driver who was impatient with pedestrians in the crosswalk.

The intention to create a steady flow with minimal stops to increase safety for all users in this area is the reality.

Easy to understand and navigate during this time

Site Observation Driver Behaviors

At this site there was less aggressive drivers but there was still incidents were drivers honked and became angry at pedestrians crossing.

Road Conditions

The upkeep of the more recent roundabouts were more aesthetically pleasing and easier for maneuverability of both vehicles and pedestrians.

Usage besides Vehicles

Low incidents of pedestrians and bikes were seen and no wheel chairs or skateboards were observed.

3

Memorandum To: Byron Brown-Mayor of Buffalo, NY From: Leslie General & Felicia Fortunato-Environmental Design Students for the University at Buffalo CC: Professor Jonathan Bleuer & Teaching Assistant Andrew Schaefer Date: 10/18/2019 Subject: Project Proposal to Introduce & Improve Roundabouts + Intersections o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Executive Summary The intersection of Bailey Avenue and Main Street is becoming unsafe for those travelling through the area by car, bus, bike, and foot; the intersection at this location would benefit from a newer and better design: a roundabout. In comparison to a roundabout, the intersection has more congestion from the frequent stops and feels rushed and unsafe to cross. To arrive at this conclusion, data was collected through direct observation of the signalized traffic intersection of Bailey Avenue and Main Street; then from a controlled, twin roundabout connecting Kensington Avenue, Wehrle Drive, and Harlem Avenue. Data shows that the intersection has a higher experience of aggressive behaviors, frequent stops that lead to hard breaking, drivers that accelerate faster, and unsafe pedestrian use. The flow of traffic through the roundabout, in comparison, was significantly better at reducing congestion, because of shorter wait times, even though drivers used reduced speeds. Both the intersection and roundabout could be improved with separating traffic and bike lanes, re-painting road lines and symbols, and re-paving bumps in the roads. Our main goal is to show why turning the intersection of Main and Bailey into a roundabout would be safer and more cost effective.

Introduction Topic Studied The outdated design of the signalized intersection interrupts the flow of traffic, creates unsafe driving practices, and struggles with upkeep. In comparison to newer transportation planning strategies like the roundabout, the deficiencies of the signalized intersection become more apparent. The first site observed is a highly controlled

signalized intersection of Bailey Avenue and Main Street. The second site is a pair of roundabouts that are designed to work together to move traffic through the three major crossroads of Wehrle Drive, Kensington Ave, and Harlem Road, without having signals to bring traffic to a halt while traffic or pedestrians move through the area. Both areas deal with a heavy flow of traffic and with is comes the potential of congestion. To provide the safest means of transportation to the community utilizing this intersection, both sites are going to be examined to come up with the safest, most efficient way of reducing congestion in this area.

Relevance of Issue People’s lives and an easier traffic flow for Buffalo’s economy are the two most important issues to think about when reading this proposal. This is an important issue because as the intersection experiences more congestion, it is becoming increasingly dangerous for the people who access it. If something is not done to fix some of the unsafe practices, more accidents will occur that have the potential for fatal consequences. This intersection is at a higher risk for tragedy because of rushed righthand turns at red lights, push to walk buttons being broken for pedestrian use, pedestrians running across without the push to walk, no bike lanes (not in the roundabout either), and general maintenance and upkeep of paint lines and paving (both intersection and roundabout).

Data Sources and Method of Analysis Research Methods The primary method for collecting data for both sites was direct observation through the use of quantitative and qualitative data collection. The intersection of Main Street and Bailey Avenue (Photo 1) was observed between 9:15 am and 10:15 am on Thursday October 10, 2019. The roundabout located at Kensington Avenue, Wehrle Drive, and Harlem Road (Photo 10) was observed between 9:30 and 10:30 on Friday October 11, 2019. Secondary data was collected from various sources to gain better understandings of safety, usability, and costs for both locations.

Collection of Primary Data •

Quantitative data was collected by using timed intervals to track wait times, pedestrian crossing times, and gap distances to evaluate various forms of travel through the intersection and roundabout. The forms of travel focused on pedestrian, bicycles, wheelchairs, skateboards, public transportation in the form of buses, and vehicles that utilized the areas. Flow of traffic, landscaping, number of amenities, and designs were also monitored and recorded.

•

Qualitative Data was collected by observing trends and patterns for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians that focused on displays of aggressive behaviors, crossing and route choices, braking and speeding behaviors, and the ease of understandability and use. Perception reaction time, turning intention, and recognition were other forms of qualitative data that were recorded.

Secondary Data Method Sources • • • •

Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Washington State Department of Transportation Public meeting scheduled for Harlem roundabouts Article by Keaton T. Depriest

This is a list of more supporting data of our findings from credible online sources to help support our arguments. Authors and more information about them is referenced at the end of the memo. Transportation departments and research-based companies dealing with transportation analysis are where we found the most up to date and credible sources to support our findings. The data was then collected and recorded in order to be analyzed with our observations. The premise was a focus on speeds, safety, congestion patterns, maintenance, and flow of traffic in order to observe which option would be able to alleviate the most amounts of congestion with the safest conditions, for all who access the area.

Limitations on the Research •

The research would benefit from a more extensive amount of time in collecting data at the sites, but the overall findings would most likely still be the same, it would only increase the accuracy of the data.

•

Other types of weather such as snow or rain were not observed, which could impact safety and speed of driving

•

Ways of collecting the data were slightly varied because they were based on visual perception and would increase accuracy with more scientifically accurate instruments measuring and recording the data, but the overall trends and outcomes would most likely remain the same.

•

There were no skateboards, wheelchairs, or bikes used to cross the streets in the time we observed, and there were no skateboards or wheelchairs to observe at the roundabout, limiting a variety of observations.

Findings Roundabout Analysis: The Positives The one lane roundabout allowed traffic to move faster with less stops, slower speeds, and a steadier pace. As seen in Figure 1 vehicles at the roundabout experienced less wait times than those from the intersection, which allowed for traffic to flow more freely.

Drivers maneuvered through the roundabout with ease and very few aggressive behaviors were observed (Photo 11). There was only one case where a driver was witnessed speeding over the recommended speed limit and displayed honking and impatience with pedestrians. Pedestrians travelling through the roundabout experienced higher wait times than the pedestrians of the intersections. In Chart 3, our data was recorded and made into a bar graph for interpretation. This is a chart comparing observed wait times between the signalized intersection at Main Street and Bailey Avenue. The data was then collected from drivers travelling through the locations at various entrance points as they approached. The wait times are rounded estimates beginning when drivers arrived at the entrances and not if they had to wait in a line to reach the entrance. The roundabouts here provide increased sight lines due to the openness of the design. Pedestrians tended to demonstrate more caution and safer practices of crossing the roundabout in order to ensure vehicles were stopping before they entered the designated crosswalks. This intersection uses signage to control direction, speed, and pedestrian access with speed limit signs, painted crosswalks, and yield signs (Photo 14). There are benches and green space for added benefits to the area (Photo 9).

Roundabout Analysis: The Negatives The design of the roundabouts provides many benefits, but one of the biggest challenges with implementing these designs is the resistance from the community.

Many people struggle with understanding and navigating roundabouts because of lack of knowledge and unwillingness to accept design advancements. To better prepare users for entering the roundabouts located on Harlem, Kensington, and Wehrle there were guide books distributed by mail to all nearby residents and businesses, and available for people who chose to attend the public meetings regarding the roundabouts (Depriest 2008). Another negative aspect of the roundabouts at this location is the cost.

The project took around 20.4 million dollars to renovate the 2 mile stretch of Harlem Avenue where the two roundabouts are located (Depriest 2008). The consolation to this increase in cost is that over the long run roundabouts have a significant decrease in maintenance care costs (no traffic light repair or push to walks). (More Information on

cost comparisons can be found in section In Comparison: Financial Cost & Life Safety Risks of this memo.)

Intersection Analysis: The Positives There is a clear and decisive right of way for vehicles at this signalized intersection.

Due to the familiar design of this intersection people are comfortable with its use and understandability. There are benches and green spaces in the area for people to enjoy.

To allow for a better flow of traffic there are no left turns allowed when turning from the west direction of Main Street onto the North Direction on Bailey Avenue. This intersection offers close proximity to a bus stop a few feet from the intersection on Main Street in the lower southeast side of the intersection (Fig 2). There are sidewalks, crosswalks, and crossing control available, and with only 3 left turning lanes there is high understanding of turning intention and recognition for this intersection. People who are visually impaired, use tactile paving to know when they have crossed the street, safety (Photo 8). Further research would be needed on how the visually impaired would feel safety-wise about using crosswalks at roundabouts, since there is not a clear time to cross.

Intersection Analysis: The Negatives While observing the intersection of Main Street and Bailey Avenue it was clear that this intersection demonstrates a large number of aggressive behaviors from drivers.

Multiple drivers were witnessed honking, squealing tires, changing lanes suddenly, and swerving into other lanes. Drivers at this intersection tend to stop quickly with hard breaking habits. The acceleration rate of vehicles through this intersection was higher.

Shorter gap distances between vehicles were observed, and pedestrians took more risks at the intersection when crossing. People crossed outside of the crosswalks without waiting for the pedestrian signals to turn. Multiple people ran across the crosswalks in order to make the allotted time designated for pedestrians, which is 15 seconds shown with bright images and countdown numbers (Photo 4 & 5). There is also some confusion of which button goes for which signal on the pedestrian crossing controls (Photo 6). Attempts to clarify this by adding labels to the push and walk buttons can be seen in Digital Photo 7 titled Clear Signage, depicting a label for Bailey Ave, to not get confused with the other Main Street button. But, not all of the pedestrian crossing controls have labels and remain unclear for pedestrians attempting to use them; this can be seen in digital photograph 6 titled Unclear Signage. Insufficient maintenance of road conditions and non-working signals has led to unsafe trends. In Figure 3, Issues with Signalized Intersection of Main Street & Bailey Avenue, the maintenance and road conditions that raises safety concerns are illustrated. Where the pedestrian crossing signal is broken (Photo 2 & Fig 2) a higher number of pedestrians failed to walk in designated crosswalks or wait for traffic to cease. The narrower lanes

on the section of Bailey Avenue with five lanes caused some drivers to swerve into other vehicle lanes to avoid potholes and storm sewer openings. This intersection is predominantly used for vehicles, without pedestrians being the main focus. The majority of people avoided crossing here, but rounded the corner and found less congested areas to cross the road. There is a bike lane on Main Street but it is mixed in with vehicular traffic, and a bike lane on the sidewalk which is in the way of pedestrians who walk (Photo 3). This creates a higher risk for bike riders and drivers and bike riders and pedestrians sharing the limited space. With the convergence of a larger variety of directions, going through an intersection poses a higher potential for accidents to occur.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2017 (Chart 1), seventeen of the forty-three total fatalities were due to intersection related crashes for Erie County (Rice & Niederhauser, 2017).

In Comparison: Financial Cost & Life Safety Risks Safety is one of the biggest benefits of switching to a roundabout design. Roundabouts are safer for drivers and pedestrians. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, studies done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Federal Highway Administration showed that intersections with either signals and stop signs had been replaced by roundabouts experienced a 40% decrease of collisions involving pedestrians, and a 90% decrease in fatality collisions, which can be seen in Chart 2. The Federal Highway Administration gives a range of between $194,000 to approximately $500,000 as the cost of converting intersections to roundabouts, but the average cost is estimated to be 250,000 (Washington State Department of Transportation, 2010).

Conclusion Overall Findings The human behavior observed leads us to believe that roundabout designs are safer, and increased visibility of traffic symbols and bike riders need to be prioritized. The signalized intersection at Main Street and Bailey Avenue is not designed to adequately handle the amount of congestion that the area experiences with proper safety features for the people who utilize it. The deterioration of the area creates unnecessary safety hazards. With the frequent light changes and increased waiting times drivers and pedestrians become frequently frustrated at this intersection. In comparison, the design of the roundabout located at Kensington Avenue, Harlem Road, and Wehrle creates a better flow of traffic through a congested area faster and with safer conditions. By reducing the wait times of drivers and pedestrian crossing, and focusing on people’s behavior, Buffalo can reduce frustration, increase the flow of economically stimulating

traffic, and increases safety by decreasing collisions and fatality rates of both drivers, bike riders, and pedestrians.

Suggested/Recommended Changes The most preferable method is a complete replacement of the signalized intersection of Main Street and Bailey Ave with a controlled single-lane roundabout design. More information should be distributed by mail to local businesses and residents on how to use roundabouts, and other idea to increase knowledge, usability, and understanding on roundabouts would be to place signage in the surrounding community near the roundabouts, instructing someone if they are confused, so they can pull over and read about how to maneuver through it (perhaps in local business parking lots like Dunkin Doughnuts, TOPS, Rite Aid to increase patronage to their stores as an economic strategy while educating drivers on roundabouts.) The pamphlets and signs should be clear and easy to understand how to use roundabouts as a way to ease some of the anxiety caused by the new experiences and techniques of this planning design.

Painted bike paths or a separate bike lane with a green space buffer should be provided so bikers can be safer and not have to ride in traffic (Photo 12). Furthermore, bike lanes should be separate from sidewalks and roads, and each space set aside specifically for them in both the roundabout and intersection.

Roads should be properly maintained by fixing pot holes, adding bike lanes, and fixing broken pedestrian push to walk signals. Push to Walk signal buttons should always have labels telling pedestrians which street they are crossing so the wrong button is not pressed, which in turn, increases wait time and confusion and discourages pedestrians from pressing the push to walk button at all.

Faded crosswalks, like the one shown in Digital Photograph 13, could use some fresh paint so that there is a clear path for pedestrians to follow.

The cost of converting the Main/Bailey intersection to a crosswalk would benefit Buffalo financially and healthily in the long run.

Appendix A Charts 1-3

Chart 1. NHTSA. (2017). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Intersection Related Deaths. Fatalities by Person Crash Type [Table]. Retrieved from https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/SASStoredProcess/ guest?_program=%2FProduction%2FApps%2FSTSI%2FSTSI

Chart 2. Roundabout Benefits: Collisons Reduction Rate. Washington State Department of Transportation. (2010). Roundabout Benefits: Reductions in Collisions [Chart]. Retrieved from https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm

Observed Wait Times 80 70

TIME (SECONDS)

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

# OF VEHICLES Signalized Intersection

Roundabout

Chart 3. Overserved Wait Times of Vehicles: Intersection vs. Roundabout. Grant, L. (Digital Illustrator/Compiler). (2019, October).

Bar Graph of Wait Times of Intersection vs. Roundabout [Map].

References Depriest, K. T. (2008, May 28). Public Meetings Scheduled for Harlem Roundabouts.

Retrieved from Amherstbee.com website: https://www.amherstbee.com/articles/public-meetings-scheduled-for-harlemroundabouts/

Rice, E., & Niederhauser, M. (2017, February). Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety: Case Study. Retrieved from Safety.fhwa.dot.gov website: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/case_studies/fhw asa09018/

Appendix B Photographs 1-14

Digital Photograph 1. Bailey Ave. and Main Street Intersection. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera

Digital Photograph 2. Crossing Bailey Northeast to Northwest. Data Source: Apple ipod camera.

Digital Photograph 3. Bailey Ave. Sitting Area and Bike Path. Data Source: Apple ipod camera.

Digital Photograph 4. Bailey Ave. Push to Walk Signal. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 5. Bailey Ave. Push to Walk Signal Countdown. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera

Digital Photograph 6. Unclear Signage. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 7. Clear Signage. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 8. Tactile Paving. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 9. Sitting Space next to Harlem Twin Roundabouts. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 10. Twin Roundabout. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 11. Twin Roundabout Harlem Road. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 12. Bikers in Roundabout. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 13. Tactile Paving and Crosswalk Visibility. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Digital Photograph 14. Roundabout Yield and Arrows. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Appendix C Figures 1-3

Figure 1. Twin Roundabout Sketch. Fortunato, F. (Illustrator) Data Source: Google.com/maps.

Figure 2. Intersection Sketch. Fortunato, F. (Illustrator) (2019, October) Data Source: Google.com/maps.

Figure 3. Issues with Signalized Intersection of Main Street & Bailey Avenue. Grant, L. (Cartographer). (2019, October). Main Street & Bailey Ave. Crossroad [Map; AutoCAD].

Introduce + Improve Roundabouts & Intersections Buffalo, New York Felicia Fortunato & Leslie General

Table of Contents

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Introduction to Sites Intersection Intersection-Vehicle & Pedestrian Use Intersection of Main & Bailey Observed Intersection-Unsafe Conditions Intersection Fatalities Roundabout Roundabout–Vehicle & Pedestrian Use Roundabout Findings Both Intersection and Roundabout Financial Costs and Savings Observed Behaviors Observed Vehicle Wait Time Site Aspects Conclusions Recommendations References

Introduction to Sites

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Intersection

Roundabout

Digital Photograph 1. Bailey Ave. and Main Street Intersection. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera

Digital Photograph 10. Twin Roundabout. Data Source: Apple ipod Camera.

Main & Bailey

Kensington, Wehrle, & Harlem

Observed 10/10/19 at 9:15 AM

Observed 10/11/19 at 9:30 AM

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Intersection-Vehicle & Pedestrian Use

Figure 2. Intersection Sketch. Fortunato, F. (Illustrator) (2019, October) Data Source: Google.com/maps.

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Intersection of Main & Bailey

Three Major Aspects that Create Safety Issues Multiple directions and lanes converging Frequent stops increase wait times Decline in maintenance

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Observed Intersection-Unsafe Conditions Narrow Lanes The narrow lanes through intersection cause drivers to cross into other lanes.

Cracks in Pavement Cars swerve to avoid cracks and potholes and pedestrians can trip on them when walking.

Broken Pedestrian Signal More pedestrians practiced unsafe crossing behaviors when crossing at the site of the broken push to walk.

Figure 3. Issues with Signalized Intersection of Main Street & Bailey Avenue. Grant, L. (Cartographer). (2019, October).

Main Street & Bailey Ave. Crossroad [Map; AutoCAD].

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Intersection Fatalities

Chart 1. NHTSA. (2017). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Intersection Related Deaths. Fatalities by Person Crash Type [Table]. Retrieved from https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/SASStoredProcess/ guest?_program=%2FProduction%2FApps%2FSTSI%2FSTSI

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Roundabout–Vehicle & Pedestrian Use

Figure 1. Twin Roundabout Sketch. Fortunato, F. (Illustrator) Data Source: Google.com/maps.

Figure 2. Intersection Sketch. Fortunato, F. (Illustrator) (2019, October) Data Source: Google.com/maps.

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Roundabout Findings

Chart 2. Roundabout Benefits: Collisons Reduction Rate. Washington State Department of Transportation.

(2010). Roundabout Benefits: Reductions in Collisions [Chart]. Retrieved from https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm

Financial Costs and Savings

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Converting intersections to roundabouts: $194,000-$500,000 Average Cost: $250,000 (Washington State Department of Transportation, 2010).

Approximately $20.4 million to renovate the two miles of Harlem Avenue where the roundabout is located (Depriest, 2008).

Roundabouts have few overall maintenance costs.

Observed Behaviors

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Behaviors

Intersection

Roundabout

Honking

X

X

Squealing Tires

X

Slamming Brakes

X

Fast Acceleration

X

Sudden Lane Changes

X

Acceleration on Approach

X

X

Decelerating on Approach

X

X

Pedestrians jogging/ running to cross

X

*Note: Observation based on the behaviors witnessed at the sites during a one hour period General, L. (2019, October 25). Observed Human Behaviors: Intersection vs Roundabout. [Chart].

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Observed Vehicle Wait Times Roundabout

Intersection

General, L. (2019, October 25). Wait Times of Cars Passing Through Roundabout vs Intersection [Chart].

Site Aspects

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Tactile Pavement

Crosswalks

No Street Label

Safer Designs Block Wall

Worn Bike Lane

Broken Push to Walk

Unclear and Dangerous One Direction

Digital Photographs. (2019, October). Titled as Shown. Data Source: F, Felicia Apple ipod Camera.

No Bike Lane

Worn Crosswalk Paint

Conclusions

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

Intersection

Poor flow of traffic More aggressive behaviors Lack of maintenance Unsafe for pedestrians & bicyclist

Roundabout

Better flow of traffic Less aggressive behaviors Easier to maintain Safer for pedestrians

Recommendations

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Intersection

Replace the intersection with a new roundabout design Repaint crosswalks and symbols Widen Narrow Lanes Repair broken Push to Walks

Roundabout

Better signage on roundabouts displayed Roundabout instructions distributed to local residents and businesses

Separate bike lanes from sidewalks and roads

Felicia Fortunato Leslie General Fall 2019 END 350

References

Depriest, K. T. (2008, May 28). Public Meetings Scheduled for Harlem Roundabouts. Retrieved from Amherstbee.com website: https://www.amherstbee.com/articles/public-meetings-scheduled-forharlem-roundabouts/

Rice, E., & Niederhauser, M. (2017, February). Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety: Case Study. Retrieved from Safety.fhwa.dot.gov website: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/case_stu dies/fhw asa09018/

Section 6: Case Study, PowerPoint, Script, and Handout

6-A The objective in these assignments was to create a Public Park Mini-Master Plan. The park chosen was Riverside Park in Buffalo, New York. Through direct observation, surveys, feedback from park users, research, and demographic analysis a mini master plan was written and complied. Parks have been shown to increase property values, promote healthy lifestyles, save money on storm water retention facilities, and provide gathering places for communities regardless of age or economic status. Through research, observation, data analysis and collection, professional expertise, and organization a plan was formed about the park’s future. The findings included context, background, history, conditions, challenges, opportunities, demographics, the user survey, recommendations, case studies on what worked for other parks, and many figures and images to support the plan.

6-B & C From there, an oral PowerPoint presentation was complied from the plan to present to the teachers, classmates, and guests. Since this presentation was oral, the focus of the work is on the script, with the PowerPoint showing only supporting visuals, not cluttering text. The power and organization of words is strong, and the eloquence of speech is what was focused on, making this assignment differ from the other PowerPoint.

6-D A handout was distributed to the teachers and front row guests who were there to give feedback. This is a general rundown of the main points of the presentation, as a take-home copy.

Figure 1

Riverside Park Mini Master Plan City of Buffalo University at Buffalo END 350

Fall 2019

Riverside Park Mini-Master Plan 2019

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Planners Felicia Fortunato Cameron Leber Omar Tantawy Huiyuan Zhang

Professor: Jonathan Bleuer Teaching Assistant: Andrew Schaefer

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Table of Contents Foreword………………………………………………………..………………..…………………………5 Context and Background…………………………………..…………………...…………………………...6 Neighborhood Relations………………………………..……………………………..…………6 History…………………………………………….…………………………………..………………….…8 Frederick Law Olmsted: Buffalo Parks and Parkways…………………………………..…...…8 Riverside as an Olmsted Park………………………………………...…………………………9 Observations at Riverside…………………………………..…………………………..……………..…..10 Conditions: Appearance, Quality, and Working Order……………...…….…………..………..10 Challenges: What are some of the Obstacles Facing the Park?...................................................13 Opportunities: Why should Riverside be Improved? Does it Stand a Chance?............................16 Data Analysis and Collection………………………………….………………………..………....………19 Demographics: Statistics on Particular Groups at Riverside………………..…………….…..19 Recommendations………………………………….…………..………………………………………….27 Past Funding and Budgeting…………………………………..……..…………...…………...…27 Improvements for Proposed Mini-Master Plan & Former Case Studies as Examples…………..29 Safety…………………………………..…………………………………….....…………………29 Unity…………………………………..……………………………………..……………………31 Bring back the Past……………………………………….….………………………….………..33 Adult Age Group Focus…………………………….………………………………....….………35 Awareness………………………………….………………………….……………………...…..36 Concluding Analysis of Mini-Master Plan for Riverside Park……………………………………..……..37 Appendix………………………………………………………………….…………………….…………39 References…………………………………..…………………………………..……………………....…52

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Foreword The case study on Buffalo’s Riverside Park, as part of the Olmsted Park System is where research and development ideas are connected by planners.

This Mini-Master Plan of Riverside Park will demonstrate Figure 2

why the ultimate

recommendations of advancement will benefit the park users. Each section of the case study will organize the research and conclusions of face-to-face interviews of park users, online public opinion, research on the history of the park, first-hand experience, pictures of the park, demographic data analysis, challenges, conditions, opportunities, and examples of other case studies of similar proposals. Combining all the information coherently, the recommendations for planning the improving future of the park will be presented in this Mini-Master Plan.

Recognizing the history and present planning efforts of Riverside Park, and using them and other case studies to further examine will justify the extended conclusions for the ideas of improvement to Riverside Park.

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Context and Background Neighborhood Relations Riverside Park is a 22-acre plot of land located along the Niagara River in Buffalo, New York as shown in Figure 3. The borders of the park are outlined by Vulcan Street to the north, Tonawanda Street to the east, Crowley Avenue to the south, and Niagara Street to the west (Google Map, n.d.). Dividing the park, Hotaling Drive runs parallel to Vulcan Street and perpendicular to Tonawanda and Niagara Street, enabling traffic to cut through Riverside Park.

On the west side of the park, across Niagara Street is the Irene K. Gardner pedestrian bridge, which extends over the Interstate 190 and connects a portion of the park to a bike path along the Niagara River (Google Maps, n.d.).

The recent restoration of Riverside Park has been developing quickly since the turn of the century. Designed in 2004, the indoor Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, a River Rock Garden to restore the rain watershed system, and more plants and trees were implemented at Riverside. A grant was awarded to Riverside Park in 2011 for

Figure 3

further development, which

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was mostly used to develop sports fields. In 2012, the Riverside lighthouse along Tonawanda Street was relit for aesthetics, not for ships. There was once a boating port to import and export goods and passengers, but it is no longer functioning. The park used to host a few festivals and celebrations like the annual Friendship Festival during Independence Day weekend, as well as some Canadian celebrations. The park also used to host a seasonal farmer’s market and other community-based events such as indoor lacrosse in the Ice Rink during summer (Riverside Park, n.d.). There is a cemetery that faces the river adjacent to the Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, and many people in the 1800s used to enjoy picnics in the cemetery, as part of the park’s history (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservatory, n.d.).

The surrounding neighborhood of Riverside is roughly 2 square miles and is home to roughly 12,000 residents (Riverside Neighborhood, 2017). Riverside residents use the accommodating sports fields and equipment provided in the park. On site is the Bud Bakewell Ice Rink which is home to many different organizations including Hasek’s Heroes, Bud Bakewell Ice Hawks hockey team, and the Buffalo Speed Skating Club. Along with the Ice Rink, there are several baseball fields which are used and maintained by the River Rock Baseball League. Running along Tonawanda Street is the Dick Mathewson football field where the Black Rock Riverside Little League Football and Cheerleading play and practice. Also, along Tonawanda Street are two tennis courts and two full basketball courts. On the south end there is parking along Crowley Avenue with a playground and small public pool (Riverside Park’s Reuben, n.d.).

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History Frederick Law Olmsted: Buffalo Parks and Parkways Fredrick Law Olmsted (Figure 4) created the field of landscape architecture by designing every detail of the paths, landscapes, and views of natural landscapes in his work. In Buffalo, he constructed the first park system by connecting the parks through parkways. Central Park in New York City is the first park Olmsted designed, and still serves as an outstanding precedent in landscape architecture today. Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1822, he began work as a surveyor at the age of 18, then attempted scientific farming, but never made a profit. In Figure 4

1857, Olmsted found a job

supervising a public works project in New York City, as the supervising designer of Central Park, tasked with connecting systems of roads, bridges, and walkways. As a democrat, his main goal of his parks, specifically Central Park, was democracy. Olmsted’s vision was for all classes, races, and religions to be discussing current affairs and participating in healthy, peaceful debates.

In his vision, he foresaw the need for places like Central Park, and how humans need nature and conversation as an escape from the hectic city life. New Yorkers would flock to Central Park every weekend to get away from the pollution and overcrowding of the city, to enjoy nature and

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have discussions during strolls through the park. Olmsted wanted people to be happy, and follow their “pursuit of happiness”, as was the people’s right in the Declaration of Independence. Along these lines, the act of staring at scenic, natural beauty was observed to be scientifically proven to promote the feeling of happiness (Pbs, 2014).

Riverside as an Olmsted Park Riverside Park made its debut in 1898 – 1899 by Fredrick Law Olmsted’s sons and successors, as part of the Olmstead Architectural Firm, after Fredrick’s retirement in 1895.

(Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, 2019) The last park designed by Olmsted for Buffalo was Riverside Park. After Central Park, Olmsted’s business went bankrupt. He formed a business partnership with his friend Calvert Vaux, making his landscape architecture designs possible. In

Figure 5

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1868, Vaux and Olmsted turned their attention to Buffalo, one of the largest cities in America at the time. After Olmsted faced many family problems and the Financial Panic of 1873, construction for the Buffalo Parkway System began. The key to his design of Olmsted’s parkway systems was to show off the characteristics of each neighborhood and city they were created in.

They also developed landscapes in Washington DC, and preserved the natural beauty of Niagara Falls, by creating walkways to expose specific viewports, or “landscape portraits,” as shown in Figure 5, at the right times and angles. Olmstead wanted the land to be available for all people, to protect the scenic beauty, and to create spaces for people to be together. The way he designed the parks was through artificial design, as everything (rocks, hills, trees) was carefully planned out, placed and sculpted to come together to form the perfect views, or “landscape portraits” (Pbs, 2014).

Observations at Riverside Conditions: Appearance, Quality, and Working Order The conditions observed at Riverside on Wednesday, October 30th, 2019 at 5:00pm were not ideal with cold weather, cloudy skies, sprinkles of rain, and low light conditions. On the second site visit on Wednesday, November 15th at 3:00pm there was snow and ice covering the park, hence the photographs taken with and without snow. There were twenty people in the park at the time of the first visit, and while some engaged in activities of group exercise, others watched the groups on the sidelines: a group of 5 teenagers playing football, 3 teenagers playing baseball, a group of 4 children playing catch, 2 parents watching the kids play catch, 3 bikers, and a team of teenagers playing hockey on the indoor Ice Rink. The age groups observed were children, teenagers, and adults, with no seniors present. Through our entire observation process, people were observed in the park only at the locations specified: the football field, the Ice Rink

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and an adjacent small grass field. All three of these locations are next to each other on the north end of the park, south of Hotling Drive. The overall mood of the park was quiet and calm.

People enter the site in many different ways, and there is not a unifying place for designated entry. Some users enter through the Tonawanda Street sidewalk (mostly used by teenagers walking to the park), while others parked at the Hotling Drive, Crowley Avenue or the Bud Bakewell ice rink (Figure 8) parking lots. There were many pedestrians who were observed to be using the sidewalk cutting through the park to get to Tonawanda Street and Niagara Street but none of them stopped in the park to do any activities.

The general upkeep and maintenance of the park was surprisingly exceptional given the number of users that frequented the park. The grass was mowed (Figure 6), the playground equipment was new and clean (Figure 1), there were new sports fields (Figure 7), and paved walkways. Some of the negative aspects included geese droppings, the rock garden missing rocks and poor lighting. Specifically, more lighting is needed at the Rock Garden, the paths along the cemetery, playground, basketball court, and along the waterfront. During the observation period it was noted that there was no one in these areas, and that could be due to the poor lighting in these areas.

Figure 6

Figure 1

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Figure 7

Figure 8

The park is not only disconnecting people from each other, but the road that cuts through the middle of the park really divides it socially, and the highway that disconnects the park from the waterfront is a huge obstacle of park unity. There is a pedestrian bridge (Figure 9) sponsored

by Irene K. Gardener that leads to a bike path on the other side of the park, but the disconnect from the water, and the danger of crossing the highway, deters people from experiencing the full value of the park.

Figure 9

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The trees lack density, as they are spread too far apart from one another. This an example of how the park lacks unity, and it is different from how the park used to look, when there used to be more trees, altering the overall mood of the park, giving it a feeling of disconnect.

Challenges: What are some of the Obstacles Facing the Park?

The biggest issues of the park are getting people to interact within the park by increasing safety measures, locational unity, awareness, making the park more of what it used to be at its prime, and creating more activities for the adult age group.

In order to get a wider pool of comments and concerns for Riverside Park, online reviews are a broader research source that this report turned to. The majority of people think that overall, the park is great, with many activities, and the overall average score of the park is a 4.1 out of 5 (Comment Section, 2019). But, many of the reviews, even some of the people who gave higher scores, note their observations and concerns of safety, cleanliness, disconnect, and decrease in park events (Appendix Figures 10-14).

Safety concerns expressed, based on the park surveys (Fortunato, F., et. al., 2019), included drive-by shootings, homeless people, gang activity, and crime. Cleanliness is shown to be a troubling aspect as litter, such as bottles and cigarettes (Figure 12), and mold in the bathroom (Figure 11) is observed. People want past events restored such as the fireworks and farmer’s market festivals (Figure 10) and the park’s appearance as it was in the past (Figure 13 & 14), such as unifying and expanding spaces for families to all sit together. The benches and chairs are too spread out and separated, not creating a healthy environment for democratic debate, as Olmsted envisioned.

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The challenges described in the face-to-face interviews by the park users were very similar to the online comments. The teenage age group (playing football) commented on how the park used to be a nice place, but now the drive-by shootings make people not want to come. The adult age group who were interviewed, suggested more accommodations to the Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, as they did not have any activities to do in their age group in the park.

Opportunities: Why should Riverside be Improved?

The main reason why this park is a candidate for improvement is because the park users still care about Riverside, feel connected to the history, and they enjoy all the accommodations the park used to offer. After asking people the survey questions and researching the park, it is clear that people still want this park in their community, and it has so much potential to offer the public: its waterfront location, many sports facilities and fields, and open space. There is already a movement for the Olmsted Parks to be improved, but now that many structures are fixed and maintained, the park needs to now focus on safety, unity, past activities reactivated, more activities for the parents who bring their children, and an increase of awareness on what the park can offer.

Riverside Park is beloved by its users, as observed in our survey questions to park users (Fortunato, F., et. al., 2019). The furthest distance traveled was 35 minutes by a mother at the hockey rink, and most of the football teenagers biked or walked from their houses to get to the park. People will still travel at long distances and make efforts to use the park because of the existing sports facilities, but more people could be using the park and staying longer if they felt safer, and if there were more features to make people stay.

The park users interviewed were frequent visitors, but all mentioned the crime and driveby shootings. They think the general maintenance is good, but are not aware of any public events

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in the park, except the ones that used to be held, but are not hosted anymore, such as the festivals and fireworks. There is an opportunity to hold more events in the park, with increased safety measures. The reason that the firework festival is not put on at Riverside anymore was because of a fight during the last event, approximately 5 years ago (Reviews of the Public Park, 2019).

This kind of problem should not keep an entire festival from being put on each year, and if there were more security and police patrolling the event, they could have stopped it before it got out of control and put the community in danger.

The kids have the playground, the teenagers have the sports fields, but what does the adult age group have? This is an important question because it can bring more people into the park and have them stay longer if parents have something to do besides waiting for their kids’ sports practice to end. Parks need to act as a gathering point for all age groups, and Riverside has a lot of potential for a unifying node for people to enter and exit from. Nodes, in this context are defined as places people can enter and exit from in one common area (Gehl, 2010). Riverside has many places people park, walk, or bike across for park access, but no space in the park is a single, unifying area where people can enter to gather and exit from. According to Gehl, usually a landmark is in the center of a node; this is opportunistic to Riverside, with all its historical landmarks and statues. A common meeting point to enter the park with other people would encourage people to use the park, and bring back and enunciate the history of Riverside. There are statues, gardens, and a lighthouse to serve as a visible entry point.

Another aspect of the park that has been divided and segmented from the park’s attractiveness is the waterfront. The Interstate 190 and the New York 266 Highway cut off park users from the waterfront and the adjacent bike path. This is opportunistic to a park named “Riverside” Park because the tiny pedestrian bridge that allows access to fish, look at the water,

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see the sunset is not big enough, and more people should be given the opportunity to the waterfront views. Hotaling Drive segments the park along its horizontal axis, and many people do not want to cross a street in the middle of a park to see the Rock Garden, pavilions and other activities the park has an opportunity to connect. Riverside Park also has potential to connect back into the Olmstead Parks through parkways.

Bringing back old events and festivities with increased safety, unity, and awareness measures will give Riverside a better chance of attracting more people, and making the park vibrant again, like it used to be. The Rock Garden could be enhanced by adding the 1899 minnow pools back, as they used to be there for watershed purposes, bees and ecosystems, children, and the natural beauty of the landscape (Figure 15).

Figure 15

The amount of open space was proven to be important to members of the community through the survey collection, and this gives ample opportunity space for more activities geared toward the adult age group. While they wait for their kids at sports practice, they could meet with

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friends, exercise themselves, and more if they had more places to sit, and a place for equipment.

With the safety improvements enacted, a possibility of more benches and covered seating areas can be possible, perhaps with a small coffee shop or book collection connected to the relaxing area. Olmsted wanted more democratic conversations, and there is plenty of space to add seating clusters to do so. There are many exercise related activities observed, but not a lot of relaxing places to give people the opportunity to relax in the park. This is why Riverside has a chance and opportunities to be a vibrant park again.

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Data Analysis and Collection Demographics: Statistics on Particular Groups at Riverside

Figure 16

Figure 17

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Surrounding Riverside Population by Age in Years

Population

1400 1200 1000

800 600 400 200 0

Age

Figure 18

Everyone has access to the public Riverside Park, however, it is safe to assume that the primary users of the park will be the populations (Census tracts 57, 58.01, 58.02, 84) surrounding the park. The total population of these surrounding communities is 13,691 (Figure 16), and the high amount of traffic and dense population in comparison with neighboring communities is higher than average (Figure 17). The population is spread out fairly evenly in terms of age, meaning Riverside Park should have activities that appeal to all age groups, and not just facilities for activities that require a high level of physical demand. Seeing as the park already has an abundance of sport fields, some additions that can appeal to adult populations would be needed, according to the research. It has been shown that when people have increased interactions with nature and increased physical activity, their mental health and cognitive functions can improve greatly (The Importance of Nature in Older Populations, 2016).

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Education Levels

Riverside Educational Attainment: Population 18 to 24 Years Old Bachelor's degree or higher

Some college or associate's degree High school graduate (includes equivalency)

Less than highschool graduate 0

100

200

300

400

500

Population

600

Figure 19

Education Levels

Riverside Educational Attainment: Population 25 Years Old and Up Graduate or professional degree Bachelor's degree Associate's Degree Some college no degree High school graduate (includes equivalency) 9th to 12th grade, no diploma Less than 9th grade 0

500

1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Population

Riverside Park Mini-Master Plan 2019

Figure 20

20

The surrounding Riverside Park education attainment for the population ages eighteen to twenty-four is severely lacking in college educated youth. Looking at the education attainment for those who are twenty-five years old and up, more of the population is advanced in their continuing education, but many have not completed high school (Figures 19 & 20). The demographics of education attainment show that there are social and communal problems that could be solved by the sharing of ideas in the park, and the exchange of information.

Surrounding Riverside Population Below Poverty line by Age in Years Population

1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Under 5

5 to 17

18 to 34

35 to 64

Age

Riverside Park Mini-Master Plan 2019

60 and over

Figure 21

21

Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level 30.50% Buffalo

45.80% Riverside Figure 22 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

Poverty levels in Riverside are higher than Buffalo as a whole (Figure 21 & 22), and it has been proven that neighborhoods with high levels of poverty are much more likely to need physical activity infrastructure (Cohen, et. al., 2017). As shown in Figure 23, the average house/condo value in Riverside is far less compared to the house/condo values in the rest of New York; this shows that the community has need for aspects that raise their property values and renter contracts, such as reconnecting to the waterfront, as waterfront housing can make property more desirable. A program that has had success in the past is offering a reward for those who frequent the park most, which increases physical activity within the community. (Cohen, et. al., 2017).

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Estimated Median House or Condo Value 2016 $302,400

New York State Riverside $79,129

Figure 23

Riverside Park is open to the public, however, the park is being used primarily by either residents who live in the immediate vicinity of the park and do not have the means to go to other parks, or those who only visit the park twice a week to use the ice skating rink for their hockey practice. When observing the park, interviews a handful of the neighborhood teenagers, who at the time were using the park’s football field, were conducted. Two of the teenagers interviewed, Justin and Jason, said they only lived 4-6 blocks away from the park, and usually come once a week to use the parks basketball courts and football fields with the rest of their friends. Jason said he liked how the park has become more deserted in recent years because it allowed for him to do whatever he desires without having to wait for others or have others interfere with his activities. On the other hand, Justin said he misses when the park was full of life and it was not just him and his friends using the fields. When asked about what caused the park to become less popular, their response was simply the increasing violence/crime in the area made it so that the park is no longer safe for people to use recreationally. They said they began to notice changes in the parks attendees in the past four to six years; before the situation got too dangerous, Justin talked about the football, basketball, and baseball tournaments the Boys and Girls Club would set up at the park, but unfortunately stopped interacting and having events at the park. According to Census Data, the crime rates are shown to be much higher than the US average (Figure 24).

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Crime Index Average per Population 2016

236.5

U.S. average

537.4

Riverside Figure 24

Despite this, both Jason and Justin said the park is still very well maintained, minus the geese that would cover the sidewalks and pathways with droppings. They were asked if they would go to another park if available, and when they replied no they continued to say that despite everything that has been going on, that this is still their neighborhood. This shows the strong community ties and opportunity the park has to be great again.

Another group of people interviewed were the adult age group as mothers who were waiting inside the ice-skating rink for their children to finish up their hockey practice at the Bud Bakewell Ice Rink.

Percentage of Single-Mother Households Among All Households Buffalo Riverside

19.40% 34.70% 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

Percentage

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Figure 25

24

There is a higher population of single mothers in Buffalo displays the need for children’s activities with adults (Figure 25). Lisa and Susan were 2 mothers interviewed who were sitting separately, as the seating was not set up in conversational arrangements, showing a need for more seating for relaxing in the park, and not just exercise. Lisa said she lives roughly thirty-five to forty minutes away by car, awhile Susan said she only lives five to ten minutes away. Both of them seemed to be very disinterested in the park as a whole, and said they only came here for their children’s hockey practice twice a week. They did not have anything they particularly liked about the park due to this. The one piece of feedback they did offer about the park was how more parking needed to be added. This shows a need for more adult age group activities and seating for conversation, a place to congregate, and an addition for exercise equipment, so a workout is possible while their children also exercise.

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Riverside Population by Race

7689

1561 1785

88

1668

White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian Some other race

Figure 26

The overall race of surrounding Riverside neighborhoods is white, but also has a black and Asian population (Figure 26). This diverse neighborhood has a need for a democratic space to discuss politics and neighborhood issues, as Olmsted would have wanted for the people, to improve their happiness, as in “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.�

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Recommendations Past Funding and Budgeting The main goals of this Mini-Master Plan of Riverside Park are to improve public safety, unify the segmented park by connecting it with its people, its own features, and the surrounding Parkways of Buffalo, increase awareness, reclaim the park’s original activities and features that made it great in the past, and add more activities and built environment for the adult age group.

Riverside Park is already undergoing a transformation and restoration as part of the 5 Year Plan for Olmsted Parks in Buffalo by the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. This upcoming plan of 2020-2024 has been made possible by state awarded grants to remove and replant trees in the Olmstead Parks, (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, n.d.), UB School of Architecture and Planning, UB Regional Institute, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and partnering with Mayor Byron W. Brown. This is a not-for-profit, independent community organization partnership that works to improve Buffalo. Plan for the 21st Century (2008 — 2018) states that the cost of Riverside Park racked up a total capital investment of $2,522,525, as shown in Figure 27.

Figure 27

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This is a fairly sized amount of budgeted money, earmarked for individual Olmsted Parks. The funds are stated to have been used specifically for a new playground structure, enhancing the public restrooms, concession shelter building, baseball field, 11 park benches, 5 picnic tables, in the past decade. Through a 2015 grant received by the conservancy, 2,300 linear feet of pathways were constructed, creating a new circulation loop to the park entrance gateway at Crowley Avenue and Niagara Street, which strengthened the connection to the nearby George Washington Park. Granite curb parking was designed to function a rain-garden to lessen the wetness of the area, while paying tribute to Olmsted’s minnow ponds, with the Rock Garden in the same spots, installed in 2014. The Niagara River Overlook Enhancement was constructed as part of the 1997 Riverside Park Master Plan. The current 2020-2024 plan wants to redo the football and baseball field (The Olmsted City 5 Year Figure 28

Plan, 2019).

A pie chart showing how the city of Buffalo received money to update Olmsted Parks in the past is shown in Figure 28. Most of the funding (65%) is from state grants from the government, and the Olmsted Foundation provides 25%, and non-profit organizations fill in the remaining 10% (Figure 29). This knowledge of funding can help our Mini-Master plan budget funds by predicting how much the plans will cost, and who can pay for them.

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Improvements for Proposed Mini-Master Plan & Former Case Studies as Examples Safety The top priority improvements recommended are based on concerns with public safety.

The demographics show that many single mothers live in the area and public opinion has expressed concerns about homeless people, drugs and gang activity. Therefore, the proposal recommended is for more security and officers to be present in the park with temporary police building as a base, and an area for the substation can be viewed in Figure 29. Riverside is in District D of the Buffalo police section, but the nearest Buffalo police station is more than 15 minutes away from the park by car. More lighting on the south end of the park could improve visibility and safety as well.

A good close-to-home example of improved safety in a public outdoor space is Canalside, within the past 5 years. Mayor Byron Brown of Buffalo used $21 million of state funds to improve many aspects of the downtown infrastructure in Buffalo, including making a temporary police substation on the corner of Marine Dr. and Hanover St. A fair estimate based on the funds for Riverside would be a range from 500,000 to 2 million to put a substation or a few officers patrolling the park daily, from state/government funds.

From a case study published by Environment and Behavior, there is a concerning relationship between low-income populations and lack of physical activities. There are two aspects mentioned in the article that had hindered people taking advantage of good parks in Kansas City, Missouri. One is the social interactions happening at the park and the other is the physical structure of the park itself. In this case there are plenty of parks, but less qualitative equipment and activities. Safety concerns are expressed in five main themes: violence,

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concerning behavior, lack of maintenance, lack of lighting, and traffic /busy roads. Safety was concluded in this case study to be a key factor of a decrease in park related physical activities and showed that there are more visits if a park is perceived as safe (Groshong, 2018). Fear is a constraint for women and adults and as the demographic research shows, many single mothers with children live in the area with these fears of safety. The bottom line is that people would feel safe when then see other friendly people, such as dog walkers, someone pushing a baby stroller, people who are conversational, security officers, and park staff. Signs that show park rules, opening/closing times would also give a sense of security.

Figure 29

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Unity

Figure 30

Unity of Riverside Park can be accomplished on many levels: by making nodes (designated entryways) for unifying one, clear entry point (point 1 by the lighthouse in Figure 30), unifying the North and South side of the park by taking out Hotaling Drive (point 2 in Figure 30), establishing a police substation to increase safety and lessen crime (point 3 in Figure 30), unifying the park and the waterfront of Niagara River by rerouting the roads and connecting directly to the bike path (point 4 in Figure 30). On a broader scale, unifying the Olmsted Parkways by adding more parkways along Buffalo roads and reconnecting with the community history by showcasing more nature and less big box stores (Figure 31). If you recall from the history section, the parks and parkways were to be set up to display the character of that area, as Olmsted designed. On a smaller scale, unity can be achieved through the addition of more

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clustered seating for talking and discussing world affairs, as Olmsted wanted people to have a chance to do in his parks.

Figure 31

An example of this unification is Rochester’s downtown, which is only a few hours away from Buffalo (Figure 32). In an article titled. “Don’t think Buffalo can Remove a Highway?

Rochester Did,” $21 million was used from state funding in order to develop many parts of their downtown, similar to Buffalo. Based on this example, a good estimated cost for re-routing

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Buffalo’s streets to take out the highways along the Niagara River, and give the waterfront back to the people and the park would probably estimate to about 2 million, most likely paid for my state funded grants.

Figure 32

Bring back the Past Many aspects of Olmsted’s vision and time have been brought back or paid tribute to recently. The rock garden paying homage to the minnow ponds, the lighthouse being re-lit, and landscape portraits being re-imagined are recent examples. But based on the research, people want more activities like fireworks, festivals, boys and girls club tournaments, and waterfront access. An example of this would be New York City’s renovation project to Macneil Park in College Point’s access to the waterfront (Figure 33). This NYC Park cost $5.4 million to renovate, so that would be a good estimated cost of bringing back old systems, paid for by sponsors to the park such as the sponsors of the Olmsted Foundation and non-profit

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organizations that are enacting the 2020-2024 plan of Olmsted Parks, presently (The Olmsted 5 Year Plan, 2019).

According to the 2008 case study about natural resource amenities, rural and biologically rich, diverse, water amenities, and other man-modified natural and recreational attractions is very attractive to adult and senior age groups. Economically speaking, those who are physically and financially healthy are a desired group of the population among city residents. This study revealed that adult, senior, and retired people’s migration often brings great economic development to the region they permanent migrated to (Poudyal, 2008). Having this knowledge, Riverside Park is a candidate for attracting more adults and seniors back into the neighborhood, as the demographic section revealed not many seniors live there. Most of the infrastructure at Riverside Park caters to sports such as baseball, football, basketball, swimming, and playground activity for children and teenagers, but not relaxing or less intense activities with a focus on seating clusters and conversation. Looking back at some of Olmsted’s original designs of the park, there was a small retention pond that was converted to a Rock Garden, more seating, and more festivals and picnics. Restoring the old park features would enable more adults and people with disabilities to participate in park activities, as well.

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Figure 33

Adult Age Group Focus As many parents drop off their children for sports practice, they really have nothing to do while their kids exercise. This is the age group with the least amount of infrastructure designed for them, but could really use a lot more planning. More places to talk, as Olmsted wanted, for a democratic space for open debates and discussions would encourage more adults to stay in the park and not just drop off kids or walk through to go to another place. Perhaps more indoor seating within the Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, exercise equipment for adults, more relaxing seating, and books for reading could really help invite people back to the park again, and enjoy themselves, rather than just treating the park as a waiting room. A good example of this is another Olmsted Park, Central Park in New York City. On their website, as shown in Figure 34, hundreds of activities and events take place every month, started mostly by not-for-profit groups,

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scheduling meet-ups for group exercise, yoga, festivals, walks dedicated to certain trees, and other fun things. Perhaps in Buffalo a job fair to help with the income in the neighborhood, daycare for single mothers located in the park, fishing events, chess/checkers tables like New York City, biking, specific seating for fireworks or to watch the sunset, and other ideas to invite people to be active in the park and neighboring businesses would be good for the community.

Figure 34

Awareness Bringing back past events ties in with the idea of awareness, and how flyers, pamphlets, and online scheduling can really promote and change a part of a city. Central Park does this on their website and around the local residential districts (Figure 34). The cost would be lower than $100,000 depending on if Buffalo had a specific design team they needed to pay to design and distribute flyers, or if not-for-profit organizations worked for Olmsted Park promotion.

In a case study about tourists, and what attracts more people to a certain area, the authors used the example of the famous Nek Chand’s Rock Garden to show that well maintained parks

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would attract city dwellers, tourists, and city planners. Noting that the biggest cities of India only accounted for 12% of tourist, and 32% of Chandigarh tourist coming from surrounding cities are more interested to move out. Estimation of urban park benefits are often underestimated.

Participants were asked for the percentage of Chandigarh’s greenery was responsible for attracting tourism. They were presented with multiple choice of 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%. Out of 904 participants, 89% of them think greenery is responsible for 75% of tourism attraction. 76% tourists think the green cover have been continuously improving over the last 15-20 years.

Another interesting fact is that 92% of visitors would not visit nature reserves, if there was a park nearby instead, but the biggest factor was that they do not know where the parks are. This brings the importance of advertising, making features known to users. Riverside Park should have its own park map, brochure, and signs around the edges of the park to let people know what is available, not within a pamphlet about all Olmsted Parks, as they do now. The second thing is that most tourists come to cities for urban parks and gardens rather than nature reserves, showing the priority parks take in people’s daily lives. This makes sense because urban planning uses art and research to determine what goes into parks are what represents a city or neighborhood, such as Riverside in Buffalo (Chaudhry, 2010).

Concluding Analysis of Mini-Master Plan for Riverside Park The sum of recommendations is carefully constructed to bring back the legacy of Olmsted Parks, embrace public input, synchronize demographic data and analysis, and combine research and other case studies into the recommended Mini-Master Plan for Riverside Park. The purpose of a mini-master plan is to focus on a single area, such as a park, for developing planning in that specific area; Riverside must be looked at through a broader view of the connecting parks and parkways of Olmsted, in order to bring together the connecting city as it

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was intended, on a larger pattern of connectivity. The people in the surrounding communities feel connected to Riverside’s history, and love the park, which gives potential and opportunities based on the park location to the Niagara River. Physical and relaxing activities are both needed for all age groups, and more clusters of seating are needed for democratic discussions, as Olmsted originally hoped for, by the people who would use his parks. All are welcome to this public park, and increased police and safety patrols would lift the burden of worry from many mother’s shoulders, who are hesitant to bring their children to Riverside Park at the present time.

In turn, many public events would make an easier comeback with increased safety, and awareness and promotion of events around Riverside would encourage more people to experience the park. The hope with this plan is for Riverside to join together with its waterfront, its community, and reconnect with Buffalo as part of an Olmsted Park and Parkway system.

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Appendix Interviews Questions for interviewees: 1.) How far away do you live from the Riverside Park?

2.) How often do you visit Riverside Park? (Frequently, Sometimes, Rarely, Never) 3.) What do you enjoy about riverside and what activities do you participate in?

4.) General Upkeep and Maintenance? (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor) 5.) Do you attend public events in the park? Which ones?

Responses: Hockey Rink, Adult, White, Female: Lisa 1. 35 minutes 2. 2x a week (just for hockey) 3. No other activities in the park, only in building 4. Old rink, outside nice, needs update, expansion 5. Just skating Bonus response: Riverside is accomodating, open space is important, but nothing for her Hockey Rink, Adult, White, Female at table: Susan 1. 3 miles (5 to 10 minutes) 2. Sometimes 3. Just hockey 4. More parking 5. Important, but nothing for her except come her for hockey Football field, teen, POC, male: Jason 1. Not far, 2 blocks 2. Whenever he has time to 3. He likes that its empty and no one usually comes 4. Well kept except for the geese poop 5. Football, basketball, and baseball tournaments Bonus response: Field used to be more popular until people started moving away due to danger, and better neighborhoods

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Football field, teen, POC, male: Justin 1. 4 blocks away 2. Once in a while 3. Basketball and football 4. Park is well maintained and clean 5. The boys and girls club have 3 on 3 tournaments Bonus response: people who were in charge of the tournaments started being less active and thus the park died out [Fortunato, F., Leber, C., Tantawy, O., Zhang, H. (2019).]

User Survey for Riverside Park.

Figures Figure 1

Digital Photograph 1. Riverside Park Playground and Recreation Building. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Figure 2

Digital Photograph 2. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Figure 3

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Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Riverside,+Buffalo,+NY+14207/@42.9557769,78.908255,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d36cc63bce4295:0xc5102fbb4ab873c6!8m2!3d42.9561426!4d-78.9033627

Figure 4

Frederick Law Olmsted [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aoc.gov/ capitol-grounds/frederick-law-olmsted

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Figure 5

Digital Photograph 5. Riverside Park Lighthouse along Tonawanda Street. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Figure 6

Digital Photograph 6. Riverside Park Maintenance of Mowed Lawn Space. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Figure 7

Digital Photograph 7. Riverside Park Football Field with Geese. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Figure 8

Digital Photograph 8. Riverside Park Indoor Ice Rink. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Figure 9

Digital Photograph 9. Irene K. Gardner Pedestrian Bridge across Niagara Street and above the 190. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Figure 10

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Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figures 10-14: Comment Section. (2019). Reviews [Review of the public park [Title of Reviewed Work]]. Retrieved from Google.com/maps website: https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Riverside+Park/@42.9560873,-78.9108928,17.5z/ data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x89d36cb84b3f4d25:0x14f5afa8dd5e528a!8m2!3d42.9566856!4d-78.9095352!9m1!1b1

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Figure 15

Trendler, A. (2013). Kowsky, Francis R. The Best Planned City in the World: Olmsted, Vaux, and the Buffalo Park System.

Library Journal, 138(17).

Figure 16

Population Density Surrounding Riverside [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.socialexplorer.com/

Figure 17

Traffic Proximity and Population of Riverside [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/comparemapper.htm

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Figure 18

Surrounding Riverside Population by Age in Years Population

1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0

Age Figure 18: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S0101, generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

Figure 19

Education Levels

Riverside Educational Attainment: Population 18 to 24 Years Old Bachelor's degree or higher Some college or associate's degree High school graduate (includes equivalency) Less than highschool graduate 0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Population

Figure 19: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

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Figure 20

Education Levels

Riverside Educational Attainment: Population 25 Years Old and Up Graduate or professional degree Bachelor's degree

Associate's Degree Some college no degree High school graduate (includes equivalency) 9th to 12th grade, no diploma Less than 9th grade 0

500

1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Population Figure 20: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

Figure 21

Population

Surrounding Riverside Population Below Poverty line by Age in Years 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Under 5

5 to 17

18 to 34

35 to 64

60 and over

Age Figure 21: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S1810, generated by Omar Tantawy using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

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Figure 22

Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level 30.50% Buffalo

45.80% Riverside 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0% Figure 22: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

Figure 23

Estimated Median House or Condo Value 2016 $302,400

New York State

Riverside $79,129

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Figure 24

Crime Index Average per Population 2016 236.5

U.S. average

537.4

Riverside Figure 25

Percentage of Single-Mother Households Among All Households Buffalo Riverside

19.40% 34.70% 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

Percentage

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Figure 26

Riverside Population by Race 7689

1561 1785

88

1668

White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian Some other race Figures 23-26: City-Data. (n.d.). Riverside Neighborhood in Buffalo. Retrieved from City-data.com website: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/ Riverside-Buffalo-NY.html. Created by Felicia Fortunato.

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Figure 27

Figure 28

Figures 27-28: Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October). Total Capital Investment [Map]. Retrieved from Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October).

The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 2020-2024. Retrieved from Bfloparks.org website: https://www.bfloparks.org/ planning-the-future-of-your-olmsted-parks-5-year-plan/5-year-plan-report/

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Figure 29

Canalside Police Substation [Photograph]. (2016). Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2016/07/13/ beefed-up-canalside-security-to-include-police-substation/

Figure 30

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Figure 31

Figures 30-31. Digital Map. Riverside Park and Parkways. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Riverside,+Buffalo,+NY+14207/@42.9557769,78.908255,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d36cc63bce4295:0xc5102fbb4ab873c6!8m2!3d42.9561426!4d-78.9033627

Figure 32

Rochester Downtown after Highway Moved [Illustration]. (2018). Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2018/07/06/ dont-think-buffalo-can-remove-a-highway-rochester-did/

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Figure 33

Four Million Renovation Project Restores Waterfront [Photograph]. (2019).

Retrieved from https://qns.com/story/2019/10/25/ 5-4-million-renovation-project-restores-waterfront-access-to-macneil-park-in-coll ege-point/

Figure 34

Central Park Webpage of Attractions [Image]. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions

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References Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (n.d.). Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy: Riverside Park. Retrieved from https://www.bfloparks.org/parks/ riverside-park/ Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October). The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 2020-2024. Retrieved from Bfloparks.org website: https://www.bfloparks.org/ planning-the-future-of-your-olmsted-parks-5-year-plan/5-year-plan-report/ Cohen, Deborah & Han, Bing & Derose, Kathryn & Williamson, Stephanie & Marsh, Terry & Raaen, Laura & Mckenzie, Thomas. (2017). Promoting physical activity in high-poverty neighborhood parks: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Social Science & Medicine. 186. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.001.

Comment Section. (2019). Reviews [Review of the public park [Title of Reviewed Work]]. Retrieved from Google.com/maps website: https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Riverside+Park/@42.9560873,-78.9108928,17.5z/ data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x89d36cb84b3f4d25:0x14f5afa8dd5e528a!8m2!3d42.9566856!4d78.9095352!9m1!1b1 Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people / Jan Gehl. Washington, DC: Island Press.

[Google Map of Riverside Park] [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps?q=riverside+park+buffalo&uact=5&um=1&ie=UTF8&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwibi6qy09nlAhVSwVkKHX3wDpgQ_AUIFCgD PBS. (Summer 2014). Frederick Law Olmstead: Designing America [Video file].

Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/show/ frederick-law-olmsted-designing-america/ Riverside neighborhood in Buffalo, NY 14207, 14216 detailed profile. (2017).

Retrieved from City-data.com website: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/ Riverside-Buffalo-NY.html Riverside Park's Reuben "Bud" Bakewell Ice Rink. (n.d.). Retrieved from: Haseksheroes.org website: https://haseksheroes.org/facilities/ riverside-park/

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Riverside Park Mini Master Plan City of Buffalo

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Felicia Fortunato

Cameron Leber Omar Tantawy Huiyuan Zhang

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Table of Contents Context History Observations Conditions, Challenges, Opportunities

Demographics Recommendations Funds, Past Finance Safety, Unity, Past, Adults, Awareness Concluding Analysis Riverside Park Mini Master Plan Fall 2019

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Context

Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Context

Digital Photograph 1. Riverside Park Basketball Court and Trees. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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History

Digital Photograph 5. Riverside Park Lighthouse along Tonawanda Street. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Observations

Digital Photograph 7. Riverside Park Football Field with Geese. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Conditions

Digital Photograph 8. Riverside Park Indoor Ice Rink. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Challenges

Digital Photograph 9. Irene K. Gardner Pedestrian Bridge across Niagara Street and above the 190. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Challenges

Digital Photograph 2. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Opportunities

Digital Photograph 1. Riverside Park Playground and Recreation Building.

Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

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Demographics

Population Density Surrounding Riverside [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.socialexplorer.co m/

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Demographics Riverside Population by Age in Years 1400

Population

1200 1000 800 600 400

Figure 18: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.census. gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

200 0

Age Riverside Park Mini Master Plan Fall 2019

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Demographics

Education Levels

Riverside Educational Attainment: Population 18 to 24 Years Old Bachelor's degree or higher

Some college or associate's degree

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

Less than highschool graduate 0

100

200

Population Riverside Park Mini Master Plan Fall 2019

300

400

500

600

Figure 19: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.Generat ed by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.c ensus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

14

Demographics

Education Levels

Riverside Educational Attainment: Population 25 Years Old and Up Graduate or professional degree Bachelor's degree

Associate's Degree Some college no degree High school graduate (includes equivalency) 9th to 12th grade, no diploma Less than 9th grade 0

500

1000

1500

Population Riverside Park Mini Master Plan Fall 2019

2000

2500

3000

3500

Figure 20: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.c ensus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

15

Demographics

Figure 27: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.ce nsus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

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Demographics

Surrounding Riverside Population Below Poverty line by Age in Years 1600

Population

1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Under 5

5 to 17

18 to 34

35 to 64

Age Riverside Park Mini Master Plan Fall 2019

60 and over

Figure 22: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.c ensus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

17

Demographics Estimated Median House or Condo Value 2016 $302,400 New York State Riverside $79,129

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Figure 11: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.c ensus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

18

Demographics Crime Index Average per Population 2016 U.S. average

236.5

Riverside

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537.4

Figure 12: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.c ensus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

19

Demographics Percentage of Single-Mother Households Among All Households Buffalo Riverside

19.40% 34.70% 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

Percentage

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Figure 14: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Generated by Felicia Fortunato using census lookup, https://factfinder.c ensus.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

20

Recommendations

Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Recommendations ✓ Improve public safety ✓Unify

✓Increase awareness ✓Reclaim past activities ✓More adult activities and built environment Riverside Park Mini Master Plan Fall 2019

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Recommendations

Drawn Map 1. Riverside Park Proposal.

Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Past Finance

→

�

Figures 28-29: Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October). Total Capital Investment [Map]. Retrieved from Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October).

The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 20202024. Retrieved from Bfloparks.org website: https://www.bfloparks.org/ planning-the-future-of-your-olmstedparks-5-year-plan/5-year-plan-report/

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Funds

Figures 28-29: Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October). Total Capital Investment [Map]. Retrieved from Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October).

The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 2020-2024. Retrieved from Bfloparks.org website: https://www.bfloparks.org/ planning-the-future-of-your-olmsted-parks-5-year-plan/5-year-plan-report/

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Recommendations

Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Recommendations

Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Recommendations

Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Safety

Canalside Police Substation [Photograph]. (2016). Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2016/07/1 3/beefed-up-canalside-security-toinclude-police-substation/

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Recommendations

Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

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Unity

Rochester Downtown after Highway Moved [Illustration]. (2018). Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2018/07/06/ dont-think-buffalo-can-remove-ahighway-rochesterdid/https://qns.com/story/2019/10/25/54-million-renovation-project-restoreswaterfront-access-to-macneil-park-incollege-point/

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Bring Back the Past

Four Million Renovation Project Restores Waterfront [Photograph].

(2019).

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Adult Age Group Focus

Central Park Webpage of Attractions [Image].

(2019). Retrieved from https://www.centralpark. com/things-todo/attractions

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Awareness

Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (n.d.). Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy: Riverside Park. Retrieved from https://www.bfloparks.org/parks/ riverside-park/

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Conclusions Long term solutions ✓ Safety ✓ Unity Short term solutions ✓ Awareness ✓ Reclaim the Past ✓ Adult Age Group Focus

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References Digital Map 3. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Google.com/maps (n.d.).

Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Riverside,+Buffalo,+NY+14207/@42.9557769,78.908255,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d36cc63bce4295:0xc5102fbb4ab873c6!8m2!3d42.9561426!4d-78.9033627 Digital Photograph 5. Riverside Park Lighthouse along Tonawanda Street. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Digital Photograph 7. Riverside Park Football Field with Geese. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Digital Photograph 8. Riverside Park Indoor Ice Rink. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Digital Photograph 9. Irene K. Gardner Pedestrian Bridge across Niagara Street and above the 190. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Digital Photograph 2. Riverside Park Scattered Benches. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Digital Photograph 1. Riverside Park Playground and Recreation Building. Data Source: Apple iPhone Camera.

Population Density Surrounding Riverside [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.socialexplorer.com/ Figure 18: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S0101, generated by Omar Tantawy using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019) Figure 19: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S1501, generated by Omar Tantawy using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019) Figure 20: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S1501, generated by Omar Tantawy using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019)

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References Figure 27: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S0601, generated by Omar Tantawy using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019) Figure 22: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S1701, generated by Omar Tantawy using census lookup, https://factfinder.census.gov (data retrieved on November 4, 2019) Figures 23-26: City Data. (2017). Chart of Poverty [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Riverside-Buffalo-NY.html Figures 28-29: Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October). Total Capital Investment [Map]. Retrieved from Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October).

The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 2020-2024. Retrieved from Bfloparks.org website: https://www.bfloparks.org/ planning-the-future-of-your-olmsted-parks-5-year-plan/5-year-plan-report/ Canalside Police Substation [Photograph]. (2016). Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2016/07/13/ beefed-up-canalside-security-to-include-police-substation/ Rochester Downtown after Highway Moved [Illustration]. (2018). Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/2018/07/06/ dont-think-buffalo-can-remove-a-highway-rochester-did/https://qns.com/story/2019/10/25/ 5-4-million-renovation-project-restores-waterfront-access-to-macneil-park-in-coll ege-point/

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References Four Million Renovation Project Restores Waterfront [Photograph]. (2019).

Central Park Webpage of Attractions [Image]. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (n.d.). Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy: Riverside Park. Retrieved from https://www.bfloparks.org/parks/ riverside-park/ Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. (2019, October). The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 2020-2024. Retrieved from Bfloparks.org website: https://www.bfloparks.org/ planning-the-future-of-your-olmsted-parks-5-year-plan/5-year-plan-report/ Cohen, Deborah & Han, Bing & Derose, Kathryn & Williamson, Stephanie & Marsh, Terry & Raaen, Laura & Mckenzie, Thomas. (2017). Promoting physical activity in highpoverty neighborhood parks: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Social Science & Medicine. 186. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.001.

[Google Map of Riverside Park] [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps?q=riverside+park+buffalo&uact=5&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwibi6qy09nlAhVSwVkKHX3wDpgQ_AUIFCgD PBS. (Summer 2014). Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America [Video file].

Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/show/ frederick-law-olmsted-designing-america/ Riverside neighborhood in Buffalo, NY 14207, 14216 detailed profile. (2017).

Retrieved from City-data.com website: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/ Riverside-Buffalo-NY.html

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Cameron: Title Slide Good morning We’re Group 3 with a proposal for Riverside Park, in the form of a Mini-Master Plan.

Name Slide My name is Cameron and beside me are my group members: Huiyuan, Felicia and Omar.

Table of Contents Slide Context, History, Observations of Conditions, Challenges, Opportunities, Demographics, Recommendations with Funds, Past Finance, Safety, Unity, Past, Adults, Awareness, and the Concluding Analysis Context -22 Acres of Land Along the Niagara River in Buffalo Context -Riverside park features Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, River Rock Garden, trees, sports fields, lighthouse -2008-2018-Buffalo Plan for the 21st Century installed a new playground structure, concession shelter building, baseball field, 11 park benches, 5 picnic tables, and enhanced the public restrooms in the past decade -2014-Rock Garden was designed to pay tribute to the original minnow ponds and help with ground runoff and flooding problems -2015- 2,300 linear feet of pathways were constructed, creating a new circulation loop to the park entrance gateway at Crowley Avenue and Niagara Street, which strengthened the connection & unity to the nearby George Washington Park -The current plan is The Olmsted City 5 Year Plan 2020-2024 & wants to redo the football and baseball fields for Riverside Park, According to Bfloparks.org & the Buffalo Parks Conservancy.

History -Riverside Park was designed in the years 1898 – 1899 by Fredrick Law Olmsted’s sons and successors, as part of the Olmsted Architectural Firm, after Olmsted’s retirement in 1895.

-Part of the Olmsted Parkway System in Buffalo - Olmsted created specific viewports, or “landscape portraits,” like this path (gesture to screen) showcasing the lighthouse on Tonawanda Street -The goal of his parks was to connect people to nature and have a space to meet and have healthy, democratic debate.

Now I will turn the floor over to Huiyuan

Huiyuan: Observations -October 30th, 2019 at 5:00pm & November 15th at 3:00pm Conditions -We observed a group of 5 teenagers playing football, 3 teenagers playing baseball, a group of 4 children playing catch, 2 parents watching the kids play catch, 3 bikers, and a team of teenagers playing hockey on the indoor Ice Rink. (point to screen) -The locations where we observed the park users were the football field, the Ice Rink and an adjacent small grass field. All three of these locations are next to each other on the north end of the park, south of Hotaling Drive.

Challenges -Safety concerns were expressed in our park user surveys about drive-by shootings, homeless people, gang activity, and crime. These safety concerns decrease park use, significantly.

-There is no clear, unifying place for everyone to enter the park, and the park is divided by roads and highways.

-The Interstate 190 and the New York 266 Highway disconnect the park from the waterfront, and adjacent bike path, a huge opportunity of park attraction. There is a pedestrian bridge sponsored

by Irene K. Gardener that leads to a bike path on the other side of the park, but the disconnect from the water, and the danger of crossing the highway, deters people from experiencing the full value of the park.

Challenges-2 -benches and seating areas are not clustered enough for people and families to sit and talk in groups, as Olmsted envisioned.

-The adult age group does not have many activities geared towards them -Parks users say they want past events such as fireworks, festivals, and the appearance of the park to be restored.

Opportunities -The main reason why this park is a candidate for improvement is because the park users still care about Riverside, feel connected to the history, and they enjoy the accommodations the park used to offer. According to our research, people still want this park in their community, with its waterfront location, many sports facilities and fields, playground, and open space.

Next, we have Omar with Demographics

Omar: Demographics

-There is a large density of people in the Riverside area, with the total populations of these surroundings communities, which includes census tracts 57, 58.01, 58.02, and 84, being 13,691.

The amount of traffic and population in comparison with neighboring communities is higher than average. (Socialexplorer.com) Demographics

-The population is spread out fairly evenly in terms of age, meaning Riverside Park should have activities that appeal to all age groups, and not just facilities for activities that require a high level of physical demand and are generally catered to younger populations. According to our park user surveys, many parents were waiting for their kids inside the ice rink, because there are not many adult activities to draw them to use the park themselves. (Factfinder.census.gov) Demographics -With low educational attainment, Riverside Park can be a gathering place to help those who do not have a college education find careers. (Factfinder.census.gov) Demographics2 Demographics - The overall race of surrounding Riverside neighborhoods is white, but also has a black and

Asian population. (Factfinder.census.gov) This diverse neighborhood has a need for a democratic space to discuss politics and neighborhood issues, as Olmsted would have wanted for the people, to improve their happiness, as in “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.�

Demographics -Poverty levels in Riverside are higher than Buffalo as a whole, and it has been proven that

neighborhoods with high levels of poverty are much more likely to need physical activity infrastructure. (Cohen, 2017) Demographics

-As shown, the median rent in Riverside is lower than the rest of Buffalo; this shows that the community has need for aspects that raise their property values and renter contracts, such as reconnecting to the waterfront, as waterfront housing can make property more desirable.

(CityData.com)

Demographics Demographics

-A higher percentage of single mother households, and higher crime rates are deterring mothers from bringing their children to this park. (City Data.com) This also shows a need for more adult age group activities and seating for conversation, a place to congregate, and an addition for exercise equipment, so a workout is possible while their children also exercise at sports practice.

Next, we have Felicia with Recommendations

Felicia: Recommendations -Here is a map of our recommendations, which we will go through by number.

List The goals of our recommendations are to improve public safety, unify the park, increase awareness, reclaim past activities, and incorporate more adult activities and built environment Map Here is a map of how Riverside could look after our proposal is implemented. The paths connect without roads or highways and extend directly to the waterfront of the Niagara River, more vegetation is planted, a police building for safety, and a direct entrance with informational signs about the park’s features are shown.

Past Finance -The previous 2008-2018 plan states that the cost of Riverside Park was a total capital investment of $2,522,525.

Funds -Riverside Park’s current 2020-2024 plan for Olmsted Parks in Buffalo by the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy has been made possible by state awarded grants, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and nonprofit sponsors.

1 Designated entry point can be the lighthouse landmark, where signs and information can be displayed as people enter the park, increasing awareness 2 -Getting rid of Hotaling Drive would promote safety and unity to Riverside 3 -The demographics show that many single mothers live in the area and public opinion has expressed concerns about homeless people, drugs, and gang activity. Therefore, the proposal recommended is for more security and officers to be present in the park with a temporary police substation as a base.

3-2 Mayor Byron Brown used $21 million of state funds to improve infrastructure in Buffalo, including making a temporary police substation at Canalside. A fair estimate based on the funds for this would be a range from $500,000 to 2 million to put a substation or a few officers patrolling the park daily, from state/government funds.

4 Unity -In an article titled, “Don’t think Buffalo can Remove a Highway? Rochester Did,” $21 million was used from state funding in order to develop many parts of their downtown.

Past

Based on this example, a good estimated cost for re-routing Buffalo’s streets to take out the roads along the Niagara River, and give the waterfront back to the people and the park, would probably estimate to about 2 million, most likely paid for by state funded grants.

Based on the research, people want more activities like fireworks, festivals, boys and girls club tournaments, and waterfront access. An example of this would be New York City’s renovation project to Macneil Park, which cost $5.4 million to renovate, to bring back the waterfront.

Riverside could accomplish this with sponsors of the Olmsted Foundation and non-profit organizations.

Adult -Central Park features many adult activities on their webpage.

-To encourage more adults to stay in the park, perhaps more indoor seating within the Bud Bakewell Ice Rink, exercise equipment for adults, more relaxing seating, and books for reading could really help invite adults back to the park again.

Awareness -Riverside Park does not feature any activities on their webpage; their calendar is blank -Bringing back past events ties in with the idea of awareness, and how flyers, pamphlets, and online scheduling can really promote and change a part of a city. Riverside Park’s webpage does not have events like Central Park. The cost would be lower than $100,000 by nonprofit organizations, most likely.

Now, we will go back to Cameron for the conclusion.

Cameron: -To conclude our presentation, I am going to run back through the long-term and short term goals of our Mini-Master Plan. The Long term goals are to improve public safety, and to unify the park by reconnecting it back to its neighborhood and waterfront. The short term goals are to increase awareness of park events and activities, reclaim some of the park’s original features that made it great in the past, and lastly add more activities and features to draw in older age groups.

References References References Thank you all for your time. Now we will open up the floor for questions.

Riverside Park -22 acre plot along the Niagara River in Buffalo, New York.

-Frederick Law Olmsted designed “landscape portraits,” to connect people to nature and have gatherings Observations: -Safety concerns expressed, based on the park surveys, about crime - Needs a unifying place for designated entry - Needs clusters of benches, and is disconnected by roads to waterfront - Past events are missed by public Demographics: -There is a large density of people, populations below the poverty line, a higher percentage of single mother households, and low property values Finance: -Riverside Park’s current 2020-2024 plan for Olmsted Parks is funded by state awarded grants, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and not-for-profit sponsors.

Recommendations: - More officers and police bases. Ex: Canalside. Estimate: $500,000 to 2 million from state/government funds.

-Connect back to waterfront Ex: Rochester. Estimate: 2 million by state funded grants -Past activities brought back. Ex: NYC’s Macneil Park.

-More adult activities like Central Park, increase awareness Felicia Fortunato, Cameron Leber, Omar Tantawy, Huiyuan Zhang Professor: Jonathan Bleuer, Teaching Assistant: Andrew Schaefer

Environmental Design Portfolio

Jacob A. Wozniak

Table of Contents  Introduction -

Introducing the course and things I’ve learned throughout these projects.

 Research in Planning -

Researching two topics on current urban planning issues, subjects, or initiatives.

A summary on each topic.

 Literature Review & Annotated Bibliography -

A provided topic with at least 16 summarized quality sources.

An overview of the provided topic.

 Data Analysis Report -

Critically comparing demographic and economic characteristics of my two chosen cities.

 Data Collection Memorandum & PowerPoint -

Collecting data on a chosen intersection and roundabout.

Developing a written memorandum on the data collected.

Developing a PowerPoint on the data collected.

 Park Mini – Master Plan & PowerPoint -

Park Mini – Master Plan on the data collected (M.L.K. Jr. Park).

PowerPoint presentation outline My presentation script (State of Affairs).

Presentation on M.L.K. Jr. Park.

Introduction

Introduction Methods of design inquiry can be seen as a very crucial part of environmental design and urban planning. By investigating certain places or even structures we are able to obtain the information needed to continue to evolve these certain sites. This course allows you to research different areas around the world and generate unique ideas for improvements. The projects that have been completed throughout this course give different approaches to real life problems and solutions in relation to research and planning. This course consisted of five different projects, all with various themes throughout. All projects are cited with APA style formatting. The contents of my portfolio will include all of these projects in the order in which completed during the semester.

The first project I had completed was research in planning. This project gave me the opportunity to research current urban planning issues, subjects, or initiatives around the world. I was tasked to select two topics in which I would write a one-page summary about for each topic.

I approached this project with an open mind towards urban planning subjects in which I wanted to learn more about. I decided to choose the topics of sustainable cities as well as hazardous waste transportation. For each of these topics I provided certain examples to explain in relation to my selected urban planning subjects.

The second project I had completed was a literature review and annotated bibliography.

In this project, I was assigned the topic of “The Importance of Sustainability� in which I had to research in depth. I approached this project by finding at least sixteen high quality sources relating to my topic and summarizing each source. This assignment showed me much of the

history of sustainability as well as the future for sustainability. I was then tasked to bring it all together and write an overview of the topic.

The third project I had completed was a data analysis report. This project was a multi-part assignment. I was tasked to select two cities of my choice and critically compare the demographic and economic characteristics between these two cities. The two cities I chose were Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY. I approached this project by finding the certain data needed through applicable data sources. I used much of the information found to compare many of the similarities and differences between the two cities I had selected. After analyzing the data, I was tasked to create a professional report comparing the city of Miami, FL to the city of Syracuse, NY by highlighting some of the key discoveries.

The fourth project I had completed was a data collection memorandum and a PowerPoint associated with the data. This project was a two person project in which my partner and I began by selecting one roundabout and one intersection near the University at Buffalo to study. We visited our selected sites multiple times to collect vital traffic and pedestrian data, along with many important photos. Our next step was to create a memorandum to the University at Buffalo Campus Planning Director by compiling and organizing all of our obtain data and photos to present in a professional manner. Upon completion of our created memorandum, we were tasked to create a formal PowerPoint presentation on the information and data we had collected. This PowerPoint featured many of the photos we had taken as well as crucial information gathered from the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transport Council (GBNRTC).

The fifth project I had completed was a case study, or a park mini-master plan and a PowerPoint presentation to go along with it. This project consisted of a group of four in which my three group members and I began by choosing a park that we wanted to study. We decided to

choose M.L.K. Jr. Park which is located in Buffalo, NY and a part of the Olmstead Parks Conservatory. We approached this project by first visiting the park multiple times to get a sense of the environment as well as interact with the people around the area. We took many pictures and asked many of the people who visited the park certain questions about the pros and cons of M.L.K. Jr. Park to give us ideas for improvements towards the park. We decided to split this assignment up by each selecting a specific topic to research more upon and elaborate on in which we could tie all together. We were able to keep a close connection on each topic throughout the project based on continuous peer reviews from each group member. We created a final park mini-master plan which included all the data and information we had collected. Upon completion of our park mini-master plan, we then created a PowerPoint presentation to share with our classmates as well as special guests such as a councilmember, planner, and an attorney.

Overall, I believe this course has taught me very useful information. I also believe from start to finish, I had gradually improved throughout each project. I believe my fifth and final project in this course was the most useful for me. I think the components associated with the fifth project showed me a lot in terms of group work, professionality, and time management. I think my approaches towards many of these projects differ, but also gradually improve from start to finish. I think the most I’ve learned from this course is the professionalism needed to succeed in large projects, and I think it shows throughout my portfolio in how my work is completed and structured. I also believe my portfolio shows my versatility between project to project in different ways of thinking and appliance towards the different tasks provided.

Research in Planning

Jake Wozniak 8/30/2019 Research in Planning

Topic 1 For this topic I chose to take a closer look on the topic of sustainable cities and some urban planning issues associated with it. I started by looking up some of the most unsustainable cities and seeing why and how they became the way they are today. I also wanted to take a closer look into what actually admits a certain city to be deemed unsustainable. From my research I chose to write about the city of Los Angeles along with Tokyo-Yokohama, which are two of the more unsustainable cities in the world. For Los Angeles, the location creates sustainability issues due to the frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes and droughts. The warmer weather creates a lack of water for crops and plants, making it difficult to make and sell produce. Another reason to why Los Angeles is considered unsustainable is because of the larger population the city possesses. It is one of the most populated city in the United States. The reason TokyoYokohama is one of the more unsustainable cities in the world is much like Los Angeles, Tokyo-Yokohama faces many different natural disasters. Some of the different types of natural disasters that strike Tokyo-Yokohama consists of earthquakes, monsoons, river floods, and tsunamis. Much like Los Angles, Tokyo-Yokohama has a very large population which creates very high energy uses throughout the city which makes it a

challenge for Tokyo-Yokohama to be a sustainable city. Overall, sustainability can be difficult for many large cities and can be very challenging to combat certain obstacles.

Topic 2 For this topic I chose to take a closer look on the topic of hazardous waste transportation and some urban planning initiatives associated with it. I started by looking up what pertains towards waste management transportation and some of the current ways this process is being used today. I also wanted to take a closer look into the rights and wrongs associated with the topic. From my research I chose to start with rules and regulations to find out the certain progress made over time to figure out why we have certain standards for hazardous waste transportation. I extended this research to Onondaga Lake located in Syracuse, NY which is one of the most polluted lakes in America. It started years ago when different factories from around the area would dump their toxic waste into the lake resulting in having to try and clean up currently. Many other situations much similar to this has resulted in the creation of safer and more efficient ways to move hazardous waste. Now people transporting this hazardous waste need to obtain EPA identification numbers, comply with the EPA manifest system, taking appropriate measures if the certain waste is spilled during transport, and obeying all applicable U.S. DOT hazardous materials regulations. These transport systems ultimately move the hazardous waste to certain plants to be properly managed. Overall, based on

certain events from the past many different rules and regulations have been implemented towards waste management to create a safer place to live.

Works Cited Topic 1: -Coca, N. (2016, July 23). Unsustainable Cities Are Burdening Our Planet. Retrieved from http://www.planetexperts.com/unsustainable-cities-bankrupting-planets-resources/

-(n.d.).

Current sustainability and future solutions.

Retrieved from https://tokyoinformationcentre.weebly.com/current-sustainability-and-futuresolutions.html

-(2015, June 29). Readers React: California drought: lawns are unsustainable, but hold the concrete. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/lale-0630water-drought-california-20150629-story.html

-(2014, April 16). The most unsustainable cities in the world. Retrieved from https://keepitpureandsimple.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/the-most-unsustainablecities-in-the-world/

Topic 2: -(2019, March 25). Hazardous Waste Transportation. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/hw/hazardous-waste-transportation

-(n.d.). History of Onondaga Lake. Retrieved from https://students.sunyocc.edu/index.aspx?menu=542&id=13388

-(2019, April 26). Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/hw/learn-basics-hazardous-waste

-(2014, March 6). Onondaga Lake – The Most Polluted Lake In America. Retrieved from https://www.onondaganation.org/land-rights/onondaga-lake/

Literature Review & Annotated Bibliography

Jake Wozniak 9/16/2019 Literature Review & Annotated Bibliography

The Importance of Sustainability A sustainable city is considered to be a city designed with consideration for social, economic, environmental impact, and resilient habitat for existing populations, without compromising the ability of future generations to experience the same. Some ways sustainability in a city can be achieved are through eco-friendly ways of transportation such walking or the use of bike. Also some things like the use of paper instead of plastic can help the environment. Many cities can also be deemed unsustainable due to either their lack of eco-friendly practices and/or their locations with the consistent high risks of natural disasters that strike such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. Overall, sustainability is something that should be strived for from every city.

Sustainability is a very broad topic with many different approaches and problems. A very general and highly debated point from the topic of sustainability is transportation and some of the harms people in many cities currently go through. The use of gas engines in a very heavy abundance of cars all around the world create greenhouse gases which harm the atmosphere, and this is something many people do not want to give up. By not advancing from gas engine towards a more eco-friendly motorization in vehicles can create a high degree of difficulty in sustainable urban development and growth throughout the world (Banister, 2005). The use of electricity to power cars has recently become a viable option instead of the use of gas engines, which is a much more eco-friendly way of transport. There are other alternatives such as the use of bike or walk which can also be performed to get from place to place in an eco-friendly

manner. Some cities that are pursuing sustainability are Copenhagen (Denmark), San Francisco (California), Vancouver (Canada), Stockholm (Sweden), etc. Some of the common sustainable techniques used by these cities are the heavy use of bike transportation, the reduction of waste, the conservation of energy, etc. Many cities seek to improve recycling usage and programs as well as transportation planning with properly using urban spaces (Girardet, 1999). Sustainability can be tracked back to a political issue in many cities. In terms of political forces, many expectations range across cities where nonprofit environmental groups have been included or incorporated into the local policymaking process, there is greater commitment to environmental protection, and more extensive adoption and implementation of local policies and programs designed to protect the environment (Portney & Berry, 2014). Many cities create sustainable policies to improve and maintain public health. Certain programs investigate the extent to which cities in the US that have the most aggressive sustainability initiatives exhibit better health outcomes than cities with less aggressive sustainability initiatives (Portney & Sansom, 2017).

Urban green spaces are very important towards a Green spaces are increasingly becoming an integral part of the efforts to promote sustainability because of the different areas of benefits they provide sustainable city and the environment. Patch analyst is generally used to analyze the location, structure and fragmentation green spaces within each urban extent.

The purpose is to determine to what degree urban green spaces can be considered to be an integral part of the sustainability of sustainable urban extents across the United States (Bloise, 2013). Throughout history there has always been many conflicts associated with sustainability.

Urban sprawl's impact on resources is considered as well as the conflict between cities & ecology, economic growth, & the environment (MartĂ­nez-Alier, 2003). Sustainability can be associated with different types of engineering and technology to create a more eco-friendly environment (Monto & Malhotra, 2011).

Climate change is important in relation to sustainability throughout the world. Climate change can be linked to the depletion of ecosystem resources and can be balanced with the need to ensure that different cities are vibrant, inclusive and economically successful places (North, 2010). Many unsustainability cities lack the proper management of waste and energy consumption. Contributors examine how urban planners, architects, novelists, and filmmakers

tap the unique and complex character of cities in response to economic, environmental, social, and political changes in relation towards sustainability (Sustaining Cities, 2012). Many cities across the world are facing unprecedented challenges in traffic management and transit congestion while coping with growing populations and mobility aspirations, existing policies that aim to tackle congestion and create more sustainable transport futures offer only weak remedies (Sutton, 2015). By designing measures for the reduction of energy consumption in urban areas creates many different opportunities for sustainable practice throughout certain cities. The story of unsustainable cities is characterized by a ‘tragedy of the commons’ phenomenon not only in the deployment of urban infrastructure but also in the overuse of the natural capital that sustain the city (Dentinho, 2011). Unsustainability has been featured around many cities for many years due to two-dimensional principles (Cerimovic, 2013). Many other unsustainable situations deal with locations of cities. Many natural disasters strike different cities creating an unsustainable atmosphere such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, etc. Some of the most unsustainable cities around the world include Shanghai, Los Angeles, Tokyo – Yokohama, Teheran, etc. due to the extremely high risks of natural disasters. An unsustainable city can also be traced back to the people living in these cities, without a lot of effort to create a eco-friendly and sustainable place to live there will never be a fully sustainable ecosystem.

Overall, Sustainability is very important for every city around the world, and should be something everybody strives for. Sustainable cities need people who live in these areas to be willing to go towards a more green approach to living everyday life. Many cities are unsustainable because of the lack of initiative taken to keep a city green. The locations of many cities create an unsustainable atmosphere with many relief programs designed to help with these different natural disasters. I don’t believe sustainability will be completely 100% achieved in cities around the world. I do think many cities have the ability to become highly sustainable. By continuing to find ways to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions such a bike riding from place to place will create more opportunity for a healthy atmosphere for people to live in.

Sustainable cities are attractive cities to live in and hopefully be displayed in even more cities around the world.

Annotated Bibliography Banister, D. (2005). Unsustainable transport : city transport in the new century / David Banister.

London ;: Routledge.

This book addresses the relations between transport and sustainable urban development, from an analysis of the global picture to issues relating forms of transport and energy intensity, public policy and the institutional and organisational restrictions on change. David Banister is a professor of transport studies as well as an author of many books relating to transportation. Many of the sections in this book are in reference towards transportation ranging from sustainabilty and transport to technolgy and transport to visions towards the future for clean efficient transportation. By breaking down the positives and negatives of transportation on the environment and eloborating on these factors, creates a vision for the future and different ways certain elements of transportation can be changed for the better.

Bloise, G. (2013). Examining the relationship between urban green space and sustainable cities.

In C. Roberts, M. Fadiman, R. Ivy, & D. Mitsova (Eds.): ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

In this report urban green space plays a vital role in the stability of the environment. Green spaces are increasingly becoming an integral part of the efforts to promote sustainability because of the different areas of benefits they provide. The results of the studys taken have shown that urban extents that are ranked highly on sustainable ranking systems do not necessarily have to have large proportion of green spaces. Results have also shown that urban extents that are ranked high on sustainable rankings will not necessarily be affected by increase in population or decrease in urban green space. Finally human modified green spaces have simple geometric shapes compared to natural unaltered green spaces that have more complex geometric shapes.

Cerimovic, V. (2013). Decade of the new Charter of Athens and unsustainable 2D visions of cities. Glasnik Srpskog geografskog drustva, 93(3), 73-104. doi:10.2298/GSGD1303073C In this article 2013 marks a decade of unsustainable 2D combinatorics and 3D visions of 21st century cities sublimation by the New Charter of Athens created in 2003. This is a good occasion to review some of its outdated and unsustainable 2D principles, the ones that have failed for an entire decade to create better cities of tomorrow and are now far away from achieving it. The problem is seen in the fact that the New Charter of Athens, through unsustainable practice of the outdated 2D terminology, sees the physical structure of a city in a proselytical and unsustainable way and accepts only highbuilt objects or artifacts, regarding them to be only built space and structures since

they do possess walls. Therefore, the so-called visionary charter perceives the vision of the European cities of the 21st century, and the implementation of 2D terminology and 2D quasy-knowledge shows its unawareness of the fact that apart from social (local) communities and high-built physical structures, cities consist of two more types of physical (3D) structures, objects or artifacts having no walls. That is why its 3D vision has not been completed yet, ever since the day it was adopted in 2003, because it does not perceive and recognize low and landscape built 3D objects and artifacts.

Moreover, it regards them to be the so-called non-built, the so-called free, the socalled open space. Therefore, it is certainly not unusual to note that the charter does not even mention a significant eco-reciprocity and eco-urban continuity between immanent, integrative, compatible and complementary high, low and landscape built objects or artifacts within the physical structure of cities.

Dentinho, T. P. (2011). Unsustainable cities, a tragedy of urban infrastructure. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 3(3), 231-247. doi:10.1111/j.1757-7802.2011.01039.x This paper seeks to understand urban unsustainability. The main argument is that the story of unsustainable cities is characterized by a ‘tragedy of the commons’ phenomenon not only in the deployment of urban infrastructure but also in the overuse of the natural capital that sustain the city. Dentinho show that, looking at the story of unsustainable cities from the perspective of a simple general equilibrium urban model, open access to urban land leads to high concentrations of population, huge deployment of urban infrastructure and irreversible degradation of the natural capital creating a ‘tragedy of urban infrastructure’ that undermines the sustainability of cities creating preannounced urban ruins.

Girardet, H. (1999). Creating sustainable cities / Herbert Girardet. Totnes, Devon: Published by Green Books for the Schumacher Society.

This book bring up the question of how can we create cities of diversity for the 21st century - places of cultural vigour and physical beauty that are also economically and environmentally sustainable? This text aims to show the way forward, giving suggestions on recycling, transport planning and the use of urban space.

Haughton, G. (1994). Sustainable cities / Graham Haughton and Colin Hunter. London ;: J. Kingsley Publishers.

This book takes on two issues of immediate public concern: sustainable environmental development and urban development. The themes of the book are illustrated throughout with in-depth material and case studies, and are approached from a variety of perspectives: economic, ecological and managerial.

Martínez-Alier, J. (2003). Scale, Environmental Justice, and Unsustainable Cities. Capitalism Nature Socialism, 14(4), 43-63. doi:10.1080/10455750308565545 This article discusses urbanism, urbanization, & sustainability, describing the modern history of the conflict between cities & ecology, economic growth, & the environment. Urban sprawl's impact on resources is considered, followed by an examination of the environmental justice movement & its confrontation of environmental descrimination. The roles of place & pollution sources & of race/ethnicity are analyzed. The concluding section addresses both the NorthSouth & rural-urban aspects of the environmental justice movement, recommending global cooperation.

Monto, G., & Malhotra, R. (2011). Sustainable cities. Current Science, 100(1), 11-12.

This journal covers all branches of pure/applied science and technology such as physics, chemistry, life sciences, medicine, earth sciences, engineering and technology. Full length research articles and shorter research communications, review articles, scientific correspondence and commentaries, news and views, comments on recently published research papers, articles on universities and institutions, interviews with scientists, book reviews, etc are published in this journal. Special Sections are also published on diverse and topical themes and this has served as a platform for scientific fraternity to get their work acknowledged and highlighted. The Editorial Board consists of experts from India and abroad in all scientific disciplines.

North, P. (2010). Unsustainable Urbanism? Cities, Climate Change and Resource Depletion: A Liverpool Case Study. Geography Compass, 4(9), 1377-1391. doi:10.1111/j.17498198.2010.00371.x This paper brings together geographical debates about how responses to climate change and to the depletion of ecosystem resources can be balanced with the need to ensure that different cities are vibrant, inclusive and economically successful places. The paper uses Liverpool, UK as prism through which to review changing conceptualisations about how to make vibrant cities, bringing together a review of the city’s recent past with a discussion of contemporary discussions about how the city could move to a low carbon future under which CO‐equivalent emissions are 80% lower than today by 2050. A key issue is to explore the of current accepted paradigms for local economic development, and, in this context, to examine how behavior and practices at one time seen as normal might be seen as pathological by future generations as conceptions of what is seen as ‘acceptable’ and ‘humane’ change. Overall, this paper points out the differences from the past compared to the present in terms of sustainability.

Portney, K. E., & Berry, J. (2014). Civil Society and Sustainable Cities. Comparative Political Studies, 47(3), 395-419. doi:10.1177/0010414013509574 This article brings up the question of who determines environmental policy? Cities have undergone fundamental change in both their economies and populations. In terms of political forces, the articles expectation is

that across a range of cities, where nonprofit environmental groups have been included or incorporated into the local policymaking process, there is greater commitment to environmental protection, and more extensive adoption and implementation of local policies and programs designed to protect the environment. This article test these ideas by combining two original data sets.

First, they collect information on what programs and policies are in place in America’s large cities. Second, for 50 large American cities, they survey top city administrators. The article finds that inclusion of environmental groups in city policymaking is strongly linked to city administrators’ perceptions of city commitment to environmental protection.

Portney, K. E., & Sansom, G. T. (2017). Sustainable Cities and Healthy Cities: Are They the Same? Urban Planning, 2(3), 45. doi:10.17645/up.v2i3.1018 In this arcticle there is robust literature examining the wide array of public policies and programs cities pursue in order to try to become more sustainable.

Whether the focus of such programs is explicitly on improving the bio-physical environment, climate protection and adaptation, energy efficiency, land use regulation, or any of a number of other targets, such programs often carry with them an expectation that the programs will contribute to improve the health of populations. While there is significant attention to asserting that such a relationship exists, or ought to exist, there have been no efforts to explicitly and empirically link city policies to health outcomes. This article tackles this issue head-on, investigating the extent to which cities in the US that have the most aggressive sustainability initiatives exhibit better health outcomes than cities with less aggressive sustainability initiatives. Using data from the largest cities in the US, this article presents evidence concerning the strength of this relationship, discusses the foundations for the relationship, and provides a discussion of the implications for urban planning, sustainability policies and for improving the health of populations.

Pugh, C. D. J. (2000). Sustainable cities in developing countries : theory and practice at the millennium / edited by Cedric Pugh (1st ed. ed.). London ;: Earthscan.

This book talks about sustainable Cities in Developing Countries aims to establish ground rules for the burgeoning sphere of urban studies. The topics covered include reflections on sustainable urban development, localisation of Agenda 21 and low-income living areas.

Sustaining cities urban policies, practices, and perceptions / edited by Linda Krause. (2012).

New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

In this book sustaining Cities spotlights metropolitan and smaller centers in light of globalization and its aftermaths to discover what has happened to them in the wake of the global economic recession. The nine writings look at such diverse topics as globalization and agriculture, public policies in modern cities, and corporate support in urban areas. Contributors examine how urban planners, architects, novelists, and filmmakers tap the unique and complex character of cities in response to economic, environmental,

social, and political changes. Overall, this book gives an in- depth understanding of different approaches towards sustainability.

Sutton, J. C. (2015). Gridlock : congested cities, contested policies, unsustainable mobility / John C. Sutton. New York, NY: Routledge.

This book brings up how cities across the world are facing unprecedented challenges in traffic management and transit congestion while coping with growing populations and mobility aspirations; existing policies that aim to tackle congestion and create more sustainable transport futures offer only weak remedies. This book explores how two competing discourses in transport policy and planning practice - convivial and competitive ideologies lead to contradictory solutions and a gridlock in policy as well as on transport systems.This book examines current transport and mobility in a geographical, social, political-economy and technological context. The challenges of rising congestion are highlighted through case studies from the UK, the USA, and OECD countries. This book offers readers a vision of a sustainable mobility future through the concept of mobility management, combining mobile communication and information technology with logistics to match travel demand to the capacity of transport systems.

Theodoridou, I., Papadopoulos, A. M., & Hegger, M. (2012). A feasibility evaluation tool for sustainable cities – A case study for Greece. Energy Policy, 44, 207-216. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.01.042 This article talks about designing measures for the reduction of energy consumption in urban areas in a complex venture. In terms of urban sustainability, such measures affect energy efficiency as well as environmental, economic and social aspects. Numerous publications dealt with such methodological approaches in the past, whilst the subject of sustainable urban areas and cities is constantly gaining interest. Furthermore, energy performance depends on building density, occupancy and consumer profile, climatic conditions, not least construction quality, factors linked, directly or not, to socioeconomic aspects. Greek cities are known for their density, their polymorphic structure and their complexity. Thus, planning energy conservation measures is a difficult task, demanding a precise methodological approach, which will embody most of these aspects to a great extent. This paper proposes a methodology on how to manage Greek cities in terms of their energy efficiency, emphasizing on the residential stock.

Zhan, C. J., de Jong, M., & de Bruijn, H. (2018). Funding Sustainable Cities: A Comparative Study of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City and Shenzhen International Low-Carbon City.

Sustainability, 10(11). doi:10.3390/su10114256 This article talks about how China has gone through a rapid process of urbanization, but has also developed serious environmental problems.

Therefore, it has started to develop various eco-cities, low-carbon cities, and other types of sustainable cities. The massive launch of these sustainable initiatives, as well as the higher cost of these projects, requires the Chinese government to invest large sums of money. What financial toolkits can be employed to fund this

construction has become a critical issue. Against this backdrop, the authors have selected Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco- city (SSTEC) and Shenzhen International Low-Carbon City (ILCC) and compared how they finance their construction.

Both are thus far considered to be successful cases. The results show that the two cases differ from each other in two key aspects. First, ILCC has developed a model with less financial and other supports from the Chinese central government and foreign governments than SSTEC, and, hence, may be more valuable as a source of inspiration for other similar projects for which political support at the national level is not always available. Second, by issuing bonds in the international capital market, SSTEC singles itself out among various sustainable initiatives in China, while planning the village area as a whole and the metro plus property model are distinct practices in ILCC. In the end, the authors present a generic financing model that considers not only economic returns but also social and environmental impacts to facilitate future initiatives to finance in more structural ways.

Data Analysis Report

Analysis Table

Introduction

1.1: Growth Rates

Throughout history many different cities have been growing and retracting due to many different situations. Certain cities may face different sorts of issues or even similarities such as weather, transportation, emergencies, infrastructure, etc. Different time frames can show different kinds of data pertaining to certain cities, in my analysis I am going to be finding data starting from 2010 to 2017. Some cities contain many more citizens than other, but the breakdown of how two different cities operate is what I am going to portray in my analysis. The two cities I’ve decided to compare to each other are Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY. When you think of these two cities, there seems to be large differences in certain categories pertaining to how they are used by the citizens living in them. While this may be true, surprisingly there can be more similarities than thought of.

1.2: Population: Sex by Age

1.3: Race

1.4: Educational Attainment

1.5: Unemployment Rate 1.6: Transportation

Analysis 1.1 Growth Rates In this section of my analytical report, the large differences between the cities of Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY in relation to growth rates show.

Table 1: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

As seen from Table 1, the differences show.

The city of Miami FL, presents itself to be a high-growth rate city with a 10.9% growth rate. To compare this with the city of Syracuse, NY, it is show in Table 1 that Syracuse is trending in a negative direction in terms of growth with a -0.53%

growth rate. Clearly Miami is in a better situation with the increase of citizens living in this city compared to Syracuse. One thing to point out is the size of these two cities with the specification of population between Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY. Miami is a much larger city with an average population of 421,232 people between 2010 and 2017.

Syracuse has an average population of 144,787 people between 2010 and 2017.

That is a difference of 276,445 people.

Overall, the growth rate and average population is a major difference between these two cities.

1.2 Population: Sex by Age In this section of my analytical report, some of the similarities and differences between the cities of Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY in relation to sex by age show.

To spot the major difference, the two populations are very different. A noticeable similarity between these two cites is both cities seem to have a larger population of females versus males living in the two cities.

Table 2: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Table 3: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Figure 1: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Figure 2: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Figure 1 compared to figure 2 show the major difference in population and how Miami has a larger growth rate compared to Syracuse. Another similarity to point out is how with both Miami and Syracuse citizens in the age range of 80 to 84 seem to be the lowest from all the other age groups.

1.3 Race

In this section of my analytical report, some of the similarities and differences between the cities of Miami FL, and Syracuse, NY in relation to population in race show.

In comparison with Syracuse, NY there is a large relation with the white race being the highest percentage in terms of people living in the respective city (56%), but the Native Hawaiian race being the lowest (0%).

Table 4: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Table 5: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

As seen from table 4 the Caucasian (white) race is the predominant race living in Miami, FL (72.6%). The Alaskan Native race is the lowest percentage living in Miami, FL, and surprisingly doesn’t show at least a single person identified as Alaskan Native (0%).

To identify a difference in terms of the different races living in their respective cities, Syracuse, NY shows to be the more diverse city in comparison to Miami, FL.

Figure 3: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Figure 4: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

1.4 Educational Attainment

In this section of my analytical report, some of the similarities and differences between the cities of Miami FL, and Syracuse, NY in relation to population in educational attainment show.

That not everybody in the city of Miami has an education. The total population is 443,007 while the total educated population is 327,920. To compare this data with the city of Syracuse, the female to male ratio is similar.

Table 6: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Table 7: Sources U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

As seen table 6, the female population of ages 25 and over for the city of Miami is shown to be more educated compared to the male gender. The high school graduates are shown to be the most common level of education. Going back to table 2, this shows

As seen in table 7, the female population is shown to be more educated compared to the male population much like Miami. The only real difference between these two cities is the comparison of the total number of people living in their respective cities.

Figure 5: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Figure 6: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

1.5 Unemployment Rate

In this section of my analytical report, some of the similarities and differences between the cities of Miami FL, and Syracuse, NY in relation to unemployment rate show.

To compare Miami to Syracuse, A similarity that shows is the relatable time frame where the highest unemployment rate was in 2010 while the lowest unemployment rate was in 2016.

Table 8: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Table 9: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

As seen in table 8, the unemployment rate in Miami, FL was at its highest in 2010 and at its lowest in 2017. Also shown in table 8 are the best times of every year which were the later months in November and December.

The main difference between the two cities is the improved progression in unemployment rate being in Syracuse generally started the year at the highest percentage, but finished the year at the lowest ranging from 2010-2017. Miami’s unemployment rate is scattered throughout.

Figure 7: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Figure 8: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

1.6 Transportation

In this section of my analytical report, some of the similarities between the cities of Miami FL, and Syracuse, NY in relation to transportation show.

The least used form of transportation was bicycle, and this can be compared to Syracuse, with similar results in data collection. Much like Miami, Syracuse’s most used form of transportation is car, truck, or van.

Table 10: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

Table 11: Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 ACS

As seen in table 10, the most used form of transportation in the city of Miami by both male and female has been car, truck or van.

Both tables 10 and 11 show a low percentage of people from the cities of Miami and Syracuse who work from home.

Conclusion To conclude my analytical report between the two cities of Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY there was many similarities and differences comparing both cities. I believe the largest difference from breaking down the data between these two cities is the population difference, where Miami has a much larger population compared to Syracuse. The most compelling part of this analysis is the amount of similarities these two cities share. In my opinion, I find it surprising how females in both cities are the larger part of each population. I also find it interesting how similar the forms of transportation are between both cities.

Overall, due to the location of these two cities, many assumptions can be made that there would be more difference than similarities. In reality these two cities are more similar than may be thought.

Works Cited 

Bureau of Labor Statistics Data. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT123310000000003?amp%3bdata_tool=X Gtable&output_view=data&include_graphs=true.

-



On this website I had looked at the unemployment rate of data recorded for both Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY. Certain tables and figures labeled with information directly from this citation (U.S. Census Bureau).

Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). (2010, October 5). American FactFinder - Results. Retrieved from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src= CF. -

On this website I had looked at the data recorded for both Miami, FL and Syracuse, NY. The data I had looked at and elaborated on ranged from growth rate, sex by age, race, educational attainment, and transportation. Certain tables and figures are labeled with information directly from this citation (2017 ACS).

Data Collection Memorandum & PowerPoint

Data Collection Analysis Form END350 Fall 2019 Your Names

Jake, Huiyuan

Name of Site/Streets Type of Site Address City, State, Zip Date and Time

Miller Sport Hwy. and Coventry Rd. Intersection UB North campus Amherst, NY, 14261 October 11, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Description of Site High traffic flow with only 1 pedestrian crossing. Outskirts of academic campus.

Sketch of Site: lanes, intersection design, control, pedestrian features, surrounding land use, streets, bus stops, etc.

Site Conditions number of converging streets type of intersection design type of intersection control number of lanes number of turning lanes presence of sidewalks and bike lanes presence of crosswalks and crossing control presence of bus lanes/stops, street parking presence of landscaping, amenities surrounding land uses

Two Intersection, stop lights Stop lights, wrong way signs Two - three One on each side Minimal sideways, no bike lanes 1 crosswalk, pedestrian walk and wait light Stop lights, no parking Trees, bushes, grass. Divider between two directions Campus, staudium. Warehouse on other side

Behavior Analysis - Vehicle speed and acceleration turning intention and recognition waiting time gap acceptance braking behavior perception reaction time

45 mph Left and right turns 0 - 30 seconds Multiple gaps, allows gaps.

Braking at stop lights Quick

1

distance to leading vehicle and headway

About 4 - 8 feet

Behavior Analysis - Pedestrian walking speed crossing speed waiting time visual acuity route and crossing choice perception reaction time gap acceptance

2 - 3 mph 2 - 3 mph 30 seconds - 1 minute Colorful, good Straight, across crosswalk Cross at own pace Multiple gaps, allows gaps

Behavior Analysis - Bicycle, Skateboard, Wheelchair, Other movement speed None crossing speed None waiting time None visual acuity None route and crossing choice None perception reaction time None gap acceptance None Questions to Consider Rationale of existing design Rationale of existing control Benefits of existing design and control Deficiencies of existing design and control Flow of users Safety of users Intention vs Reality Ease of use and understandability

Move traffic in a safer mannor. Two - way traffic High speed traffic, stop and go Fast pace Waiting for lights Low pedestrian flow, High traffic flow High user safety Works how inteneded Easy to use

2

Data Collection Analysis Form END350 Fall 2019 Your Names

Jake, Huiyuan

Name of Site/Streets Type of Site Address City, State, Zip Date and Time

Lee Rd. and John James Audubon Pkwy.

Roundabout Ellicot campus Amherst, NY, 14261 October 11, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Description of Site Waves of high pedsestrian flow with moderate traffic. Between two academic campuses.

Sketch of Site: lanes, intersection design, control, pedestrian features, surrounding land use, streets, bus stops, etc.

Site Conditions number of converging streets type of intersection design type of intersection control number of lanes number of turning lanes presence of sidewalks and bike lanes presence of crosswalks and crossing control presence of bus lanes/stops, street parking presence of landscaping, amenities surrounding land uses

Two Roundabout Judgement from drivers/pedestrians One Four different turnig lanes Multiple sidewalks No crossing control Yield signs/no stops Trees, bushes, grass Campuses, sidewalks, benches

Behavior Analysis - Vehicle speed and acceleration turning intention and recognition waiting time gap acceptance braking behavior perception reaction time

Recommended 15 mph Judgement, right turns 0 - 10 seconds Multiple gaps, allows gaps Braking at yield signs Quick

1

distance to leading vehicle and headway

About 5 feet

Behavior Analysis - Pedestrian walking speed crossing speed waiting time visual acuity route and crossing choice perception reaction time gap acceptance

2 - 3 mph 2 - 3 mph None Colorful Straight Cross at own pace Multiple gaps, allows gaps

Behavior Analysis - Bicycle, Skateboard, Wheelchair, Other movement speed 5 - 7 mph crossing speed 5 - 7 mph waiting time 0 - 2 seconds visual acuity Colorful route and crossing choice Straight perception reaction time Cross at own pace gap acceptance Multiple gaps, allows gaps Questions to Consider Rationale of existing design Rationale of existing control Benefits of existing design and control Deficiencies of existing design and control Flow of users Safety of users Intention vs Reality Ease of use and understandability

Move traffic quicker with easy pedestrian cross Low speed traffic Fast pace Learning curve High pedestrian flow High user safety Works how inteneded Easy to use

2

Data Collection Memorandum To: ​The University at Buffalo Campus Planning Director From: ​Jake Wozniak and Huiyuan Zhang CC: ​Mr. Jonathan Bleuer and Mr. Andrew Schaefer Date: ​October 21, 2019 Subject: ​Roundabout and Intersection

Executive Summary To touch on the subject of different roundabouts and intersections, we have compiled data for certain locations containing these systems of traffic control. We have investigated the roundabout located at the meeting of Lee Rd. and Audubon Pkwy. on the north campus of the University at Buffalo. The data we have collected pertains to the action and flow of pedestrians, traffic, and other means of transportation including skateboards and bicycle use. The most interesting thing we found was the cohesion between the traffic awareness and pedestrian crossings. The traffic flow and pedestrian flow seemed to be moderate as well as coming and going in different waves during the time frame we studied. Overall this roundabout seemed to be a safe environment to be in with the intent of high pedestrian flow. We also studied the intersection located at the crossing of Millersport Hwy. and Coventry Rd. also on the north campus of the University at Buffalo. Much like the roundabout, most of the information we had collected pertained to the action and flow of pedestrians, traffic, and other means of transportation such as skateboards and bicycle use. The most interesting thing we found was the amount of traffic compared with pedestrian use. We were also surprised with the lack of skateboard and bicycle use around this area during the time we spent there. Overall we concluded this intersection was designed mainly for traffic flow and minimal pedestrian flow

with a moderate safety factor. These two different areas have provided us with very useful data and information. They are both very efficient designs.

Introduction Ever since the creation of the automobile there has been many concerns with safety and convenience. The world has adapted and developed many ideas to combat the problems people have faced during transport. Some of these ideas have presented stop signs and stop lights which have created safer intersections for not only automobiles, but also pedestrians and bike users.

Other ideas have presented yield signs and roundabouts to create a more efficient and quicker way of travel with similar safety levels for all users. We want to compare these two forms of traffic control by taking field observation at the intersection located at the meeting point of Millersport Hwy. and Coventry Rd. on the University at Buffalo north campus. Also the roundabout located at the meeting point of Lee Rd. and Audubon Pkwy. on the University at Buffalo north campus. We want to see how these two locations are used while collecting certain data to find the pros and cons of each place.

Analysis For each site was observed, with different traffic flows for about an hour. Data collection sheet was prepared prior to the field study. We had strategically chosen one roundabout and one signalised intersection, which were our interests of study while comparing them side to side.

Both sites are very busy and located on a college campus. To ensure minimum variance of factors such as peak usage, we visited two sites almost back to back between 10:45 am to 12:45 pm. Field study was conducted on Friday, October 11, with good weather conditions. Our data collection took into account the number of converging streets, motorway variances, number of lanes and turning lanes, non-motorized accommodations, on-street parking and bus lanes, use of landscaping and surrounding context. Also taking into account the effects of different traffic

control on a diversified transportation mode, data collection block was tailored for each mode of transportation. Each mode of transportation included speed, gap acceptance, waiting time, and perception reaction time, which are all important to any type of transportation. Also turning recognition, breaking behavior, and the stopped distance to leading vehicle and head way is very crucial criteria for automobile safety, especially safety for pedestrians and bike users who were less protected. While for pedestrians and bikers, their visual acuity and route directions became extremely critical for our data collection.

Findings The pictures taken are all original photos. These photos can give a sense of the environment surrounding both the roundabout and intersection. We thought the best way to portray these photos would be by a point of view perspective.

Figure 1, Roundabout

Figure 2, Roundabout

These photos show the general landscape of the roundabout. Both transportation forms of automobile use and pedestrians walking came in different waves, were the transportation flows would fluctuate. At the time these photos were taken, the traffic flow was at its lowest. The highest point of traffic flow was around the same time classes would conclude.

Figure 3, Roundabout

Figure 4, Roundabout

These photos were taken at the roundabout located on north campus of the University at Buffalo during the time frame we had collected the data. This roundabout is placed at the meeting of Lee Rd. and Audubon Pkwy.

Figure 5, Intersection

Figure 6, Intersection

These photos were taken at the intersection located on the north campus at the University of Buffalo. This intersection is placed at the meeting of Millersport Hwy. and Coventry Rd.

Figure 7, Intersection

Figure 8, Intersection

Overall, both areas we attended were very safe and the pictures taken can give a sense of this.

For both the roundabout and intersection, the surrounding landscape shows to be very colorful, with presence of trees, grass, and bushes.

Figure 9, GBNRTC Online Bicycle Map

Figure 10, GBNRTC Online Bicycle Map Figures 9 and 10 show the birds eye view of the locations studied. It shows that the crosswalk at the signalized intersection was also intended to accommodate bikes, skateboards, and wheelchairs. Another interesting fact that surprised us was the way leading from bookstore of the University at Buffalo to the roundabout was intended to be a bike lane, which is often taken over by vehicles. We did see a higher traffic on the signalized intersection with 20 seconds to 1 minute of wait time, depending on right turns or waiting for stop lights. The speed limit is 45 mph, which cars are fluctuating in speed around that average with low gaps, high volume, and discourage crosswalk usage. Wait time for pedestrians who decided to use the crosswalk was around a minute. We did not encounter any bicycle or wheelchair movement at this intersection.

We see a high pedestrian flow at the roundabout with vehicles stopping at yield signs with their own judgement. Wait time for both vehicles and non motorized are about 0 to 2 seconds

depending on the cars in the way. They are moving at a lower speed, but with pretty large gaps and the intention to minimize unnecessary yields. The rationale for the signalized intersection is to rotate waiting traffic, while the rationale for the roundabout is more about the rights-of-the-way and judgement by both pedestrians and automobile drivers. Both designs seems safe and easy to use at eye level.

Figure 11, GBNRTC’s Annual Average Daily Traffic

The highlighted numbers shown in figure 11 indicate the amount of traffic flow from each direction. John James Audubon Pkwy shows a greater amount of traffic compared to the amount of traffic of Lee Rd.

Figure 12, GBNRTC’s Annual Average Daily Traffic The GBNRTC (Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council) is a website containing a very large amount of data for the traffic of both pedestrians and automobiles throughout the entire Buffalo-Niagara region. To reference GBNRTC’s Annual average daily traffic, we see that the daily traffic from both directions show about 7000 cars on average, while the signalized intersection is responsible for 24,000 cars each day. In this case the high speed and safe traffic control is appropriate for signalized intersections. Personale and diverse traffic movement is appropriate by the roundabout. Both are very well devised. Much like the roundabout, the highlighted numbers indicate the amount of traffic flow for this intersection. As seen from figure 12, Millersport Hwy shows a greater amount of traffic flow compared to Coventry Rd.

Conclusion To conclude this data collection, we are able to present the important data collected for both locations studied. Both signalized intersections and roundabouts are different, but they share similarities and goals. Both of these traffic control techniques are meant to be as user friendly as possible. While the signalized intersection is a more convenient way to move higher speed traffic, it lacks the pedestrian usage. Whereas the roundabout is more convenient for lower speed traffic with minimal stoppage, and higher pedestrian usage. Both traffic control systems have about a similar degree of safety. While some may favorite a certain system over another, we believe both work very well and also work to the extent they were designed for. Overall, each system has its pros and cons and we think both systems are going to continuously be used throughout the United States.

Appendix -

Figures 1-8, taken by Jake Wozniak

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Figures 9-12, screenshots from GBNRTC

References -

Maps and Data. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gbnrtc.org/maps.

Comparison between the Roundabout and intersection END 350 JAKE WOZNIAK, HUIYUAN ZHANG

Page 2

field study

University at Buffalo North Campus

- The world has adapted and developed many ideas to combat the problems people have faced during transport.

- Stop signs and stop lights which have created safer intersections for not only automobiles, but also pedestrians and bike users.

- We took into account the number of converging streets, number of lanes and turning lanes, non-motorized accommodations, on-street parking and bus lanes, use of landscaping and surrounding context.

- We want to see how these two locations are used while collecting certain data to find the pros and cons of each place.

- Design ideas have presented yield signs and roundabouts to create a more efficient and quicker way of travel for all users.

- To ensure minimum variance of factors such as peak usage, we visited two sites almost back to back between 10:45 am to 12:45 pm.

- Field study was conducted on Friday, October 11, with good weather conditions. - Speed, gap acceptance, waiting time, and perception reaction time, which are all important to any type of transportation.

-Turning recognition, breaking behavior, and the stopped distance to leading vehicles and head way is very crucial criteria for automobile safety.

North Campus Traffic Viewing from Alumni Arena

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roundabout

Lee Rd. and Audubon Pkwy.

- Vehicles would come from threedirections, at low speed less than 25 miles per hour.

- Vehicles would line up in the roundabout depending on who gets there first moving in one direction only.

- During their movement at the roundabout vehicles would have to yield to pedestrians and bikes, and sometimes cars.

-A lot of attention is requried during busy peaks.

-Traffic flow was moderate.

- Strengths of the roundabout offers a safer speed for traffic with minimal stoppage. It is very pedestrian friendly while operating as an efficient system.

- Weaknesses of the roundabout was high pedestrian traffic causing conflict at times with drivers. A learning curve can oftentimes be introduced to new users.

- Pedestrian walks at very low speed.

- Pedestrian are ususally very attentive to the left or right, depending on the crossing point.

- There were a great number of pedestrians and bikers at the roundabout.

Roundabout Viewing from Greiner Hall

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roundabout GBNRTC Bike Map

- Vehicles come from the West, East, and North side of the roundabout.

- Below is a bike map of the roundabout.

- It is very bicycle friendly.

- An interesting fact that surprised us was the way leading from bookstore of the University at Buffalo to the roundabout was intended to be a bike lane, which is often taken over by vehicles.

GBNRTC Bike Map & Birds Eye View of Roundabout. Bike lane is accomodated across Lee Rd

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intersection

Millersport Hwy. and Coventry Rd.

- Vehicles would come from four directions. Traffic would flow from Millersport Hwy. and Coventry Rd. - Vehicles are requred to wait for the light.

- Vehicles are moving at very high speed, usually above 45 miles per hour.

- Strengths of the intersection offers a faster pace of traffic, with more lanes to choose from. The intersection is more controlled with lights and signs. Automobile friendly.

- Weaknesses of the intersection offers high traffic and longer waiting times.

Higher speeds may cause higher safety risks, also not very pedestrian friendly.

- Pedestrians would press the walking light at the crossing parallel to Coventry Rd. - Pedestrians would wait for about a minute.

- Pedestrians are very attentive at observing vehicle movement before they start to cross.

Signalised Intersection Viewing from Alumni Arena

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intersection GBNRTC Bike Map

- Traffic comes from four directions.

- Below is a bike map at the Millersport Highway.

- There are gaps between the green bicyclce trail.

- The crosswalk at the signalized intersection was also intended to accommodate bikes, skateboards, and wheelchairs.

GBNRTC Bike Map & Birds Eye View of the Signalised Intersection. Bike lane is accommodated acorss the highway.

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Average Daily Traffic GBNRTC’s Annual Average Daily Traffic

Average Daily Traffic at Roundabout

Image taken nearby roundabout

Average Daily Traffic at Roundabout

- The GBNRTC (Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council) is a website containing a very large amount of data for the traffic of both pedestrians and automobiles throughout the entire Buffalo-Niagara region.

- To reference GBRTC’s Annual average daily traffic, we see that the daily traffic from both directions show about 7000 cars on average, while the signalized intersection is responsible for 24,000 cars each day.

- High speed and safe traffic control is appropriate for signalized intersections.

- Personale and diverse traffic movement is appropriate by the roundabout.

- Both are very well devised. Much like the roundabout, the highlighted numbers indicate the amount of traffic flow for this intersection. As seen from figure 12, Millersport Hwy shows a greater amount of traffic flow compared to Coventry Rd.

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differences

Observation at Eye Level and Design Rationale

We did see a higher traffic on the signalized intersection with 20 seconds to 1 minute of wait time, depending on right turns or waiting for stop lights. The speed limit is 45 mph, which cars are fluctuating in speed around that average with low gaps, and high volume. We did not encounter any bicycles or wheelchairs movement at this intersection. The rationale for the signalized intersection is to rotate waiting traffic.

We see a high pedestrian flow at the roundabout with vehicles stopping at yield signs with their own judgement.

Wait time for both vehicles and non motorized forms of transportation is about 0 to 2 seconds. They are moving at a lower speed, but with pretty large gaps and the intention to minimize unnecessary yields. The rationale for the roundabout is more about judgement by both pedestrians and automobile drivers.

Image taken at roundabout

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Both designs seem safe and easy to use at eye level.

Image taken at roundabout

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Conclusion

It depends on the situation and preferences

- To conclude this data collection, we are able to present the important data collected for both locations studied.

- Both signalized intersections and roundabouts are different, but they share similarities and goals. Both of these traffic control techniques are meant to be as user friendly as possible.

- While the signalized intersection is a more convenient way to move higher speed traffic, it lacks the pedestrian usage.

- The roundabout is more convenient for lower speed traffic with minimal stoppage, and higher pedestrian usage.

- Both traffic control systems have about a similar degree of safety.

- While some may favorite a certain system over another, we believe both work very well and also work to the extent they were designed for.

- Overall, each system has its pros and cons and we think both systems are going to continuously be used throughout the United States.

Image take at roundabout

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reference 01 02 03 04 YOUR LOGO

Images

taken by Jake Wozniak

Bike Map

Screenshots from GBNRTC

Average Daily Traffic Screenshots from GBNRTC

Presentation Design Adobe Stock

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Park Mini – Master Plan & PowerPoint

Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Master Plan

END 350: Group 6 Amaris Lighty Jake Wozniak Xiyan Ding Anthony Pineda

Table of Contents History....1 Background....2

Amenities of the Park....3

Context....4

The Driving Forces of Diplacemt in the U.S. and Buffalo....4

The Decline of Black Neighborhoods....5

The Role of M.L.K Jr. Park in the Community....5

Conditions....6

Future Park Improvements....6 Observations....6

Challenges....7

Active Crime in and around the Park....7 Opportunities....7

Employment Opportunities....8 Demographics....9 User Survey....11

Participant Demographics....11 Responses....11

Recommendations....12

Promoting Safety Through Engagement: Case Study....13

Conclusions from the Case Study....13 Recommendations for Safety in M.L.K Jr. Park....13 “Parks After Dark�: Los Angeles Park Programming....14 Emergency Services....14 Surveillance in the Park....15 Community Engagement in Low Income Communities: Case Study....16 Results and Conclusion from Fair Park Case Study....16 Resourceful Programming in M.L.K Jr. Park....17 Work Force Buffalo....17 Bringing a Community Center to the Park....18 Possible Funding to Develop and Operate a Community Center....18

Table of Contents (Continued) Conclusion....19 References....20 Appendix....22

A.1 Population by Age and Gender Data Table- Census Tract 35, Erie County

A.2 Race Population- Census Tract 35, Erie County

A.3 User Survey

History

Martin Luther King Jr. Park (M.L.K Jr.

the spatial dynamics of the residents along

Park), originally known as The Parade, is part of

Humboldt Parkway (Blatto, 2018).

the Olmstead park system. This park was located

near the center of the German population of East

signed for, included military drills and sport-

Buffalo. Since then, the demographics of East Buf-

ing events (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservan-

falo have changed significantly. In the early-mid

cy, 2008). An addition that resulted in more

1800s, the city of Buffalo began to see an influx of

community engagement, was The Parade

many immigrant groups, beginning with the Irish

House (Figure 2), opened in 1876 (Buffalo Ol-

and Germans, followed by Southern and Eastern

msted Parks Conservancy, 2008). This served

Europeans from 1880-1920. From then on, there

as a restaurant, beer hall, and dance hall, and

is a shift in the spatial distribution of race, due to

became a public space that attracted a diverse

development and redlining in Buffalo that would

population, many of which being immigrants

displace many low income African Americans

(Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, 2008)

and relocate them to Buffalo’s East Side.

. This was something that appealed to Olm-

stead, and he felt that this fostered the spirit

When first built, M.L.K Jr. Park was con-

The activities that the park was first de-

nected to Delaware Park through the Humboldt

of democracy (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conser-

Parkway (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy,

vancy, 2008). In 1895, the Olmsted firm made

2008)(Figure 1). This connection allowed for a

revisions to the park. Fillmore Avenue, cut

more integrated community. Eventually this con-

through the park, and the Parade grounds

nection would be split by a major parkway, and

were replaced with a nearly five acre reflect-

significantly affect the flow of the city, as well as

ing pool, a basin for water plants and large

Figure 1 Figure 2

Source: Webmaster’s collection (Buffalo Architecture and History) Illustration of the Parade House plan (1875)

Source: WNY Heritage (John H. Conlin) Humboldt Parkway prior to the contrusction of Kensington Expressway (c. 1940)

1

fountain (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy,

Figure 3

2008). In 1907, a green house was built in the park. Followed by the construction of the Museum of Science in 1926, located in the northwest corner of the park. The park name was changed in 1977 in honor of historical civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, 2008). Six years later an eight foot bronze bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. was

Source: Restore our Community Coalition Buffalo, NY Humboldt Parkway at East Utica Street, c. 1914

dedicated to the park and placed in the plaza on the eastern side of Fillmore Avenue and south of the greenhouse (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, 2008). One of the last additions was a public school called the Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School, opened in 1990 and located on the museum site (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, 2008). The history of the park displays significance in preservation and improvement. It has undergone several changes while still keeping important historical aspects.

Background

As previously mentioned, M.L.K Jr. Park

Source: Buffalo News archives The hourglass portion of the Kensington Expressway, nearing completion (1970)

Figure 4

grocery stores and banks, was severely affected

was part of the six original parks and parkways

and it played a large role in the decline of the

systems and was connected to Delaware Park

surrounding neighborhood of M.L.K Park (Blat-

by Humboldt Parkway. The parkway was a

to, 2018).

beautiful tree lined boulevard that connected

residents from different neighborhoods to the

ton St, E. Parade Ave, Best St, and W. Parade

park (Figure 3). The rise in popularity in car use

Ave. The park is also within a couple hundred

has caused some changes to the park. In 1960,

feet from the Kensington Expressway. There

the parkway was destroyed and the tree lined

are benefits to being in such close proximity

boulevard was cut down and disrupted by the

to the expressway. Vehicles have better access

development of the Kensington Expressway

to the park, allowing for more visitors from

(Figure 4). These severely affected the sur-

those living outside of the surrounding neigh-

rounding neighborhood, and the expressway

borhood. This benefit could also be viewed as

acted as a barrier. Access to key institutions like

negative when looking at how the expressway

2

M.L.K Park is bordered by Northamp-

has affected the demographics and culture of

research and resources available through the

the neighborhood. The expressway could be

museum.

further perpetuating that process.

Figure 5

Amenities of the park

Walkways are present around and throughout the park that allow for better access, and allow for cyclists to travel throughout the park. There is also a bike lane present on Fillmore Avenue, allowing for bike access to the park. The amenities of the park allow for recreational activities, such as basketball (Figure 5) and tennis (Figure 6). Playgrounds are also present on both sides of the park, and they

Source: Buffalo Rising (Newell Nussbaumer) Basketball courts in M.L.K Park

Figure 6

allow for children to play and be active (Figure 7). Along with these amenities is a large amount of open green space that facilitates even further activity.

Three main attractions provided by the

park include, the Humboldt Basin (Figure 8), the Buffalo Conservancy Greenhouse (Figure 9), and the Buffalo Museum of Science (Figure 10).

The Humboldt Basin is five-acres in size and allows for seasonal activities. During the summer the basin is used as a splash pond, with jet streams of water that shoot into the air. In the

Source: Buffalo Rising (Newell Nussbaumer) Tennis courts in M.L.K Park

Winter, the basin is frozen over and becomes a ice-skating rink and the park facilitates free ice

Figure 7

skating and skate rentals (Buffalo Olmsted Park Conservancy, 2008 ). The greenhouse is located on the east side of the park and it produces 10,000 plants annually for all of the parks within the Buffalo park system (Buffalo Olmsted Park Conservancy, 2008). The museum provides further programming and events for the

Photo taken by Anthony Pineda Recently built playground, adjacent to the sheltered picnic tables

park, and it is the site of a public school where

3

Context

Figure 9

M.L.K Park is Located in Buffalo’s

East Side. The way this park fits into the community is by serving as an open public space for activities, recreation, and engagement. Buffalo’s East Side is known to be a low income area, with a median household income of $24,613 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). The East Side has significantly changed overtime, due to changes in infrastructure and demographics. Understanding this transformation, helps us understand how the role of the park in the community

Photo taken by Xiyan Ding Buffalo Conservancy greenhouse

has changed.

The Driving Forces of Diplacemt in the U.S. and Buffalo

Buffalo’s East side was once a hub for the many immigrant groups living in Buffalo (Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, 2008).

What we see now in this area, is the result of redling and spatial segregation. Prior to the Figure 8

Source: WKBW Buffalo (Paula D’Amico) Buffalo Museum of Science

Photo taken by Anthony Pineda Humboldt Basin

4

Figure 10

New Deal, it was difficult for anyone to own a

(Blatto, 2018). Many neighborhoods began to

home. In the 1920s, a typical mortgage required

deteriorate due to lack of investment. This was

a down payment of almost half of the proper-

until urban renewal became prominent, and these

ty’s value, with only a few years to pay off the

areas were being improved and developed, with

mortgage (Blatto, 2018). Following the Great

a higher market in mind. This process displaced

Depression, where many properties were put

thousands of minorities, forcing them to find

into foreclosure, the National Housing Act cre-

cheaper refuge in other places that were of poor

ated the Federal Housing Agency (FHA). This

quality, and devoid of development.This is how

allowed for low-interest, long term loans, with

the population in Buffalo’s East Side came to be

low down payments. This resulted in a boost in

predominantly African American. However, as

home ownership, more specifically in the sub-

renewal continued, the residents of the East Side

urbs (Blatto, 2018). Although this was a seem-

were even further displaced. One particularly

ingly beneficial change in homeownership,

destructive project was the construction of the

this process systematically segregated people

previously mentioned, Kensington Expressway,

of color. This was a practice that was utilized

completed in 1971 (Blatto, 2018). The expressway

across the country, including in the city of

essentially cut the East Side community in half,

Buffalo. The FHA mapped all of the urban

displacing even more residents and devastating

areas in the United States, and recording data

businesses (Blatto, 2018).

from the areas. This data included, percentage

2018). Black neighborhoods were automatically

The Role of M.L.K Jr. Park in the Community

Throughout history, minortiy groups have

deemed financially unstable, therefore they did

dealt with discrimination, systemic racism, and

not have access to the same assistance when

segregation. The changes made to the park over

trying to purchase a home.

time are indicative of how the area has changed

of foreign families, percentage of “Negros” and indications of “shifting and infiltration” (Blatto,

and transformed in its population and culture.

The Decline of Black Neighborhoods

This process of redling, was essentially

This is important to understand, because making

a tool in completely segregating communities,

an understanding of how the park connects to the

and many neighborhoods still suffer from

area, how the civilians interact with the park, and

the results of this process. Redlining restrict-

how it can be even more conducive to its sur-

ed the flow of capital in and out of minority

rounding community.

changes and improvements to the park requires

neighborhoods. Restrictive laws and housing discrimination made it significantly more difficult for people of color (especially African Americans) to own property and build wealth

5

Conditions

M.L.K Park is well kept and adequate-

Figure 11

ly maintained. Positive investments are supplemented to the park often. One of the most recent additions to the park was a brand new $300,000 playground that children can safely enjoy (Sommer, 2019). Beyond this investment, the city has allocated $4 million in funding to upgrade the park. These upgrades will range from building renovations and improvements to other minor upgrades like sidewalks, and additional parking.

Photo taken by Xiyan Ding Buffalo Conservancy greenhouse

Figure 12

Future Park Improvements

Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks says M.L.K Park is one of the most used parks in the city. Crockatt says that a portion of the funding will go towards new site amenities such as lighting and benches, installing shelters near the basketball courts, and restoring walkways and playgrounds. According to Crockatt, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy would also like to install signs explaining the heritage of M.L.K Park. All

Photo taken by Xiyan Ding Site of the previosly operating casino

of these ideas are meant to improve the park as a whole, as well as give it meaning. To achieve improvement, there has been allocated funding from New York State providing the opportunity to renovate certain buildings on site, such as the greenhouse (Figure 11) and casino (Figure 12) which look to be in below average conditions.

Observations

Without these major improvements, the park is still well maintained and very usable. There

is sufficient picnic seating, green space, and greatly supported facilities for sports and leisure, all of which serve the users well. The only obserservation that we found to be a possible problem, is the traffic on Fillmore Avenue. Park users did not express a problem with the speed of the cars, however we were hesitant when crossing the street and felt that the car speeds were intimidating as a pedes-

6

trian. The park is clean, and each time we went,

located at the south side of M.L.K Park and has

there were people doing maintenance or clean-

been experiencing drug related activity. For

ing. We did not observe a lot of activity within

years there have been hundreds of complaints

the park, or usage of the park. This was however

by residents about the drug dealers as well as

due to the cold weather conditions at the time of

numerous drug related arrests that have been

visiting. The volume of visitors in the park expo-

made (Becker, 2019). This proximity of this ac-

nentially increases in warmer seasons. The physi-

tivity to the park, raises further safety concerns.

cal condition of this park is good and only getting

better with the funding plans set in motion. This

has been experiencing vandalism and theft

means that our recommendations will focus less

of plants. There has been over four incidents

on the physical attributes of the park and more

where a large number of plants have been up-

on programming and activities that better suit the

rooted from the ground. In the latest incident

park and its local residents.

over 60 plants were stolen from the park (Buck-

Challenges

ley and Fleming). Another concern regarding

on the grass to reach the picnic sheltered areas.

In addition to these issues, the park

the green space is the number of cars driving

Some challenges pertaining to M.L.K Park

are related to the surrounding neighborhood

The Olmsted firm spends thousands of dollars

and how it has affected the park experience.

yearly in repairing damaged grass. The issues

There have been some issues relating to safety

and challenges presented create opportunity for

surrounding the park. Crime is prevalent in this

further intervention and improvement.

area, with numerous reported instances of theft,

Figure 13

assault, and gang violence. In 2012, a member of a violent gang operating in Buffalo’s East Side, shot and killed an innocent individual, and also injured four others in M.L.K Park (Hetherly, 2016). Children were present at this time, as well as visitors of the park, and every single person was put in danger. The tragic incident happened at a park who has named after someone who stood for peace and nonviolence. Keeping with these ideals, the park should promote peace, and

Source: Google Maps Sweeney Street, adjacent to the park

be a safe space.

Opportunities

Active Crime in and around the Park

Other areas of concern are happening at

Opportunities that have presented them-

selves for M.L.K Park include renovating certain buildings and structures that are run down and in

the perimeters of the park. Sweeney Street is

7

need of restoration (greenhouse, walkways,

Figure 14

lighting, etc.) as well as fixing minor cracks in the pavement and staircases (Figure 14). M.L.K Park is one of the most visited and used parks in the city of Buffalo, making it a strong candidate for improvement and investment.

The park has a strong and well main-

tained physical structure that allows for a lot of activity and usage. The amount of open green space, allows for large events and programs to promote community engagement. The park is also very accessible, with a major street (Filmore Avenue) cutting right through the middle of it.

There is so much opportunity to further engage and involve the surrounding community. For example, the newly built playground in the southeast portion of the park, was built by hundreds of local volunteers.

Photo taken by Jake Wozniak One of the walkways within the park

Beginning in the spring of 2019, there has

been a “Planning and Funding Revitalization�

Employment Opportunities

initiative set to facilitate improvements to the

East Side of Buffalo. This investment was initiat-

According to the Greater Buffalo Niagara

Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) ap-

ed by Governor Cuomo and includes Michigan

proximately 8,148 vehicles pass through the area

Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, Fillmore Avenue, and

daily, showing high vehicular activity through-

Bailey Avenue as a $65 million resurrection. This

out the Fillmore corridor. The Fillmore corridor

means that there is not only potential for a better

also includes 80 businesses offering about 721

park, but there is potential for the neighborhood

jobs. With the large investments planned for

surrounding M.L.K Park which is allowed to

Fillmore, more jobs within new businesses will

utilize up to $6.6 million. The poverty rate for

become available for the unemployed. Fillmore

those living within half a mile of Filmore Ave-

is 32% commercial and industrial including 58

nue is 35%. Therefore, there is a clear need for

acres of vacant land which shows space avail-

improvement and community support. Even

able for developing more businesses and shops.

though improvements are in the works, a stron-

There is clearly potential in this area, and with

ger connection can be made between the com-

the correct resources, it is a strong candidate for

munity and the park. A connection that allows

improvement.

for further engagement and community support.

8

Demographics

The area surrounding M.L.K Park is

income is only $15,000-$20,000 a year (U.S. Cen-

called the Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhood.

sus Bureau, 2017). There are 786 families in the

This area is Census Tract 35, located in Erie

neighborhood, and 245 of those families have an

County. This tract has a population of 2,868

income that is below the poverty level (Figure 17)

with the female population exceeding the male

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2017).

population by 486, and the highest age popu-

lation being 50-54 years of age (Figure 15) (U.S.

to one of the most prominent civil rights leaders

Census Bureau, 2017). The demographics of

in history. The park has been through several

this neighborhood are significant because there

phases of improvement and renovation, and the

seems to be a disparity between the conditions

results show a well designed and fairly main-

of the park and the conditions of the neighbor-

tained park that is inviting to the public. How-

hood.

ever, the neighborhood itself is not living up to

Racial diversity is severely lacking with-

The park is named after, and dedicated

the legacy of its name, and it is perpetuating the

in the area, with 95% of the population being

segregation of racial groups and the concentra-

Black or African American (Figure 16)(U.S. Cen-

tion of poverty. This essentially begs the question,

sus Bureau, 2017). This predominantly Black

how can this park contribute to its surrounding

neighborhood also displays a trend of low

community, in a way that is unifying and uplift-

income households as well as many households

ing? We generated a unique survey for many of

below the poverty line. The average household

the park visitors to answer this broad question.

Figure 15

Source: 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

9

Figure 16

Source: 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Figure 17

Source: Social Explorer Percentage of families below imcome level in the M.L.K Neighborhood

10

User Survey Participant Demographics

We interviewed six users of the park to help receive insight on the experience of a local resi-

dent visiting the park, and to understand existing problems and improvements that they would like to see. The survey respondents were mainly middle to older age residents, that have lived in the area for over 5 years. Two of the respondents were present for the building of the Kensington Expressway.

One of the respondents was an employee of the parks system that worked in the greenhouse on site.

We randomly selected participants that were in the park upon our visit. The questionnaire raised a total of 15 questions to the respondents (See Appendix).

Responses

The responses varied but most of the respondents were regular park users, and all but one

lived 5 minutes away from the park. Some issues that came up were safety and lighting concerns.

Users felt that parts of the park were less safe than others, and many reported that there was often illegal activity present at night, in and around the park. This observation was associated with a lack of police presence and insufficient lighting. Another problem that arose within the responses was having more activities for the community. Although the community does participate in the park’s activities, some of the respondents felt that there were not enough activities focused on the residents of the surrounding neighborhood, as opposed to general events for city of Buffalo residents. Based off many perspectives we took into account, we wanted to take note of certain themes appearing in the focus groups throughout the park (Figure 18).

11

Figure 18

Source: Xiyan Ding Graph summarizing the ratings of the different aspects of the park from the user survey responses

According to the survey results, the main

a point of concern for local residents. This

concerns people have about the park is the

presents the challenge of increasing safety

safety of night travel and the lack of lighting

through community programming and inter-

facilities, as well as the safety considerations for

vention while avoiding the use of excessive

children. On the positive side, many of the users

police presence.

see this park as a really good space for people

M.L.K Park currently offers programming that

to take walks, ride bikes, walk their dogs, and

is geared towards residents of the city of Buf-

just take in the atmosphere. This park is also a

falo, and there is a lack of focused neighbor-

very reasonable traveling distance for most of

hood activity. The question we are attempting

the residents around the area, which makes it

to answer is, How can the park better serve

very accessible for the local residents regardless

the surrounding community? To answer this

of walking or driving. Overall, the user surveys

question, it is imperative to look at what the

were very helpful for generating different ideas

neighborhood actually needs. Something

in improving the park.

significant is that the unemployment rate of the M.L.K Jr. neighborhood is 15%, while Erie

Recommendations

County has an unemployment rate of 5.5%.

M.L.K Park has gone through several ren-

This is due to the lack of opportunities and re-

ovations and improvements and continues to re-

sources available. We believe that with proper

ceive investment. We want to focus on problems

programming and resources available from

that do not necessarily require physical improve-

the park, it can become a significant resource

ments. One of the issues involves safety. We

for local residents.

have found that safety in and around the park is

12

Promoting Safety Through Engagement: Case Study

Urban planners have to address the is-

the same views on safety can reduce the percep-

sues of crime prevention when designing cities.

increase in park use and change in perception

A study in India called the “Smart City Mis-

of safety by having more people present in an

sion,” focuses on this concept on safety and the

area. The social environment can be improved

security of citizens. People perceive safety and

by incorporating programs, events, maintenance

security based on other people’s and personal

work, and enhancing facilities within a public

experiences. The experiences affect people by

park. These social interactions increase park vis-

discouraging activity in areas and participating

itors and reduce the perception of unsafe condi-

in the life of the city. Social exclusion is caused

tions.

by the perception of an unsafe area and results

in a decrease of movement and comfort. In this

the characteristics of visitors and the environ-

study, a group of women organized a safety

mental characteristics of the park. The park con-

audit in a neighborhood. The goal was to rec-

ditions profoundly influenced people’s impres-

ognize the social and physical characteristics of

sions of safety, especially when there where food

a neighborhood and determine its safety. The

trucks around the park and organized activities.

audits are essential to assess the vulnerabili-

For every increase in activity, there were approx-

ty of an area towards crime. The safety audit

imately 25% more park visitors (Cohen, 2016).

tion of fear because people feel safe when other community members are present. There is an

In this study, park use was influenced by

done by women determined that some physical

factors that determined safety. Other factors to

Recommendations for Safety in M.L.K Jr. Park

Public safety is something we want to

consider are how an area is being used. Con-

achieve because of the impact it has on future

cepts like “natural surveillance” and “eyes on

park go-ers. Public safety can be a challenging

the street,” focus on how the usage of space can

task in the fact that many neighborhoods can be

determine how safe and comfortable an area

deemed as unsafe due to the residents and vis-

feels. Areas that are viewed as safe can discour-

itors around the area. This can be related to the

age crimes from occurring and makes a space

M.L.K Jr. neighborhood in the sense that the low

more inviting (Mitra,2017).

income demographics may result in an increase

characteristics like lighting, visibility, signage, isolation, escape routes, and maintenance are

in drug sales and drug use, which may cause an

Conclusions from the Case Study

increase in violence around the area. By install-

ing certain safety techniques and gadgets such

How a park is perceived can create

obstacles for people using a park. Perceptions

as lighting, emergency services, surveillance

of criminal activity lower the number of people

cameras, neighborhood watch, etc. we believe

visiting a park. A strong community that shares

can help some of the safety issues pertaining to

13

M.L.K Park. Safety is a prevalent problem in the

18%. The program created a cohesive community and

area, and we believe that there are ways to alle-

improved the safety of the park and its surrounding

viate this problem without the use of excessive

areas. This programming can be implemented in

police presence.

M.L.K Park, and deter crime through engagement.

“Parks After Dark”: Los Angeles Park Programming

To extend our idea of “safety watch,”

Emergency Services

we found a similar concept in Los Angeles that

system. Blue light emergency services are of-

we want to include in M.L.K Park called “Parks

fered in many places and are very easy to use.

After Dark.” This program presents itself in

The simplicity of this design consists of bright

Los Angeles and focuses on keeping the park

lighting and easy access to a button that sends

open during evening hours safely. This meant

the alert. The purpose of these emergency ser-

promoting more activity and programming in

vices is to create a safer environment for civilians

the park at night. This program was desired

around the area. These services are in forms or

by residents who lived in areas with high lev-

noticeable blue poles and they connect individ-

els of criminal gang activity. Parks After Dark

uals in danger, to law enforcement. We believe

provides opportunities for people of all ages to participate in outdoor activities. The activities

We also want to implement an emergency

service system, such as a blue light emergency

Figure 19

that the program offers range from recreational activities, entertainment activities, educational programs. Parks After Dark also provide fairs that give people more resources like access to health, economic, and legal services.

While the program is running, sheriffs monitor the program as well as participate in the

Source: Los Angeles County Parks And Recreaction Department Sherrifs particpating in park activities with children

activities (Figure 19). This helps build a healthy relationship between the community and law

Figure 20

enforcement; making the park a safer place to gather. The parks that have had the programs, have seen a significant decrease in violence.

Between the years of 2009 and 2013, the neighborhoods surrounding participating parks, had a 32% decrease in crime. During this same time, Parks that did not have the Parks After Dark

Source: Emsworld.com Blue emergency pole

program had an increase in criminal activity by

14

installing these emergency poles in M.L.K Park can create a safer setting. They can also be source Figure 21

of added lighting, which is an inicator of the perception of safety. The cost of these blue emergency poles ranges around $2,300, which can be funded through the previosly mentioned, “Planning and Funding Revitalization� initiative; that is currently working to bring imporovements to the East side of Buffalo.

Surveillance in the Park

Surveillance cameras have gained popu-

larity in parks across the nation. Parks have used this technology to prevent crime from occurring.

Installing cameras in parks with the latest technology can cost about $10,000 per camera (Figure 22), which can also be taken from the large funding project. Canton, Ohio, installed surveillance Taken by Amaris Lighty The remnaints of a previosly existing emergency pole

cameras at various local parks. Since the installment of the cameras, there has been a 50% drop in police calls. The security cameras are a great resource that reduces crime in public parks. The

Figure 22

presence of cameras decreases the probability of crimes from occurring. Illegal activity like assaults, robberies, drug dealing is more likely to happen when criminals think they aren’t being monitored.

The crime rates have dropped because of the use of easily read signs and surveillance cameras that are placed in areas, so they are easily visible to the public. Modern cameras now have technology that

Source: Govtech.com Security camera

allows officers to view live feeds of crimes occurring at parks. Officers utilize this technology to keep the public safe and provide evidence to convict those who are involved in criminal activity.

15

Community Engagement in Low Income Communities: Case Study

Community engagement is something

Results and Conclusion from Fair Park Case Study

When looking at political engagement,

that can significantly improve the well being

the surveys showed that 45% of the respondents

of individuals in low income areas. The prob-

were either not registered to vote or registered

lem that often arises is that of limited resources

to vote but did not participate in voting for most

(McBride, Sherraden & Pritzker, 2006). A study

elections. The most important activity for the re-

done in the Fair Park area in Texas presented

spondents, in terms of social engagement, is reg-

a survey to randomly selected residents of the

ularly visiting the church and attending religious

Fair Park neighborhood. This was done to mea-

services. The other forms of social engagement,

sure community engagement in the area. The

presented in the survey, were minimal among

survey included nine indicators of engagement:

the respondents. More than half of the respon-

1. Voting and registration to vote

dents had never participated in community meetings in the past year. As far as the level of trust

2. Frequency of participation in community group meetings

among neighbors, respondents felt that, while

3. Time donated to religious services

they were much less willing to trust. Lastly, there

4. Time donated to non-church not-for-profit activities 5. Willingness to help neighbors 6. Willingness to trust neighbors 7. Willingness to take prompt and active action to solve community problems 8. Community bonding through sharing similar values

neighbors were quite willing to help each other, was a disparity in supporting entrepreneurship activities within the community. 58% of respondents felt that it would be hard even for a well known neighbor to raise money for their business through local borrowing.

This community displays a lack of com-

munity engagement, and this study argues the due to the area being low income, they do not have the resources to facilitate such engagement (Nath, 2013). Previous studies reveal that greater

9. Willingness to proactively support entrepreneurship efforts within the community

civic engagement is generally correlated with

2013). Those who have access to knowledge

The average age of the sample popula-

tion was 46 years. 89% of the population was African American, and 7% were Hispanic. Nearly half of the respondents had an annual income of less than $10,000, and the unemployment rate was 55%.

higher levels of educational attainment (Nath, about prevalent issues are more likely to engage in volunteer efforts (Flanagan & Levine, 2010).

Therefore, the challenge of promoting more community engagement seems more commonly prevalent in low income neighborhoods. Ideally, the changes we recommend for M.L.K Park will

16

Figure 23

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (Graph retreived from Work Force Buffalo)

Resourceful Programming in M.L.K Jr. Park

Something that could bring about posi-

Park would be very beneficial to the community.

tive growth in the neighborhood is implement-

Since 2015, Workforce Buffalo has served 19,601

ing a job and career fair as activity program-

participants and provided 13,916 participants

ming in the park. This can bring resources to

with job placement. The organization has had a

the community while utilizing a familiar public

significant impact on the residents of Buffalo and

space. The implementation of this kind of pro-

Erie County. Since 2017, Western New York’s un-

gram would require partnering with a program

employment rate (4.4%) (Figure 24) has been the

or organization with the similar goal of closing

sixth most improved in the United States (Bureau

the gap in unemployment.

of Labor Statistics). Providing services to more

This organization is focused on giving opportunities to those that would otherwise not have them.

individuals and expanding the program to reach

Work Force Buffalo

specific neighborhoods concentrated in poverty

can create an even larger impact.

Work Force Buffalo is an organization

that runs three career centers in the city of Buf-

Figure 24

falo, and it is the ideal organization for the park to work with in implementing programs. These centers provide resources for those who are seeking employment, changing jobs, reentering the workforce, or learning new skills. This organization recently hosted a career and job fair at John F. Kennedy Park in Buffalo. They brought representatives from the Buffalo Employment & Training Center as well as local employers (Figure 23). Bringing something similar to M.L.K

Source: BuffaloNY.gov J.F.K Park Job Fair

17

Bringing a Community Center to the Park

A more ambitious and long term plan that

A community center located in the park could

we believe would be highly beneficial to the com-

Side Buffalo area.

act as a beacon of resources and opportunity for M.L.K Jr. neighborhood and the greater East

munity would be the addition of a community center to the park. A center would take up more

so we believe it is worth sacrificing some of the

Possible Funding to Develop and Operate a Community Center

Implementing such a project would

green space.

require funding, and we believe the best way

to fund the construction and to operate a com-

green space. However, it could be a space that significantly contributes to the neighborhood,

The community center would include a

housing program and a career and job program.

munity center is through available grants from

The housing program would provide resources

various foundations that support the renewing

for housing repair, finding housing, as well as

and improvement of parks. This year, the Buf-

resources and education for homeownership.

falo Olmsted Park Conservancy was awarded

Educating the community on homeownership

a $3,000,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson

would help more and more residents move to-

Foundation. This money is intended to go into

wards or more conducive future where they can

improvements in the parks throughout the Olm-

have more stability and security through owning

stead Parks. This is a possible source of funding

property. Belmont Housing Resources currently

to build the community center. This foundation

provides assistance and information for residents

has awarded grants to the conservancy in the

of Western New York. This organization helps

past, this most recent award being the largest.

connect individuals to affordable rental housing,

If the community center is built on behalf of

as well as educates individuals on buying homes

the conservancy, there is more access to larger

and maintaining homes as a homeowner. Collab-

grants. As opposed to a community group that

orating with an organization like this could bring

may not have as many resources or as much

so many resources to not only M.L.K Jr. Neigh-

credibility that would allow them to make such

borhood, but also the area of East Buffalo, which

large grant request.

is currently suffering from similar housing and

Another foundation that we could reach out

employment problems as the neighborhood.

to is the Western New York Foundation. This

foundation provides grants for qualifying non-

As far as a program for career and job

services, working with the previously mentioned,

profits and organizations, which allows for

Workforce Buffalo organization. They would

further expansion and improvement on pro-

be able to facilitate workshops and classes in

grams that will contribute to the residents of

the proposed center, as well as have resources

Western New York. This foundation awards

available to connect individuals to employers.

between $500 and $50,000 for each grant. This

18

may not be enough to facilitate building a new structure. However, this could go towards the actual operations of the community center, such as hiring and training employees to work in the center and purchasing physical resources and equipment (pamphlets, computers, educational materials, etc.).

Conclusion

M.L.K Park has changed and evolved as time passed, and as its environment changed. The

park has always acted as a public space that provided people with the opportunity to connect, interact, and engage. As the needs of the neighborhood change, the park has to keep up with the surrounding demographics. This plan displays how the park can be improved in a way that better suit the needs of its local residents. Based on research conducted, we found that the residents needed employment, opportunity, and a safe space. Therefore, our recommendations attempt to tackle these issues by bringing in more resources and implementing more engaging programs that bring the neighborhood together at the park. What we hope is that with the recommended improvements, the park can be a hub for resources and opportunity, while acting as a safe space that facilitates people coming together as a community.

Sketch of M.L.K Park by Xiyan Ding

19

References 1. Becker, M. (2019, May 19). A conviction in the kind of street crime that can get ‘lost in the shuffle’.

Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2019/05/19/a-conviction-in-

the-kind-of-street-crime-that-can-get-lost-in-the-shuffle/.

2. Besecker, A. (2018, December 5). Man reports gunpoint robbery in MLK Park. Retrieved

November 18, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2018/12/05/man-reports-gunpoint-robbery-

in-mlk-park/.

3. Blatto, A. (2018). A City Divided: A Brief History of Segregation in Buffalo. Partnership for the Public Good.

4. Buffalo Olmsted Park System: Plan for the 21st Century. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.bfloparks.org/resources/buffalo-olmsted-park-system-plan-for-the-21st-century/

5. Caya, C. (2019, May 25). Major investment is on the way for Buffalo’s MLK Park. Retrieved

November 18, 2019, from https://news.wbfo.org/post/major-investment-way-buffa

los-mlk-park.

6. Cohen, D., Han, B., Derose, K., Williamson, S., Marsh, T., Raaen, L., … Sallis, J. (2016).

The Paradox of Parks in Low-Income Areas: Park Use and Perceived Threats. Environment and

Behavior, 48(1), 230–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916515614366

7. Eileen Buckley & Maggie Fleming. Vandalism to flowers at MLK Park. Retrieved

November 18, 2019, from https://news.wbfo.org/post/vandalism-flowers-mlk-park.

8. Fischer K, Welsing A, Aragon L, Simon P. (August 2014). Parks After Dark: Preventing Violence

While Promoting Healthy, Active Living. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Retrieved November 18, 2019, from www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ivpp

9. Flanagan, C. and Levine, P. 2010. “Civic Engagement and the Transition to

Adulthood.” Future of Children 20, no. 1: 159-179.

20

10. Groshong, L., Wilhelm Stanis, S., Kaczynski, A., & Hipp, J. (2018). Attitudes About Perceived Park

Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighbor

hoods. Environment and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916518814291

11. Hetherly, M. (2016, December 6). MLK Park shooter sentenced to 22 years in prison. Retrieved

November 18, 2019, from https://news.wbfo.org/post/mlk-park-shooter-sentenced-22-

years-prison.

12. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park: Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy - His Legacy. Our

Inheritance (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.bfloparks.org/parks/mar

tin-luther-king-jr-park/.

13. McBride, A.M. 2003. “Asset ownership among low-income and low-wealth

individuals: Opportunity, asset ownership, and civic engagement.” Dissertation

Abstracts International, 64, 3483.

14. Mitra, P., & Bardhan, S. (2017). Tracing the Importance of Safety Audit in Making Inclusive Cities:

A Step Towards Smart Cities. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 37, 420–428. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j. proenv.2017.03.011

15. Nath, S. (2013). Civic Engagement in Low Income and Minority Neighborhoods, and the Role of

Public Investment. The Business of Virtue: Evidence from Socially Responsible Invest

ing in Financial Markets. Undergraduate Economic Review Retrieved from: https://digi

talcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol9/iss1/8

16. Outrage After Memorial Day Mess Left Behind at Buffalo’s MLK Park. (2016, June 1 ). Retrieved

November 18, 2019, from https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2016/06/1/mlk- park-mess-memorial-day--olmstead-parks-bpd-betty-jean-grant-outrage.

17. Sommer, M. (2019, October 5). Neighbors celebrate ‘awesome’ new playground at MLK Park.

Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2019/10/04/a-new-playground

comes-to-mlk-park/.

18. The Buffalo Billion II East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund (Spring 2019). Empire Stae Development.

21

19. ProTech Security. (2017, February 23). How Security Cameras for Cities Can Make the Streets

Safer. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://protechsecurity.com/how-security-cameras-

for-cities-can-make-the-streets-safer/.

Appendix A.1 Population by Age and Gender Data Table- Census Tract 35, Erie County

A.2 Race Population- Census Tract 35, Erie County

22

A.3 User Survey

23

State of Affairs: Outline Conditions: -

M.L.K Park is overall well-kept and adequately maintained.

-

Minor cracks in walkways and staircases.

-

Very few broken down trees due to the weather.

-

Positive investments are supplemented to the park often such as the most recent $300,000 new playground.

-

Improvements set for the Greenhouse as well as the Casino.

Opportunities: -

Walkways and lighting are seen as potential opportunities for improvement towards M.L.K Park.

-

Beginning of spring 2019, there has been a “Planning and Funding Revitalization.�

-

This funding consists of a $65 million resurrection to the East Side of Buffalo which contains Fillmore Ave. and M.L.K Park.

-

The surrounding neighborhood has been allotted $6.6 million for potential improvement.

-

The Fillmore corridor which surrounds M.L.K Park includes 80 businesses which offers 721 jobs.

Challenges: -

Crossing the road can be seen as a challenge for some people.

-

Safety at night & Child safety

-

Lighting issues (especially for the night)

State of Affairs: Script Conditions:

For conditions, M.L.K Park is overall well-kept and maintained with slight issues

such as cracks in some of the walkways and staircases, as well as very few broken down trees due to the weather. Many positive investments have been supplemented towards the park such as the most recent $300,000 new playground, which was actually built by many volunteers around the area. This playground is meant to provide an enjoyable time for the children. A couple of buildings such as the Greenhouse and Casino are in usable condition, but are also set for renovations to benefit many of the park users.

Opportunities:

For opportunities, walkways and lighting can be seen as potential

opportunities for improvements towards M.L.K Park. As of the beginning of spring 2019, there has been a “Planning and Funding Revitalization� creating a magnitude of opportunities throughout the park. This funding consists of a $65 million resurrection to the East Side of Buffalo which contains Fillmore Avenue and M.L.K Park. The surrounding neighborhoods of M.L.K Park have been allotted $6.6 million for potential improvements. The Fillmore corridor which surrounds M.L.K Park includes 80 businesses which offers 721 jobs, which can be seen as an opportunity to increase after the East Side of Buffalo revitalization. Many opportunities for improvement present themselves for M.L.K Park as well as the surrounding areas.

Challenges:

Some challenges that present themselves for M.L.K Park can be seen as, crossing

the road on highly active streets surrounding M.L.K Park. The street names that surround this park are Northampton Street, West Parade Avenue, Best Street, East Parade Avenue, and North Parade Avenue, with Fillmore Avenue cutting through the center of the park. Another challenge that was brought to attention is safety, which can be seen as a concern throughout the park, especially at night. Many park users also believe safety for children can sometimes be at risk due to some of the illegal activity around the park. Lighting seems to be deficient throughout the park which can also be seen as a challenge for many visitors and workers, especially during the nighttime.

Martin Luther King Jr. Park Master Plan: Connecting the Park to the People Amaris Lighty, Jake Wozniak, Xiyan Ding, Anthony Pineda INTRODUCTION: We want to begin our presentation with the origins and history of M.L.K Park. We take a closer look into the location and surrounding areas to create a sense of growth that M.L.K Park has experienced as well as surrounding neighborhoods. ●

Location

●

History

●

Context

STATE OF AFFAIRS: We take a closer look into the overall shape of M.L.K Park and certain factors that may limit the parks full potential. We also find different ways in how the park might benefit from certain opportunities. ●

Conditions

●

Opportunities

●

Challenges

RESIDENTS & PARK USERS: This part of the presentation takes you inside the perspective of many of the residents and visitors around M.L.K Park. We also break down the numbers relating to the citizens around the area. ●

Demographics

●

User Surveys

RECOMMENDATIONS: After obtaining much of the information needed, this is where we give our input for ways to improve M.L.K Park. We take into account other parks and public spaces as guidelines for many different ways improvements can be applied towards M.L.K Park. ●

Case studies

●

Safety Recommendations

●

Community and Park Engagement Recommendations

Martin Luther King Jr. Park Master Plan: Connecting the Park to the People Amaris Lighty, Jake Wozniak, Xiyan Ding, Anthony Pineda Group 6

INTRODUCTION

1

STATE OF AFFAIRS

RESIDENTS & PARK RECOMMENDATIONS USERS

● Location

● Conditions

● Demographics

● ●

● History

● Opportunities

● User Surveys

●

● Context

● Challenges

3

4

2

Case Studies Safety Recommendations Community and Park Engagement Recommendations

Introduction

Location ●

Located in Buffalo’s East Side

●

Bordered by Northampton St., Best St., North Parade St., and West Parade St.

●

With North Fillmore Ave. cutting through

the middle of the park.

Source: Google Earth Neighborhood surrounding M.L.K Jr. Park To the left: Close up of M.L.K Jr. Park

Introduction

History Source: Webmaster’s collection (Buffalo Architecture and History) Illustration of the Parade House plan (1875)

●

Designed in 1868 By Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux

●

Originally called “The Parade”

●

Included: -Large field for military drills and sporting events -Large children’s playground -The Parade House Source: Webmaster’s collection (Buffalo Architecture and History) The Parade House

Introduction

History â—?

The Parade was redesigned in 1895 and renamed Humboldt Park

â—?

Addition: -Humboldt Basin: 5-acre reflecting pool (basin for plants with a large fountain in the center)

Source: James Mendola Historic postcard featuring Humboldt Basin

Introduction

History ●

The park was connected to Delaware Park through the Humboldt Parkway

●

The parkway was a tree lined boulevard that connected residents from surrounding neighborhoods

●

Source: Restore our Community Coalition Buffalo, NY Humboldt Parkway c. 1914

This connection was broken by the development of Kensington Expressway in 1960

Source: Buffalo News archives The hourglass portion of the Kensington Expressway, nearing completion (1970)

Introduction

Context â—?

East Buffalo was once a

2010 Racial Density, Dot Map (East Side of Buffalo)

hub for immigrant groups living in Buffalo â—?

What we see now is a result of redlining, infrastructural changes,

and spatial segregation Source: University of Virginia

Introduction

Context ●

Following the Great Depression, the National Housing Act created the Federal Housing Agency (FHA).

Allowing for low-interest, long term loans, with low down payments. ●

The FHA mapped all of the urban areas in the United

States. This data included, percentage of foreign families, percentage of “Negros” and indications of “shifting and infiltration”

Source: National Archives, College Park, MD Home Owners Corp. Residential Security Map, 1937

Introduction

Context ●

Redlining restricted the flow of capital in and out of minority neighborhoods.

●

Many neighborhoods began to deteriorate due to lack of investment.

●

The urban renewal process displaced thousands of minorities, forcing them to find cheaper refuge in other places that were of poor quality, and devoid of development.

Source: La Galeria Magazine, Arleen Santana "Before and After" Washington Heights photos, taken months apart

State of Affairs

Conditions ●

M.L.K Park is overall well kept and adequately maintained.

●

Minor cracks in walkways and staircases.

●

Very few broken down trees due to the weather.

●

Positive investments are supplemented to the park

Photo taken by Jake Wozniak Fallen tree in the park

often such as the most recent $300,000 new playground. ●

Improvements set for the Greenhouse as well as the Casino.

Photo taken by Anthony Pineda Recently built playground, adjacent to the sheltered picnic tables

State of Affairs

Opportunities ●

Walkways and lighting are seen as potential opportunities for improvement towards M.L.K Park.

●

Beginning of spring 2019, there has been a “Planning and Funding Revitalization.”

●

This funding consists of a $65 million resurrection to the East Side of Buffalo which contains Fillmore Ave. and M.L.K Park.

●

The surrounding neighborhood has been alloted $6.6 million for potential improvement.

●

The fillmore corridor which surrounds M.L.K Park includes 80 businesses which offers 721 jobs.

State of Affairs

Challenges ●

Crossing the road can be seen as a challenge for some people.

●

Safety at night & Child safety.

●

Lighting issues (especially for the night).

Photo taken by Anthony Pineda Intersection of North Fillmore Ave. and East Park St.

Residents & Park Users

Demographics ●

The area surrounding M.L.K Park is called the Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhood.

●

This area is Census Tract 35, located in Erie County.

●

This tract has a population of 2,868 with the female population exceeding the male population by 486, and the highest age

population being 50-54 years of age.

Source: 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Residents & Park Users

Demographics â—?

Racial diversity is severely lacking within the area, with 95% of the population being Black or African American.

Source:2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Residents & Park Users

Demographics â—?

The average household income is only $15,000-$20,000 a year

â—?

Out of the 786 families in the neighborhood, 245 of those families have an income that is below the poverty level

Source: Social Explorer Percentage of families below income level in the M.L.K Neighborhood

Residents & Park Users

Question

How can this park contribute to its surrounding community, in a way that is unifying and uplifting?

Residents & Park Users

User Survey

Residents & Park Users Table 1.Participant Demographics

User Survey â—? â—?

Users of the park were randomly

Adult

Senior

Total

Gender

selected and interviewed.

Male

60%

40%

83%

The survey respondents were mainly

Female

100%

0

17%

middle to older age, African American

Race

residents, that have lived in the area for

Black

40%

60%

83%

over 5 years.

White

100%

0

17%

Residents & Park Users

User Survey ●

The main concerns that came up were,

safety at night, lack of lighting facilities, as well as the safety considerations for children. ●

Really good space for activity (taking walks, riding bikes, walking dogs, etc.) The respondents expressed that the park is at a reasonable distance from their home.

●

Accessible by walking, biking or driving.

Recommendations

After studying and surveying M.L.K Jr. Park, as well as its surrounding demographics, we found that the most prevalent issues to focus on are:

Safety & Community Engagement

Recommendations

Case Studies “Smart City Mission” ●

People perceive safety and security

based on others’ personal experiences. ●

Social exclusion occurs when perception of unsafe condition and results in a

decrease of activity and comfort. ●

Source :TheCityFix June 11, 2015

Safety is determined by

●

Eyes on the street and natural surveillance

lighting,visibility, signage, isolation,

●

Social environment is improved when people are gathered

escape routes, and maintenance

through programs or maintenance work

Recommendations Case Studies A Study on Community Engagement in Low Income Communities- Fair Park, Texas ●

Visiting the church and attending religious services was the most popular activity..

●

Other forms of social engagement were minimal

●

Greater civic engagement is correlated with higher levels of educational attainment.

Source:LISC Buffalo. Jan 2019

Recommendations

Parks After Dark ● Provides recreational, entertainment, and education programs ● Fairs that offer health, economic, and legal services Blue Light Emergency Services ● Bright lighting with buttons ● Contact authorities Surveillance Cameras ● Crimes occur when there is no monitoring ● Visible signs and cameras reduce crime rates Source : Emsworld.com Blue emergency pole

Source:Source: Govtech.com Security camera

Recommendations SOUTHEASTERN Louisiana University, Career Fair

Long Term Goal ● Community center ● Contribute to the community ● Housing Program ● Career and Job Program Delta Tech School of Business and Technology

References 1. Becker, M. (2019, May 19). A conviction in the kind of street crime that can get ‘lost in the shuffle’. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2019/05/19/a-conviction-in-the-kind-of-street-crime-that-can-get-lost-in-the-shuffle/.

2. Besecker, A. (2018, December 5). Man reports gunpoint robbery in MLK Park. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2018/12/05/man-reports-gunpoint-robbery-in-mlk-park/.

3. Blatto, A. (2018). A City Divided: A Brief History of Segregation in Buffalo. Partnership for the Public Good.

4. Buffalo Olmsted Park System: Plan for the 21st Century. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bfloparks.org/resources/buffalo-olmsted-park-system-plan-for-the-21st-century/ 5. Caya, C. (2019, May 25). Major investment is on the way for Buffalo’s MLK Park. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://news.wbfo.org/post/major-investment-way-buffalos-mlk-park.

6. Cohen, D., Han, B., Derose, K., Williamson, S., Marsh, T., Raaen, L., … Sallis, J. (2016). The Paradox of Parks in Low-Income Areas: Park Use and Perceived Threats. Environment and Behavior, 48(1), 230–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916515614366 7. Eileen Buckley & Maggie Fleming. Vandalism to flowers at MLK Park. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://news.wbfo.org/post/vandalism-flowers-mlk-park.

8. Fischer K, Welsing A, Aragon L, Simon P. (August 2014). Parks After Dark: Preventing Violence While Promoting Healthy, Active Living.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ivpp 9. Flanagan, C. and Levine, P. 2010. “Civic Engagement and the Transition to Adulthood.” Future of Children 20, no. 1: 159-179.

10. Groshong, L., Wilhelm Stanis, S., Kaczynski, A., & Hipp, J. (2018). Attitudes About Perceived Park Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighborhoods. Environment and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916518814291

References 11. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park: Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy - His Legacy. Our Inheritance (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.bfloparks.org/parks/martin-luther-king-jr-park/.

12. McBride, A.M. 2003. “Asset ownership among low-income and low-wealth individuals: Opportunity, asset ownership, and civic engagement.”

Dissertation Abstracts International, 64, 3483.

13. Mitra, P., & Bardhan, S. (2017). Tracing the Importance of Safety Audit in Making Inclusive Cities: A Step Towards Smart Cities.

Procedia Environmental Sciences, 37, 420–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

14. Nath, S. (2013). Civic Engagement in Low Income and Minority Neighborhoods, and the Role of Public Investment. The Business of Virtue: Evidence from Socially Responsible Investing in Financial Markets. Undergraduate Economic Review Retrieved from: https://digi talcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol9/iss1/8 15. Sommer, M. (2019, October 5). Neighbors celebrate ‘awesome’ new playground at MLK Park.

Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2019/10/04/a-new-playgroundcomes-to-mlk-park/.

16. The Buffalo Billion II East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund (Spring 2019). Empire State Development.

Thank You! Questions?

A Portfolio of Works James Annunziata Jr.

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Table of Contents Preface:

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Research in Planning:

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Literature Review:

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Annotated Bibliography:

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Data Analysis Report:

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Data Collection Memo:

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Data Collection PowerPoint:

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Case Study Assignment:

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Case Study Presentation:

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Preface: During the course of my education in the fine field of Environmental Design, I was subject to many trials and tribulations in the form of assignments which allowed me to thoroughly hone my abilities and realize my potential as a planner. The assignments which I undertook, occasionally in groups but usually solo, helped me to attain experience and a showcase for skills that I gained in my schooling. One such class that helped me to refine my skills was called END 350. At the beginning of the class, I was a novice in most things planning related. I could write and had experience with excel, but data gathering and statistical analysis were among a vast array of topics that presented as a foreboding maelstrom of unknown complexity for a budding planner to cognize.

The first assignment, Research in Planning, helped me to become more comfortable with the source gathering that the course expected. The assignment presented as a sort of warm up. In researching this assignment’s topics, I was unknowingly gathering sources for my next big assignment, and was equally unknowingly compiling the beginning of the narrative for my first large assignment. The best takeaway form this assignment was incorporating sources of multiple types in an analysis that encapsulated two topics.

My next assignment was a stern teacher of the essential skill of proper source analysis.

When composing a professional thesis, one must select sources with a scrutiny as if they were selecting pedigree with which to breed a show dog. I began by finding sources of all different

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types, from scholarly journals and articles to newspapers and thesis papers, and constructed a bibliography. I properly read through the sources, analyzed them, and annotated my bibliography with summaries for each source. This improved understanding of the sources at hand provided me with the knowledge I required to construct an analysis of the literature for my given topic. This analysis allowed me to make use of my writing skills and present a professional dissection of the literature so that a topic as vast as big box retail could be easily summarized and digested by readers with little formal knowledge on the topic. That is the best takeaway from this project, I learned how to take an overwhelming amount of information on a topic, analyze it, and break it down into a simplistic summary for consumption in a professional environment.

My next assignment, the data analysis report, tested and enhanced my ability to use excel whilst also refining my ability to analyze statistical data. My use of excel to create charts allowed me to gain a greater mastery over the workings of the excel software, while my use of census data to identify similarities and differences between communities allowed me to hone my analyzing skills with regard to statistics. Becoming better at “making the numbers speak English� so to speak, has helped me to gain a greater understanding of what a census can tell planners who wish to discover the feasibility of taking certain planning actions in certain areas.

For example, malls with a focus on putting stores within walking distance of homes would not be feasible in a city like Buffalo due to said city’s heavy reliance on car transport. As with the previous assignment, my ability to prove a thesis with quality data improved, as well as my ability to link the presented data in unique and proficient manners.

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My third assignment, the data collection memorandum and power point, tested my ability to both do field observations and do such with a partner. My partner and I set out into the wild immediately and made our observations of the intersections that we chose, and I found this hands-on approach to be a quick favorite. One can only learn so much about an area and it’s people from facts, figures, and computer graphics after all. The data that we collected in person and then from a traffic data site compelled us to propose the installation of different intersections in both areas. We generated a memo, the distribution of labor for which was little more than a slight challenge, and went on to generate a power point presentation to convince the officials we were theoretically petitioning. This assignment gave me a refresher in group work, and I found having a partner with which the workload could be split to be a double-edged blade. My partner helped me to balance an increased workload, but I also had to trust him to be reliable and produce work to a similar quality that I was, which he thankfully did.

My last project was perhaps the most all encompassing project in END 350, the case study and presentation. For this, I was placed in a group of 4 and asked to make observations on a park with the intent of recommending improvements to be made and generating a master plan of the park. Delegating workload for this was challenging but possible, and the work required my capabilities in research, analysis, and creativity to propose feasible improvements to the park that my group was examining. Once the master plan was created, we were to create a presentation with which we could effectively present our findings to a board of professionals, which we then did. The key takeaways from this project were the ability to analyze real world findings as in the previous assignment, but also the ability to extrapolate the most feasible improvements to be made based on the data gathered from both hands on

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experience and research. My group and I also learned a key ability for planners from our assignment: connecting with the community and taking their opinions into consideration. We interviewed numerous parkgoers and used their opinions to help us determine the feasibility of our propositions. All in all, the assignments that are presented here before you are representative of not only my skills and work ethic, but all of the hard work that I put in within END 350 and all of my formal planning education in order to become a paragon of planning and development that hopes to build communities and cities for decades to come if the powers that be should so graciously incline such.

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Research in Planning James Annunziata Jr. 8/30/2019 END 350

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James Annunziata Jr. 9/7/2019 END 350

Research in Planning

Sustainable Cities The concept of sustainable cities becomes ever more important as the world becomes more urbanized over time. As more people move into cities, they become cut off from the natural world that supplies them. The city as a whole, because it places a premium on space, is also not sustainable because there is simply no room for these natural spaces which urban citizens find themselves so completely disconnected from. Not only does the urban population require a method to produce food, but it also has a need for a sustainable way to dispose of it’s waste. The issue of the ecological impact of cities is more far reaching than just supply and demand, the land needed to supply cities with food and dispose of waste is beginning to overrun natural habitats and the freight needed to move these supplies is heavily impacting the ecosystem of the planet (Deelstra, 2000). Essentially, cities need to become more sustainable both because there will not be enough space to provide resources for cities and because the transportation of these resources will too negatively impact the environment. The method by

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which cities coordinate to become sustainable is by a combination of good governance and the cooperation of local communities to make changes like establishing urban farms and waste composting (Evans, 2013). This combination of good governance and community outreach will ultimately lead to the best course of sustainability policy that cities will adopt. Cities also need to consider the species present in a city which help perform roles within the city’s ecology, as more species that can perform the same role will make the city ecology more resilient (Andersson E, 2006). This essentially means that cities have unique ecologies which help with sustainability independent of humans, and redundancy of roles within these ecologies can improve the resilience and sustainability of the city as a whole. As the idea of urban farming is usually purposed for sustainability in urban environments, research into sustainable cities can begin with either research into sustainability itself or urban farming initiatives and waste disposal in cities.

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Big Box Retail Big box retail is a double-edged sword for any communities that find themselves populated with such. Big box retail can bring with it increased jobs and retail value (Basker, 2005) but the jobs it replaces are usually lower quality (Goetz, 2006). Big box retail stores enter an area and use up large tracts of land to sustain a business model that allows them to buy a multitude of items for cheap and therefore sell them cheaper than their competition. This leads to the destruction of the small town main street and all of the mom and pop shops that inhabit such.

The large amount of permeable land that is replaced with concrete and asphalt also leads to problems with water displacement. The issue is so great that a dissertation was presented entirely on how to help mitigate the environmental impact of big box retail by helping big box stores to more effectively mitigate and dispose of rainwater (Kretova, 2009). Big box retail’s main draw is that it provides a one stop shopping method that is also cheap and convenient for customers, and so it is no surprise that big box retail is widely popular in the areas it springs up.

The full effect of the entry of big box retail into an area may never fully be known, but the effects of retail are known to span into multiple disciplines besides simply economics. Big box retail can effect the ecology of an area via the aforementioned rainwater displacement, the economy, and the planning aspects of an area.

Research into big box retail should begin with the article by Basker, as it the foremost article in the field on the topic of big box retail in the economic sphere and many other articles reference it or outright seek to refute or support it. From there, it would be prudent to look into the articles and see if any of those reference a different effect of big box retail. Looking

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into the effects of big box retail, one can find areas completely unrelated to retail that big box stores affect. Looking into the large amount of space that a big box store takes up, it is simply a matter of categorizing the disciplines concerning the aspects that the stores represent.

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Works Cited Andersson, E. (2006). Urban landscapes and sustainable cities. Ecology and society, 11(1).

Basker, E. (2005). Job creation or destruction? Labor market effects of Wal-Mart expansion. Review of Economics and Statistics, 87(1), 174-183.

Deelstra, T., & Girardet, H. (2000). Urban agriculture and sustainable cities. Bakker N., Dubbeling M., Gündel S., Sabel-Koshella U., de Zeeuw H. Growing cities, growing food. Urban agriculture on the policy agenda. Feldafing, Germany: Zentralstelle für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (ZEL), 4366.

Evans, B., Joas, M., Sundback, S., & Theobald, K. (2013). Governing sustainable cities. Routledge.

Goetz, S., & Swaminathan, H. (2006). Wal-Mart and County-Wide Poverty*. Social Science Quarterly, 87(2), 211–226. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204339973/

Krettova, J., & Yapijakis, C. (2009). Low impact development for greening big box retail stores (ProQuest Dissertations Publishing). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304872638/

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Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography James Annunziata Jr. 9/7/2019 END 350

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James Annunziata Jr. 9/7/2019 END350

I Like Big Boxes and I Cannot Lie: An Examination of the

Literature Surrounding Big Box Retail.

Introduction: The big box retail store is perhaps one of the most profoundly ubiquitous aspects of the modern American community, such that it’s probably easier to drive to a Walmart than a hospital (and cheaper to buy drugs there too). A big box store makes it’s money by being extremely large and therefore able to order product in bulk and sell it for bulk

prices, which is insanely profitable and has led to the proliferation of big box chain stores to lead it to this ubiquitous point. It is no surprise, then, that big box retail has a large and diverse volume of literature about both the stores themselves and the multitude of effects that come from their entrance into a community. This literature on

big box retail and the phenomena that it causes can be traced back to about the 1970’s, though the more popular studies mostly took place during the late 90’s and early 2000’s, likely due to the fact that Walmart was hitting it’s peak. Walmart will be mentioned moreso than other big box retailers, both in the literature and this examination, because

Walmart is the Paragon of big box retail. Walmart sets a majority of the precedents that other big box retail stores follow and is one of the most successful big box chain companies in existence. Given this, the literature tends to focus heavily on Walmart when it needs a specific example or a test case to study, though other big box stores

are used occasionally in case studies. Speaking of Walmart and the multitude of effects that it can bring into a community, the literature surrounding big box retail stretches into multiple disciplines in fields like planning, ecology, and economy, as this literature review will reflect. The literature across all of these fields essentially boils down into two

base objectives however: proving the benefits of the entrance of big box retail into an

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area or showing the detriments, which then is tinted by the biases of the authors either for or against the big box corporations. These authors find a multitude of results going both ways, proving that big box retail has a complicated but profound effect on the communities that it inhabits and that the idea of big box retail being a definitive positive or negative is not as cut and dry as one might be led to believe. Big box retail is important to planning in particular because of the relationship between big box retail and suburbanization and therefore between big box retail and suburban sprawl. Proper planning approaches to big box retail can help to mitigate the economic and environmental impacts that big box retail has on communities. Proper planning and examination of the literature can also help to mitigate the impact of internet retail giants

like Amazon on big box retail’s economic standing, as the two sectors are likely to continue struggling for market dominance in the near future. With all of this said, this report likely captures the majority of the major literary sources on the topic, because the sources examined here are a lot of the sources that other literature on this topic draws

from in their examinations. This account of big box retail and the literature examining such can therefore be understood to be acceptably sourced so that readers can get the best basic understanding of the topic and the nature of literature concerning said topic.

Planning:

The Literature surrounding big box retail from the planning side is mostly from economic journals and generally addresses the idea of the land that the Walmart inhabits. Walmart follows a formula with it’s buildings: they build large warehouses so that they can order as much product as possible for bulk buying discounts to keep prices low, move to a different building entirely when they outgrow, and leave a large warehouse building surrounded by acres of parking lot that is both unsightly and difficult to reuse (Sochar, 2008). This shows the first negative in terms of the literature: Walmart and other big box stores tend to soak up land and their buildings become difficult to repurpose when such companies are done with them. Big box store sights, also by nature of how they are planned out, increase sprawl and encourage increased personal vehicle traffic through their large allotment of parking spaces and placement

13 within suburban spaces (Beaumont, 2002). Here lies the second negative that the literature encompasses: that big box stores are based around ideas that urban planners find negative, like increased vehicular traffic and existing in suburban areas. A third negative would be that the arrival of big box stores into a community tends to snuff out smaller local stores that cannot compete with the low prices that big box retail brings, which leads to the death of local business in small towns and therefore the decay of civic engagement that those local businesses were instrumental in (Blanchard, 2003). Given all of this, it would be safe to say that urban planning types of literature tend to have a negative view of big box retail for it’s contributions to sprawl and the creation of unsightly shell buildings when the buildings outgrow their locations. Given this, literature that focuses on planning likes to present the use of expanded policy and zoning codes to address the negatives that planners find with big box retail. One article suggests the use of zoning codes to force big box retail stores from leaving these building husks, which the author refers to as “greyfields”, from being created instead of communities finding a use for them once the issue has arisen (Sochar, 2008). This can be by forcing the stores to reuse existing space by simply expanding the building or by outright denying stores from setting up in new locations. In essence, a community should weigh the costs and benefits that big box brings in all aspects before deciding to use zoning to either restrict or allow big box retail in the area (Irwin, 2007). The general idea within the literature on big box retail from a planning sense is that big box stores contribute to sprawl and civic decay and that steps need to be taken in order to combat such things.

Ecology:

The ecological perspective by which Walmart is viewed has a lot of literature from academic journals as the planning perspective did, but a thesis was also dug up which presents an attempt to help big box retail be more environmentally minded. Literature concerning the ecological impact of big box retail is also tends to be more recent, showing up at or after 2009, which is likely due to an increased awareness about environmental impacts of everyday life in recent years. The main idea surrounding the ecological aspect of the literature is that big box retail is responsible for a large portion of the carbon footprint in an area by the nature of it’s large parking lots and placement within suburban areas and that big box retail companies should strive for extra efficiency as a result. One study noted that retailers like Walmart are very

14 uniform in energy efficiency across all of their stores and that they could be convinced to be more efficient as a whole if carbon consumption was a measurable metric against the cost of such emissions (Kahn, 2014). This literature presents the idea that big box retail could be more motivated to become economically friendly by way of energy efficiency if it was shown that efficiency would save them money at the end of the day. Whether this means that efficiency is actually more cost effective or that inefficiency carries taxes as a penalty remains up for debate.

An idea presented for big box retail to become more ecologically friendly is shown in the dissertation by Jana Krettova, where the author states that the large parking lots that accompany big box stores can be designed in such a way that storm water is more efficiently gathered and disposed of (Krettova, 2009). This would lead to less maintenance and therefore could save big box retailers money. At the end though, even the ecological literature recognizes that money is the key motivator for big box retail.

Economical:

The economically focused literature surrounding big box retail is the most diverse and also where the most positive aspects of big box retail are found. Some of the literature simply displays why big box retail is so prevalent in areas where it enters a community, like the study which illustrated the ballooning of big box stores in the Greater Toronto Area in the 90’s (Jones, 2000). These big box stores grow as quickly as they do because people love the low prices and convenience of a one stop shop. Most of the literature focuses around whether big box stores hurt or help the job market and, surprisingly, the housing prices in whichever community they are located. Perhaps the best study on the problem if the job market is the Basker study; which found that Walmart creates about 100 jobs when it enters into an area and destroys about 50 jobs, resulting in a net gain of 50 jobs (Basker, 2005). This piece of literature is cited by quite a few other pieces of literature in this topic, and shows that Walmart generally has a positive effect on the job market in an area. This is tempered by Goetz, who shows that Walmart replaces those jobs that it destroys with lower quality jobs, thus increasing the poverty rate in the area (Goetz, 2006). The relationship between big box retail and the economy of a community is then shown to be complicated at best. Further literature focuses on the relationship between mom and pop shops and big box retailers, showing that smaller retailers in both the same area and industry as a big box store are annihilated by big box’s competitive

15 pricing and stock (Haltiwanger, 2010). Big box retail does not exclusively bring negatives to an area however, as it has been shown to both lower average food prices by forcing competing shops to lower their prices to compete (Woo, 2001) and raise housing prices because housing closer to cheap one stop shopping is more desirable (Cambridge, 2012). This literature is also beginning to slightly address the looming threat on the horizon that is Amazon, as a newspaper article shows Chinese investors beginning to purchase big box retail in anticipation of Amazon’s entry into Australia, which at least helps to mention Amazon as a competitor to big box retail (Redman, 2017). It should be expected that literature on the threat of online retailers like Amazon to established Big box retail will be popping up in the near future as people begin to study the rise of online retail, which has increased convenience over big box retail in that people no longer need to leave their houses in order to buy products.

Closing:

In closing, it can be shown that the literature surrounding the topic of big box retail is both vast and diverse, while also devolving into the question of whether stores like Walmart and home depot are beneficial or harmful to a community. The increased sprawl and car usage caused by big box retail garners a negative opinion from the planning perspective, while the rainwater displacement and increased carbon footprint from the large parking lots are negative from an ecological perspective, and the economic perspective shows a mixed bag of created jobs and raised housing prices coupled with raised poverty levels and the destruction of small retail stores. The literature is vast and encompasses multiple fields to examine the multiple facets by which big box retail touches the communities in which it resides. The future of Big box retail is clear however, it will have to change radically to meet the growing convenience of online retailers like Amazon lest it be cast to the wayside in the same way that small scale retailers were cast asunder by big box retailers in the past. The future or big box retail focused literature will illustrate this, either articles will be written about how big box retail is a thing of the past or articles will be written about the myriad of adaptations that kept big box retail afloat in a changing environment.

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Bibliography

Basker, E. (2005). Job creation or destruction? Labor market effects of Wal-Mart expansion. Review of Economics and Statistics, 87(1), 174-183.

This article uses statistics to see whether walmart really does create more jobs than it destroys when it expands into an area. Walmart actually ends up creating more jobs than it destroys when it enters into an area. The amount of jobs created is approximately 100 in the first year, which is then slightly offset by a loss of 50 jobs over the next five years for a net gain of 50 jobs in the area. This means that walmart can actually benefit the job market in an area by bringing

jobs in, and the article mentions that companies which do not compete with walmart have no statistical job loss or gain, they are essentially left alone.

Basker, E., Klimek, S., & Hoang Van, P. (2012). Supersize it: The growth of retail chains and the rise of the “Big�Box� store. Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 21(3), 541-582.

The point of this article is to track the growth of big box retail by talking about the rise of general merchandise retailers and how they grew faster than specialized retailers. The article talks about the growth of stores relative to the product lines they carry and shows that stores carrying more lines and in more locations grow much faster than specialty stores. It also talks about how

consumers, in an attempt to keep total costs low, will prioritize stores that have more products for sale and at lower prices to keep their purchasing cost and travel costs low. This article is useful to show definitively that one stop shopping is the reason why big box retail is so successful.

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Beaumont, C., & Tucker, L. (2002). Big-Box Sprawl. Washington: National Trust for Historical Preservation.

This article talks about the drawbacks of having walmarts in an area. A few of the impacts of

walmart or other big box stores in an area are increased sprawl, urban decay, deforestation, and increased traffic. This leads the people to form a love/hate relationship with big box retail, people love the low and available prices but hate the environmental and economic impacts that a big box store brings. This article is a good example of the people’s response to the negatives of big box retail.

Blanchard, T., Irwin, M., Tolbert, C., Lyson, T., & Nucci, A. (2003). Suburban Sprawl, Regional Diffusion, and the Fate of Small Retailers in a Large Retail Environment, 19771996. Sociological Focus, 36(4), 313–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380237.2003.10571227

This article talks about the decline of small business and the rise of big box retail and the sociological effects. The article talks about the death of the small town main street and the uses of these small businesses for informal social interaction and community engagement. At big box retailers, these informal interactions are decreased, which leads to decreased civic engagement amongst American citizens in the 21st century. The article also talks about how the owners of small retail businesses play an important part in their communities and solving the problems thereof, and the loss of these businesses has lead to a civic decay of sorts.

Brennan, D., & Lundsten, L. (2000). Impacts of large discount stores on small US towns: reasons for shopping and retailer strategies. International Journal of Retail & Distribution

Management, 28(4/5), 155–161. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590550010319904

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This article talks about the impact that walmart had after moving into 5 small towns in Minnesota. The study showed that people do indeed shop where they can get cheaper materials and that local stores suffered as a result. Local stores adapted by carrying higher quality products and unique branded merchandise that stores like walmart couldnt get.

Essentially, specialty stores can coexist with big discount stores by carrying more specialized items that those big stores do not. This would be a good example of the economic effects of discount stores.

Goetz, S., & Swaminathan, H. (2006). Wal-Mart and County-Wide Poverty*. Social Science Quarterly, 87(2), 211–226. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204339973/

This article is about finding the relationship between the arrival and subsequent expansion of walmart in a given area and the rise or fall of poverty in that area as a result. The study showed that walmart did indeed increase the poverty levels in areas where it was located, at least during the 90’s economic boom that the study examined. One possible reason for the increase is that walmart obliterates mom and pop operations and forces those people to work at walmart for lower wages due to a lack of alternative employment opportunities. Local retailers that do not go

under must reduce wages to remain competitive as well, and the closing of local businesses also leads to the closure of their suppliers. This article is a good example of how big box retail can hurt a local area when it moves in.

Sochar, B. (2008). Shining the light on greyfields: a Wal-Mart case study on preventing abandonment of big box stores through land use regulations. Albany Law Review, 71(2).

19 This article talks about the proactive approach that city planners can use to tackle the problem of abandoned walmarts leading to large tracts of empty space. Walmart makes their money by building their stores as largely as possible in order to buy as in bulk as possible to keep prices low, which leads to walmarts outgrowing their stores and moving shop to bigger stores and leaving the current ones abandoned. These abandoned properties, termed greyfields, tend to sit unoccupied because there are few uses for them aside from being a walmart. Local governments are then recommended to use zoning measures to help combat the creation of these greyfields rather than deal with them once they are made. This article would be useful to

show a non economic impact of big box retail on communities as well as frame the issue in a planning sense.

Haltiwanger, J., Jarmin, R., & Krizan, C. (2010). Mom-and-Pop meet Big-Box: Complements or substitutes? Journal of Urban Economics, 67(1), 116–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jue.2009.09.003

This article discusses the question of whether walmart actually creates more jobs than it destroys, drawing on the conclusions of other literature in this same vein. The study shows that big box retail causes negative impacts for smaller retail stores in the immediate area of big box

stores and only if the stores are in the same detailed industry. The study also finds that restaurants, chain or not, get a positive effect from the arrival of a big box store into their immediate area. This article can be used to back up the job destruction idea behind big box entry into an area.

Irwin, E. G., & Clark, J. (2007). Mitigating Impacts of Big Box Retail on Local Communities. Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 37(1100-2016-89809), 53-55.

20 This article is about just what the title states, mitigating the impacts on local communities by way of planning and zoning. The study finds that planning in small communities should only allow for big box retail in the places where it will produce enough benefit to even out the cost of letting a big box retailer into the community. Also, legislation requiring increased employee benefits can be used to ensure that the jobs walmart replaces small retail jobs with can be quality jobs and can help to keep the poverty level stable instead of increasing it. This article will be useful to show some possible solutions to the big box issue that has been brought up.

ones, K., & Doucet, M. (2000). Big-box retailing and the urban retail structure: the case of the Toronto area 1 This paper is based on a revised and condensed version of Jones and Doucet (1999). 1. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 7(4), 233–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-6989(00)00021-7

This article explores the rise of big box retail in the greater toronto area in the 90s. The article relates that 72% of big box stores in the GTA had opened between 1990 and 1999 and that they

accounted for huge amounts of economic transactions in areas where they were present. The article also talks about how big box retail tends to favor suburban areas and that they dominate the market in areas that they are present. This article can be used to show how big box retail

enters and impacts an area in a timeline format, showing a snapshot of the growth of big box retail in a region.

Kahn, M., & Kok, N. (2014). Big-Box Retailers and Urban Carbon Emissions: The Case of WalMart. NBER Working Paper Series, n/a. https://doi.org/10.3386/w19912

This article talks about the effects of big box retail on the carbon emission levels in an area. The

article talks specifically about how walmart has a great degree of standardization in energy

21 consumption across it’s stores and that it invests in energy efficiency as a way to keep costs down across stores. The article also mentions how commerical real estate is a large factor of a city’s carbon footprint, and that big box retail could be more motivated to become more energy efficient if carbon consumption was put into a cost metric. This article can help explain more noneconomic impacts of big box retail on a community.

Krettova, J., & Yapijakis, C. (2009). Low impact development for greening big box retail stores (ProQuest Dissertations Publishing). Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/304872638/

This paper talks about the use of low impact development to help reduce the ecological impact of big box retail. The big ecological impact that big box has by design, prompting it to be more environmentally minded, is that big box stores are only accessible by car and have acres of parking lots around them. One way big box can do this is to design better storm water management that benefits big boxes by requiring less maintenance and cost. This paper can further help to explain the environmental impact of big box retail.

Mitchell, S. (2006). Big-box swindle : the true cost of mega-retailers and the fight for America’s independent businesses / Stacy Mitchell. Boston: Beacon Press.

This book discusses the rise of big box retail before it was even big box, and talks about the historical happenings of “MegaRetailers”. The book talks about the campaigns that chain companies underwent to justify their expansions to the public in the 1940s and 1950s and their subsequent growth. The article also talks about how chain stores benefitted from

22 suburbanization and that led to their massive expansion in the 1960s. This book is mainly used by me for the history of big box retail provided in the intro, as the author gives a detailed overview of the history of the big box and chain retail rise to power.

When Walmart Comes to Town Always Low Housing Prices? Always? (2012). Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research.

This study looks at the effect walmart has on housing prices in an area when it enters a local

economy. The study tells that opponent s of walmart claim it to lower property values and housing prices in an area. The study proves that, in actuality, walmart can slightly raise the housing prices in an area within a mile of the store. This article can show yet another benefit of walmart entering a new economy, likely due to the lower prices that a walmart provides.

ELIZABETH REDMAN. (2017, August 7). Chinese chase big box retail.(Business). The Australian (National, Australia).

This newspaper article discusses the phenomenon of Chinese investors flocking to buy big box retail stores in Australia. This article shows that Chinese retailers like the steady profit and

income from owning a big box store and they are using them as defensive assets. The big box stores also hold dominant locations in the areas they are located in, which make them more secure investments. This article also talks about the looming entry of Amazon into the region, suggesting that Amazon and big box retail could stand to clash in the future. This article can support the idea that big box retail is an exciting prospect for investors because it is profitable, while also hinting that Amazon will likely arrive as string competition to big box retail in the coming years.

23 Woo, B. J., Huang, C. L., Epperson, J. E., & Cude, B. J. (2001). Effect of a new Wal-Mart supercenter on local retail food prices. Journal of Food Distribution Research, 32(856-2016-57741), 173-181.

This article talks about the effect that walmart’s entry into the market has on the food prices in an area. The article looked at Athens-Clarke County, Georgia and found that supermarkets in

the area reduced food prices in order to stay competitive with walmart. It is important to note two things: red meat, wheats, dairy, and cereals were the most likely to be discounted and despite these discounts walmart still had the lowest prices in the area. This can be used to show that the impact of a walmart into a local area.

24

A statistical comparison between Buffalo, NY and Boca Raton, FL James Annunziata Jr. 10/1/2019 END 350

25

Introduction: The city of Buffalo is located within Erie County in western upstate New York and had a population of 259,574 in 2017; while Boca Raton is a city within Palm Beach county in southern Florida with that had a population of 93,964 in 2017. Population differences alone indicates a major difference between these cities, but census data shows that Buffalo had a stagnating population while Boca Raton saw a population growth. Part of this likely has to do with climate differences: Boca Raton is located near the water in southern Florida and therefore has a beautiful climate aside from the occasional hurricane; while Buffalo is a city known for brutal winters and otherwise unpredictable weather. Climate can affect everything from road quality and the longevity of motor vehicles to general quality of living in an area. Another area to consider is taxes, as inevitable in human life as death itself. This can give quite a bit of insight into why Buffalo seems to have trouble gaining population and why Boca Raton has no problem, as Florida has no personal income tax and generally has much lower taxes across the board than New York state. Given these factors and the census data, it can be shown that Boca Raton is growing because it attracts the old and wealthy, while Buffalo is stagnating because it attracts the young and less economically advantaged.

26

Data Analysis Sex by Age: Buffalo has a

Sex By Age: Buffalo, NY

fairly plain spread

80 to 84 years 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years 50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years 20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years < 5 years 14,000

for sex by age as far as cities go.

According to figure 9,000

source:US Census Bureau

4,000 Female

Figure 1

1,000 Male

6,000

11,000

16,000

1, The city has an overwhelming

amount of people in their 20’s and 30’s which suggests a

U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S0101 2017, Age and Sex, generated

by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

younger population. The population below 20 is only slightly lower than the largest group, but that population is

likely to grow as the 20-34 year old demographic starts families and has more children. The portion of the population above 40 is much lower, though there is a spike in population percentage in the 50’s. the population percentage at higher ages is much lower, suggesting that the city is more appealing to younger people and that older people do not tend to live in Buffalo. The gender spread in Buffalo is fairly even, rather, there is no significant gender disparity in Buffalo.

The city of Boca Raton has a very interesting age split. As shown by figure 2, Boca Raton has a very high population percentage in the 55-70 year old range. This is shown to be the

27

dominant age range in Boca Raton, with the 15-20 year range being the only lower age range to come close in percentage. As the age range goes up, the population percentage stays similarly large; which would suggest that Boca Raton has no shortage of the elderly. The gender spread is fairly even, maybe a slight bias toward females, until the 80+ year range where there are more females than males interestingly.

Figure 2

Sex By Age: Boca Raton, Fl

80 to 84 years 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years

50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years

20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years < 5 years

4,000.0 Source: US Census Bureau

3,000.0

2,000.0

1,000.0

0.0 Female

1,000.0

2,000.0

3,000.0

4,000.0

Male

Source: US Census Bureau Figure 2 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S0101 2017, Age and Sex, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

From this data, it can be shown that Boca Raton attracts the elderly and Buffalo attracts younger people. This is likely a combination of the weather in both areas and the fact that the elderly are usually retired and therefore have the means to move. The fact that Boca Raton is near a beach is likely to mean that housing in the area is more desirable and therefore more expensive as well, which can restrict access to the affluent and those that no longer need to consider a daily commute. It is also interesting that the data shows a slight bias toward females in Boca Raton, which mixes with the elderly population percentage to suggest that Boca Raton

28

contains an abundance of elderly widows, whereas Buffalo does not have this problem. The data reiterates that Boca Raton has the older population by percentage.

Educational Attainment: Educational Attainment 25 Years or Older: Buffalo, NY vs. Boca Raton, FL 44,000 40,000 36,000 32,000 28,000 24,000 20,000 16,000 12,000 8,000 4,000 0 Less than 9th grade Source: US Census Bureau

9th to 12th grade, no diploma

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

Some college, no degree

Buffalo

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or professional degree

Boca Raton

Figure 3 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S1501 2017, Educational Attainment, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

Educational attainment can often be an effective insight into the economic

status of a populace, people who attain higher educational status are commonly seen to be more successful. In looking at figure 3, it can be seen that Buffalo has a higher percentage of high school graduates and equivalencies over anything else, indicating that a large majority in Buffalo never make it past high school level education. In addition, Buffalo has a large percentage of people who do not attain a college degree despite some level of college attainment. In contrast to Buffalo, two of Boca Ratonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest groups of educational attainment are at the Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree and Graduate degree or higher levels. This suggests

29

that most of the people in Boca Raton have attained higher levels of education than simply a high school diploma. Even accounting for population differences, it can be seen that Buffalo has a much higher percentage of people attaining a maximum of a high school diploma for their education.

The differences in levels of educational attainment between Buffalo and Boca Raton can help to further reinforce the idea that Boca Raton attracts wealthier people. A large majority of people living in Buffalo have a high school diploma or less, which generally limits these people to blue collar, trade, retail, and service jobs. In contrast, Boca Raton has a lot of people with Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees or higher. This allows people residing in Boca Raton to hold more professional jobs in white collar and legal positions, engineering and architectural firms, and management positions among others. These more professional career options also generally come with higher salaries than lower paying trade and service jobs, which can be some indication that Boca Raton has wealthier citizens residing in it on average than Buffalo. At the very least, it can be shown that Boca Raton has a higher educational attainment on average than Buffalo.

30

Means of Transportation:

75000 70000

Means of Transportation: Buffalo, NY vs. Boca Raton, FL

65000

The means of transportation used in a city are of interest when considering whether they are caused by the climates of such an area or simply the layout of the

60000

cities. In viewing the data of figure 5, it can

55000 50000

be shown that those who live in both cities

45000

overwhelmingly prefer to use motor

40000 35000

vehicles above other forms of

30000

transportation. Where the two cities differ

25000 20000

however is where the interest lies, Boca

15000

Raton sees more people working at home

10000

than Buffalo does, as well as having a

5000 0

higher percentage who walk to work than commute using public transportation.

Buffalo does have a higher percentage who Source: US Census Bureau

Buffalo, NY

use public transportation to arrive at work

Boca Raton, FL

instead of carpooling though, which is Figure 4 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S0801 2017, Commuting Characteristics by Sex, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

surprising given that the majority of commuters do so via car.

31

This data shows that the methods of transportation to work are roughly similar amongst the two cities, with automobiles being the most preferred method. One point of interest is that Boca Raton has more people working from home, but that is likely do to the higher average education levels in Boca Raton allowing more people the option to work from home. Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less economically advantaged citizens and harsher climate likely force the overwhelming amount of car transit, and the large number of highways and thruways in America would account for the amount of car transit in both cities. the important information in figure 5 is that Boca Raton shows higher amounts of people working from home, but that both cities see a high percentage of vehicle traffic above all else.

Unemployment Rate:

Unamployment Rate

Unemployment Rate 2010-2017: Buffalo, NY vs. Boca Raton, FL 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Year

Buffalo

Boca Raton Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Figure 5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Series LAUCA361600000000003, Unemployment Rate: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Combined Statistical Area, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using BLS Data Finder 1.1; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

32

The unemployment rate of a city is a more direct method of seeing how well a city is or is not doing, cities with rising unemployment are likely to be in decline. As shown in figure 5, both cities had a similar unemployment rate in 2010, and both saw a decline from 2010-2011.

Boca Raton saw consistent decline from 2011-2017, though not at consistent rates. Buffalo, however, saw a rise in unemployment from 2011-2012, and then a much less consistent decrease in unemployment suggesting that the unemployment rate has stagnated. Boca Raton also has a lower unemployment rate than Buffalo, and has had such for the 7 years monitored, which is consistent with the previous statement that Boca Raton is a city with more economically advantaged denizens.

The data in figure 5 suggests that Boca Raton really is a more economically advantaged Source: US Census Bureau

city, because of the lowering unemployment rate within. Buffalo seems to have a tougher time kicking the unemployment rate down, which could also be resulting in their inability as a city to keep population growing. Boca Raton on the other hand has been growing, likely partially due to their ability to bring in employed people and keep unemployment down. Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inability to kick their unemployment may be a product of a large portion of citizens having a high school Source: US Census Bureau

diploma level educational attainment (see figure 3), resulting in the inability to adapt to changing job markets and the inability to take higher paying jobs that usually come with high job security. Boca Ratonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s higher levels of educational attainment point to a populace that has more secure jobs and more desirable job skills, allowing them to adapt to changing market conditions that may be present and attain jobs in places where the less educated may not be able to.

33

Race analysis: Race Percentage: Buffalo, NY

Race percentage can offer supplemental information on a city, but the presence or lack of a certain race cannot be definitevely linked to the economic standing of a city. With that being said there is a stark contrast

white

between the racial makeups of Buffalo

African American

and Boca Raton. Buffalo, as seen in

Asian

figure 6, Buffalo is a very diverse city.

American Indian+Alaska Native

The city boasts a large number of

Some Other Race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

African Americans, as well as a Source: US Census Bureau

significant portion of Asian Americans

Figure 6

and other various races. The largest portion of the

U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP05 2017, ACS Demographic and housing estimates, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

population in Buffalo is white, making up nearly half of the racial makeup of the city. The city of Buffalo

also contains a small number of American Indians, likely due to the Indian reservations in the surrounding area. The data presented all adds up to indeed paint Buffalo as quite the diverse city.

34

Boca Raton is very different to Buffalo in its racial makeup, being much more racially uniform as a city. Figure 7 shows that Boca Raton is overwhelmingly white, with over 75% of the population of the city

Race Percentage: Boca Raton, Fl

being white. The next largest race being African Americans, and various other races make up the remainder of the population. This could be due to the fact that Boca Raton is much closer to Mexico, and that the Hispanic population is rolled in with the white

White

population. All in all, the

Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native

overwhelming white

Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

population is the main draw of this figure.

Some other race

Source: US Census Bureau

Figure 7 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP05 2017, ACS Demographic and housing estimates, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

The difference on racial makeup between the two cities is interesting in that the two cities are so different in terms of race. Buffalo is much more diverse than Boca Raton, and the cities themselves are also quite diverse. Boca Raton is a warm, small, growing city in South

35

Florida. Buffalo is a cold, large, stagnating city in upstate NY. The differing racial makeup of the two cities is simply another difference between the two very different cities.

Population Growth:

City population (2010) population (2017) 7 year growth rate source: US Census Bureau

Buffalo, NY 261,310 259,574 -0.66%

Boca Raton, Florida 84,392 93,964 11.34%

Figure 8 U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Demographic Profile Data and ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates, Table DP-1 2010 and Table DP05 2017, Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 and 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, generated by James Annunziata Jr. using Census Lookup; http://factfinder.census.gov; (data retrieved on September 27, 2019)

The culmination of the data in the charts above is the population growth percentages of the two cities in figure 8. Buffalo has a much larger population at all points than Boca Raton, almost twice the population. Buffalo has also, however, lost a very small percentage of its population in 7 years. In contrast, Boca Raton saw major population growth from 2010 to 2017.

Boca Raton saw a population growth of more than 11.34% in 7 years, which is substantial. This then proves that Boca Raton is growing while Buffalo is not, which may have a multitude of causes.

The main causes behind the population difference between Boca Raton and Buffalo can be attributed to the above-mentioned reasons. Firstly, the weather in Buffalo could possibly make it less desirable to the economically advantaged, leading to the city mainly attracting less advantaged individuals. A side effect of these less economically advantaged individuals is the lower average education attainment in the city, which raises the unemployment rate and makes the city more undesirable to reside in. A third reason is the higher than average taxes

36

that NY is known for. Boca Raton is growing because, in contrast to Buffalo, it has a more preferable climate and a higher average educational attainment as well as a lower unemployment rate. All of this combines together to make Boca Raton a more desirable city than Buffalo, hence it’s population growth and Buffalo’s stagnation.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the cities of Boca Raton and Buffalo could not be more different; to the point that their similarities are more anomalous than their differences. Buffalo is a very racially diverse city with a stagnating unemployment rate, a reliance on personal motor vehicles for transportation, a large percentage of younger people in it’s population and a large percentage of citizens that haven’t attained a college degree. Boca Raton on the other hand is a majorly white city with a lowering unemployment rate, an equal reliance on car travel for commutes, a large percentage of the elderly in it’s population, and a large percentage of citizens who have completed some form of college degree. This allows a few conclusions to be drawn about the type of citizens that both cities attract: Boca Raton generally attracts old white people who are better off economically due to the attainment of college degrees and who likely have professional jobs, while Buffalo attracts younger people of all races who are not quite as well off economically due to generally having a lack of higher educational attainment likely leading to a career in a trade or service position. These differences are likely the cause of the population growth differences in the two cities as observed in figure 9, but that does not mean that Buffalo can hope to reverse their population decline by imitating Boca Raton. Buffalo does not have the favorable climate that Boca Raton draws benefit from, and should focus on

37

strengthening industry in the area. Inviting industry back in to the city will help Buffalo to mitigate the unemployment in the city by creating jobs for the less skilled. Bringing in more skilled labor through the universities in the city could also help by bringing in more skilled labor and providing the impetus for entrepreneurs to start up new businesses in Buffalo. In closing, Boca Raton is thriving and Buffalo is stagnating for a variety of reasons.

38

Works Cited Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). (2010, October 5). American FactFinder - Results.

Retrieved September 27, 2019, from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF.

Measures. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2019, from https://beta.bls.gov/dataQuery/find?fq=survey:[la]&s=popularity:D.

39

Appendix Figure 1:

Sex By Age: Buffalo, NY 80 to 84 years 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years 50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years 20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years < 5 years

14,000 source:US Census Bureau

9,000

4,000 Female

1,000 Male

6,000

11,000

16,000

40

Figure 2:

Sex By Age: Boca Raton, Fl 80 to 84 years 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years 50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years 20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years < 5 years

4,000.0 Source: US Census Bureau

3,000.0

2,000.0

1,000.0

0.0 Female

1,000.0 Male

2,000.0

3,000.0

4,000.0

41

Figure 3:

Educational Attainment 25 Years or Older: Buffalo, NY vs. Boca Raton, FL 44,000 40,000 36,000 32,000 28,000 24,000 20,000 16,000 12,000 8,000 4,000 0 Less than 9th grade Source: US Census Bureau

9th to 12th grade, no diploma

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

Some college, no degree

Buffalo

Boca Raton

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or professional degree

42

Figure 4:

75000

Means of Transportation: Buffalo, NY vs.

Boca Raton, FL

70000 65000

60000 55000 50000 45000 40000 35000

30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0

Buffalo, NY

Boca Raton, FL

Source: US Census Bureau

43

Figure 5:

Unamployment Rate

Unemployment Rate 2010-2017: Buffalo, NY vs.

Boca Raton, FL 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Year

Buffalo

Boca Raton Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

44

Figure 6:

Race Percentage: Buffalo, NY

white African American Asian American Indian+Alaska Native Some Other Race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

Source: US Census Bureau

45

Figure 7:

Race Percentage: Boca Raton, Fl

White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Some other race

Source: US Census Bureau

46

Figure 8:

City

Buffalo, NY

Boca Raton, Florida

population (2010)

261,310

84,392

population (2017)

259,574

93,964

7 year growth rate

-0.66%

11.34%

source: US Census Bureau

47

Data Collection Memorandum Assignment James Annunziata Jr, Victor Acevedo 10/16/2019 END 350

48

To: James Hartz (Director of Planning & Development of the Town of Tonawanda), Mark Rountree (Principal Planner, Erie County DEP), Cheryl Bailey (Associate Director Campus Planning UB) Authors: James Annunziata Jr. and Victor Acevedo CC: Jonathan Bleuer October 16, 2019 Subject: Intersection Study

Executive Summary Two of the major intersection types found in the United States are signaled intersections and roundabouts, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In order to discover how these strengths and weaknesses manifested in real world application, a study was conducted of one roundabout and one signaled intersection. Personal observation of the targeted intersections during midday was used to gather data about the behavior of both vehicles and pedestrians within the intersection during the day. The study of these intersections found that cars generally had longer waits within the signaled intersections than the roundabouts, but the signaled intersections generally seemed to have faster speeds when the cars moved than the roundabouts. Pedestrians in the signaled intersections were also much more confident in their crossings than pedestrians in the roundabouts because the red light halted all traffic and there was no guesswork involved in crossing the signaled intersection.

Overall, the signaled intersections proved to be safer but have longer waiting times, whereas the roundabout had a better flow but was less safe for pedestrians and cars alike. This, along with the higher traffic level around the signaled intersection, leads the team to recommend that the Town of Tonawanda consider replacing the signaled intersection with a roundabout for the purpose of increased efficiency and that the University of Buffalo consider replacing the roundabout with a signaled intersection for the purpose of increased pedestrian safety.

Introduction Since the years directly following the Second World War, the US has had a rather open love affair with the automobile. Highways span vast tracts of land like ever flowing rivers crossing our great nation, and both small towns and large cities see a flood of cars moving

49

throughout them with every passing day. With this being said, it is no surprise that the intersections that regulate this traffic would be topics of heated debate. Currently, two major forms of intersections dominate the landscape in the US: the signaled intersection and the roundabout. Signaled intersections provide control to the flow of traffic in exchange for forcing monotonous stop and go motion, while roundabouts place more control on drivers while allowing for smoother motion in the intersection. The signaled intersection in question is located at the confluence of Seymour and Main streets where Fletcher Street also crosses. this intersection is located in a suburban area surrounded by a few small businesses, a post office, and residential buildings. The roundabout is located on the north campus of the University at Buffalo, where Lee Rd. intersects the John James Audubon Parkway. The roundabout is surrounded by campus dorms, and sees a lot of foot traffic from students coming and going around the campus.

Data Sources and Methods of Analysis Data was collected by way of personal observation of the intersections for a period of approximately one hour. The team arrived at each intersection and watched the traffic activity in the intersection after taking thorough notes on the surrounding the team observed traffic patterns, as well as driver behavior while approaching and leaving the intersection. The actions of pedestrians were also considered, as well as the land surrounding the intersections. The team made use of data collection forms to record the data, and went in pairs in order to offer on the spot discussion as the specifics of any findings. The research in both intersections was limited by time constraints, because only an hour was spent at both intersections. The time spent at the intersections was long enough to get an overview as to the function ability of the intersections, but gives the team no insight into long term traffic patterns of the intersections or how the intersections perform under various traffic loads. That being said, the team found traffic data patterns using data gathered from the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council and the American Fact Finder, which allowed some insight into the traffic volume for each intersection to draw conclusions from.

50

Findings Vehicular Data Firstly, it is necessary to present some background information on the above-mentioned intersections. The signaled intersection is a crossing of 3 streets with one lane going both ways, street parking leading up to the intersection, and sidewalks. The roundabout is a crossing of 4 streets with one lane within, yield signs, sidewalks, bike lanes, and crosswalks. The signaled intersection saw more stop and go traffic, but cars running through a green light were going the speed limit of 30 mph or faster. As seen in Table 1, Main street is the busiest street on the intersection up until it splits. When the intersection combines into Main Street it has 10556 vehicles of average daily traffic. When the intersection divides, Main Street has a significant decrease to 2740 vehicles and Seymour Street gets about 9289 average daily traffic. On the contrary, the roundabout saw slower speeds overall but less stoppage because people could merge as they saw fit. Speaking of merging, the roundaboutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main method of traffic control was a set of yield signs that allowed traffic to merge into the roundabout and turn off at the road as they saw fit, which can be seen in Figure 1. The roundabout on Audubon Parkway has an average daily traffic of 5859 vehicles. This almost half of the busiest part of the signaled intersection. The signaled intersection conversely made use of traffic lights in order to regulate both which of the converging streets could continue and when the vehicles on the street crossing the two could proceed. Cars in the intersection had wait times around 30 seconds due to these signals, while roundabout wait times were around 5 seconds due to the ease of flow.

Other than this, both intersections displayed normal reaction times, gap acceptances, distance to the leading vehicle, and braking behaviors.

Table 1

Figure 1

Figure 2

Pedestrian Data Data Source: NYS Traffic Data Viewer

Data Source: Photos taken by Victor Acevedo

Data Source: Photos taken by Victor Acevedo

51

The behaviors of pedestrians, both on foot and on bike, differed in that roundabout pedestrians moved through more fluidly. The roundabout pedestrians made the most use of the crosswalks which were about 1 carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length from the roundabout itself. Pedestrians in the roundabout displayed minimal to no deviation from this behavior, whereas pedestrians of the signaled intersection seemingly crossed wherever at red lights. Neither crosswalk had a difference in pedestrian speed when crossing as opposed to walking regularly. Pedestrians at the roundabout experienced waiting times of about 5 seconds compared to the signaled intersection pedestriansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wait time of approximately 30 seconds. Visual acuity was acceptable for both, pedestrian could easily see oncoming traffic from afar in either intersection. A major difference in pedestrian behavior occurs in the gap acceptance of the pedestrians, where the signaled intersection pedestrians cross the entire intersection only when they are sure that there is no oncoming traffic in the intersection (Figure 3) and roundabout pedestrians cross at crosswalks even with oncoming traffic as long as the traffic is within proper braking distance of the crosswalk (Figure 4). Both groups of pedestrians will generally wait for cars to be stopped, but roundabout pedestrians tended to take more risky behaviors when crossing. The behavior of the two groups did not differ for pedestrians on bikes, wheelchairs, skateboards, etc. within the intersections.

Figure 3

Data Source: Photos taken by Victor Acevedo

Figure 4

Data Source: Photos taken by Victor Acevedo

52

In terms of design philosophy, both intersections function as intended. The roundabout provides better flow of traffic for both vehicles and pedestrians, but has less traffic regulation and has more potential to carry risk to both parties if proper attention is not paid. Pedestrians are given right-of-way due to there being no traffic control signals which can be dangerous considering the higher population in this area. The roundabout will get more foot traffic than the signaled intersection due to a higher population in the area according to Table 2. On the contrary, the signaled intersection plays host to longer waiting times and reduced efficiency of traffic flow for both parties, but is generally safer in design due to the stop and go nature of the traffic regulation.

Table 2

Data source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year estimates

Conclusion In conclusion, the signaled intersection proved to have more flow interruptions but be safer for pedestrians and cars than the better flowing roundabout. The larger traffic volume on the site of the signaled intersection and the larger volume of pedestrian traffic at the site of the roundabout also made it more appealing for the sites to swap intersection types. The roundabout site would be able to increase pedestrian safety by forcing the stoppage of vehicle traffic in order to allow pedestrian crossings, and the signaled intersection site would benefit more from the improved traffic flow that a roundabout offers as well as the increased efficiency in cost and reduced complexity in the merging of 5 streets. The findings are relevant to illustrate the performance and strengths of roundabouts and signaled intersections for the purpose of determining which would be more appropriate in an area. The more data that is gathered on each type of intersection, the better an understanding the team will have of which applications and environments each intersection is most suited for. What might initially present as a tradeoff between traffic flow and traffic safety ends up expanding into whether one

53

intersection or another is worth placing into an environment based upon factors like traffic frequency and pedestrian frequency. This data will hopefully lead to a more efficient and structured decision-making process for governments and traffic organizations that need to choose an intersection design for future installation or replacement wherever such may be required.

54

References Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). (2010, October 5). American FactFinder.

Retrieved from https://factfinder.census.gov/.

Maps and Data. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gbnrtc.org/maps.

55

Data Collection PowerPoint

56

57

58

59

60

61

Case Study and Presentation James Annunziata Jr. 12/6/2019 END 350

62

Ellicott Creek Park: MiniMaster Plan

James Annunziata Min Hyoung Kang Tyson Morton, Sara Popp

UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO

63

Table of Contents History

3

Background

3

Context

5

Observation

5

Conditions

6

Challenges

9

Opportunities

11

Demographic and Observational Analysis

11

Age and Gender

12

Race

13

Mobility and Transportation

13

Survey Results

14

Recommendations

16

Environmental

16

Connectivity

18

Historical Significance

20

References

i

Appendix

iii

Figure and Image Citations

iii

Photo Map

vi

User Survey

vii

Charts and Graphs

viii

64

During the 90’s, Erie County began to

History Ellicott Creek Park was founded in 1925 by Erie County through the acquisition of private land and debt foreclosures. The park includes the main portion of Ellicott Creek Park on

refurbish and rehabilitate the park, which improved the reputation and renewed public interest in attending the park (Erie County DEP, 2003).

Source: National Archives and Records Administration.

the banks of Ellicott Creek as well as Irvington Park and the park on Ellicott Island, which was built in order to divert boat traffic on Tonawanda Creek during the heyday of the Erie Canal in the mid-19th century. A landscape architect, Charles Ellicott, had a hand in the design of Ellicott Island and the park on it as well (Erie County DEP, 2003). During the course of the Works Progress Administration, many of the stone buildings were built

Figure 1: Ellicott Island Park Boathouse

Background

on the main park proper as well as

What is colloquially known as

Ellicott Island, the Ellicott Creek Park

Ellicott Creek park is actually a

casino,

combination of three parks: Ellicott

and

the

Ellicott

Island

Creek park, Irvington Park, and the

boathouse.

Due to the waterfront positioning of the park and the aesthetic appeal of the stone structures, Ellicott Creek Park was popular as a boating and picnic location in the 1930’s and 1940’s (Erie County DEP, 2003). The park saw a period of neglect from a period of 1970 to 1990, which led to a less than desirable reputation being assigned to the park due to the less reputable

activities

taking place.

that

began

Ellicott Island park. Ellicott Creek park is made up by the southern portion of the park space along Ellicott Creek, as well as the park land along the Tonawanda Creek. Irvington Park is made up by the portion of the park most closely integrated with the nearby residential area. Ellicott Island Park is made up by the land on Ellicott Island itself, as well as the park space immediately around the pedestrian bridge to the island. Ellicott Creek park is bisected by a floodway which

65

links Ellicott Creek and Tonawanda

park is dual in nature, with Erie County

Creek, and which also houses one of

managing all park space except for

the main parking lots for the park.

Irvington Park and said park being

Ellicott Creek Park has a host of

managed

amenities for recreation including: a

Tonawanda (Real Property, n.d.).

multitude of rentable shelters, an off-

Ellicott Creek Park also plays host to

leash dog park, a soccer field, a

two pedestrian bridges that span

football field, tennis courts, walking as

Ellicott Creek and one to Ellicott

well

multiple

Island over Tonawanda Creek. One

playground, and multiple open fields

of the main attractions of Ellicott

suitable

recreational

Creek Park is the multitude of historic

activities. Ellicott Creek Park is also

stone buildings that were constructed

host to the Ellicott Creek Bike Path,

in the park during the Works Progress

which allows for movement between

Administration in the 1930â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, many of

the park and the University at Buffalo

which are still in full use in the park

North Campus. Management of the

today. These buildings include the old

as

biking for

paths,

various

Source: Erie County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department

Figure 2: Ellicott Creek Park Map

by

the

Town

of

66

casino, two concession stands, and

allows access to the main park

many of the rentable shelters.

entrance as well as the parking lot near the Ellicott Island Park. Niagara

Context

Falls Boulevard also allows access to

Ellicott Creek Park is located in the

both interstate routes 290 and 190

northwestern corner of Erie County,

along its length, though the 290

between

and

access is most appropriate to discuss

Tonawanda Creek, on the border

because it is also in close proximity to

with Niagara County. The park is

Ellicott Creek Park.

Ellicott

Creek

located in the towns of Tonawanda

The

and Amherst, and is located in close

interstate

proximity to the Cities of Tonawanda

Boulevard also allows for access to

and North Tonawanda; while also

the park by citizens of Buffalo and the

being located relatively closely to the

Village of Kenmore via car or public

town

transportation.

of

Wheatfield

and

north

close

proximity

and

The

to

Niagara

park

the Falls

is

also

campus of the University of Buffalo.

bordered by Ellicott Creek Road to

There is also a proposition to develop

the south and is cut through north of

a trail along the Erie Canal, including

the floodway by Creekside Drive,

along

which

which allows for easy access around

would link the park to such attractions

the park, though there is no direct

as the Riverwalk and Isle View Park

route by foot or car to traverse from

(Erie County DEP, 2003).

Irvington

the main parking lot in the floodway

Park is also directly within a residential

to Irvington Park and the Ellicott Island

area, and the area across Ellicott

Park.

Creek

populated

------------------------------------------------------

combined

Observation

Tonawanda

is

suburban

a

Creek,

densely

area.

The

locality in relation to multiple suburbs means that the park is not short of visitors or potential visitors by any stretch of the imagination.

Primary site visit on Ellicott Creek Park was conducted on 11/3 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and further site visit was conducted as well. Ellicott

Ellicott Creek Park is also located

Creek Park is in the northwestern

next to Niagara Falls Boulevard,

corner of Erie County, a few miles

which is a major route from the City of

away from University at Buffalo North

Buffalo to the City of Niagara Falls.

Campus.

This route runs next to the park, and

67

Ellicott Creek Park

University at Buffalo North Campus

Figure 3

In the park, there are numbers of

The trail that connects Ellicott

pavilions, playgrounds, and sports

Creek Park and Ellicott Island Park

fields that offers several activities to

makes visitors cross the road which

visitors. Additionally, the park includes

does not have a traffic sign or lights.

the waterfronts of Ellicott Creek and

Otherwise,

Tonawanda Creek, and offers water

circumnavigate the park to visit the

sports such as kayaking. Our team

island. It is dangerous to cross the

focused on the trail ways of the park

road without signals. The bridge to

and the facilities in the park.

the Ellicott Island Park was well

1. Condition

maintained, has signage at the

â&#x161;Ť

visitors

need

entrance.

Trail

Ellicott Creek Park has one paved trail and one paved road for vehicles that goes around the whole park. The trail was well maintained and recently repaved. There were no cracks or dimples on the trail. The paved trail crossed

the

floodway,

and

the

sediment on the runway deposited by the recent flood was still there.

Photo 1: Sediments from the recent flood on the trail

to

68

was either broken or rusty, not in a condition to be used. Some of the pavilions were in the process of replacement of the roof. The columns were not subject to the replacement, although they were also cracked and could see the erosion.

Photo 2: Entrance to the Ellicott Creek Park

Photo 4: Pavilion needs maintenance

Photo 3: Entrance to the Ellicott Island Park

â&#x161;Ť

Pavilion

Pavilions were outdated and were not

managed consistently. There

were wood fragments that had not

Photo 5: Broken water fountain

been removed; the chairs and table in the pavilion were cracked and not in a usable condition. The roof was not maintained as well; signs of erosion and negligence could be found. Water fountain is the place where visitors could drink or wash away the dirt, however the fountain did not work consistently. Plumbing

Photo 6: Replacing the roof of the pavilion

69

â&#x161;Ť

Playground

The playgrounds were also outdated.

The colors were faded, and the plastics were cracked. Chains of the swings were rusted and often lost. It looked

dangerous

and

needs

maintenance or replacement. â&#x161;Ť

Signage

The signage in the park was deficient.

There is some signage; such as speed limit,

stop

sign,

and

pedestrian

crossing signs. However, there is too little signage, and the signs are hard to recognize. Parks in general need signage

with

visual

acuity.

The

signage is essential in the park because it leads visitors to their destinations in sizeable green space. â&#x161;Ť

Other facilities

There was only one restroom in the Photo 7, 8, 9: Out-dated and broken playground facilities.

park, which was closed. The restroom was halfway in the park, which was hard to get to. Also, it was hard to find on the outer side of the trail. There should be more restrooms around each site for activities where people stay for a long time. Also, bathrooms should be open during the daytime if it is not for maintenance.

Sculptures were left broken. Bricks fell out,

Photo 10. Lack of signs on the trail.

and

no

maintenance.

sign

of

repair

or

70

Castle in the Ellicott Island Park was broken down, and the walls were stained with graffiti. Our team was able to find the trace that was once stairs, the second floor, and the roof.

The castle was broken but has closed space since the walls are still there.

The closed space of the broken structures could be used for illegal activity. To prevent possible danger and illegal activities, the castle should

Photo 11: Boathouse Ruin, Ellicott Island Park

be fixed and maintained.

2 . C h a l le n g e s By the observation, our team could find

that

challenges accessibility,

the

park

has

associated maintenance,

some with and

signage.

i.

Accessibility

There is only one entrance to the Ellicott Island Park, and Ellicott Creek Park

also

have

significantly

Photo 12: Boathouse Ruin Graffiti

few

entrances. Having such few entrance would be inconvenient for the visitors because they need to go all the way around to get to the entrance despite the direction that they are coming from. Also, the walking path from Ellicott Creek Park to the Ellicott Island Park includes crossing the road.

It would be better to have two or more entrances to the park to improve the accessibility to the park.

Photo 13: Broken Stone Sculpture

71

ii.

Maintenance

iii.

Signage

Numerous facilities in the park are

One of the problems that came to

outdated. Although pavilions are in

our teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sight in the first place was

the process of roof repair, there are

the lack of signage compared to the

still more utilities and facilities that

size of the park. Ellicott Creek Park has

need maintenance. For example, the

three different sections, Ellicott Creek

water fountain is in an unusable

Park, Ellicott Island Park, and Irvington

condition.

Park.

Also,

playgrounds

are

eroded, stairs are broken, and the chains for the swings are either rusty or missing. Maintenance is essential to improve the safety of the park and the visitors.

and visitors could get each site by walking or driving. However, there is a lack of signage that should lead visitors to their destinations. The trails

Another problem is the lack of bathrooms. There

was only

bathroom

that

our

observe,

and

it

team looked

one could very

inconvenient. There should be more restrooms around the park, especially in high use areas.

The

These three parks are connected,

pedestrian

trails

need

are not marked either as what they are, or where they lead, making it easy

for

visitors

to

become

disoriented.

There are several pavilions and playgrounds, and they could be seen from

anywhere.

However,

the

placement of the pavilions combines

consistent maintenance because it is

with

the most common path that people

placement to confuse people on

would use for jogging, walking with

their orientation in the park. There is

their dogs, and so on.

signage with the number on the

Because

Ellicott

Creek

Park

controls excess water through a floodway, the path through the floodway tends to become cluttered with debris. The debris should be removed periodically to get rid of obstacles on the path.

poor

signage

disordered

pavilions, but they cannot be seen from a distance. Also, there is no consistency in the placement of the pavilions relative to the numbers.

Ellicott Creek Park should work on the signage to make them stick out to visitors so that they can know what them is around.

72

it was designed all the way to the

3. Opportunities Ellicott Creek Park is a fascinating park,

with

three

different

parks

combined into one system.

characteristics of the people that surround the parks in their respective neighborhoods. Ellicott Creek Park has

One part of the park, which is

multiple

municipalities

that

surround it such as the towns of

Ellicott Island Park is a park for dogs;

Tonawanda,

visitors can bring their dogs and let

Amherst, Kenmore, and Wheatfield.

their dogs off the leash. It is great benefit having public space where people and their pets can stay together.

The park is meeting the waterfront where activities like kayaking or swimming are possible. Having both green space and water access gives visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various choices of possible activities.

Tonawanda,

It was decided to complete an indepth demographic analysis of a fifteen

to

twenty-minute

radius

around Ellicott Creek Park which includes the aforementioned towns.

While it is impossible to determine who and where people will come to visit

parks

from,

we

believed

necessary for parks to be most accessible to the communities they

Ellicott Creek Park is attractive and has excellent potential to grow.

------------------------------------------------------

of

Parks

foremost. This also required firsthand information including surveys of the people

that

Through

directly

experience

demographic

analysis

and the surveyed information, a greater

There are 180 parks in the City of Division

were built in and around first and

Ellicott Creek Park.

Demographic and Observational Analysis Buffalo

North

and

Recreation, and are followed by even more in the Western New York region. Despite the huge amount of parks in the region, each park is unique in their own way from the way

understanding

can

be

gained of the potential changes this park might need to improve its use and accessibility.

73

Age and Gender

parks.

One area that was looked at

Despite

this,

through

our

observations, young adults are the

was the age and gender distribution.

greatest

As a society, we move deeper into

utilizes Ellicott Creek Parks features.

the use of technology and the

Looking at the Age and Gender

significant role it plays in everyday life.

graph below with data provided by

In 2011, 52 percent of homes with

the United States Census Bureau, late

children had a mobile device such as

teens and young adults also greatly

a phone or tablet and 6 years later

outnumber other age ranges in the

that

surrounding

number

jumped

up

to

98

age

demographic

area

Bureau,

With technology clearly growing in

because through design practices

use and priority, things such as parks

such as placemaking, reinventing

and enjoying the outdoors have

public spaces to reflect the heart of

sadly

the community, different wants and

a

back

younger generations, young

adults,

being

seat.

With

is

significant

to

need can be prioritized based on

most

age group (Project for Public Spaces

children the

This

Census

percent of homes (Kamenetz, 2019).

taken

2017).

(U.S.

that

frequent users of newer technology,

[PPS], 2007).

they are less likely to actively visit

Age Pyramid for Surrounding Ellicott Creek Park Area 80 to 84 years 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years

Age

50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years 20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years Under 5 years

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

Number of People Figure 4: Source: United States Census Beurau

Male

Female

74

support diversity are not only more

Race As previously mentioned, place

inviting themselves but can assist with

making cannot be overlooked when

cultural

designing urban communities and

surrounding

race plays a huge role in this. Diversity promotes greater inclusion in many

diversity is definitely a realm where this area can improve.

different facets of urban life. This

Mobility and Transportation

includes cultural sharing, as well as encouraging people to move in, potential business opportunities and economic vitality. As shown by the graph below, the area surrounding area around Ellicott Creek Park is dominated by one race despite our observations

of

various

groups

utilizing the park. Urban spaces that

Race of Ellicott Creek Park Area

integration

for

the

communities

and

As previously mentioned, a fifteen to twenty-minute radius was the primary focus of analysis due to travel being

a

major

component

of

accessibility to an area. The closer a destination is, the more accessible it is to various methods of travel such as personal vehicles, public walking, and cycling.

An

analysis

methods

is

of

transit,

transportation

important

for

public

spaces because it can provide a framework for the necessary physical

Hispanic or Latino (of any race) alone White alone

structures to maximize accessibility.

For example, a high amount of 5.16% 4.91%

3.40%

personal

automobile

use

might

warrant adding multiple parking lots to reflect the needs of the community

Black or African American alone American Indian and Alaska Native alone

0.02% 0.27%

where as if people prefer walking and cycling, needed

86.23%

Asian alone

safer

paths

leading

up

would to

be and

throughout the public area. In the graph generated below, the clear favorite method of travel to work for workers over the age of 16 was by personal vehicle (U.S. Census Bureau,

Figure. 5: Source: United Satates Census Beaurau

2017).

75

Means of Transportation to Work in surrounding Eliicott Creek Park Area Method of Transportation

Worked at home

4034

Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means

857

Bicycle

379

Walked

2853

Public transportation

2224

Car, truck, or van

118808 0

Source: United States Census Bureau

20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000

Number of Workers over the age of 16

Figure. 6

Another statistic displayed in the

public areas would be neglected

graph is the amount or lack thereof

and lack the support to sustain them

the use of public transit. Public

and

transportation such as buses or rails,

multiple trips to Ellicott Creek Park,

can be a cost-efficient method of

many surveys were taken to get a

travel when compared to a personal

firsthand account of what they think

car as long as there is an effective

would make it a better park and

transit system in place however, even

ultimately determine what Ellicott

walking is a more favored method in

Creek Park might need.

the surrounding area. This is another potential area that can improve the collective accessibility of the entire area.

Survey Results Opinionated input is necessary for urban spaces because they should

validate

their

use.

Through

As we get closer to the winter months and a lot colder weather, we assumed there would be little to no visitors at the park. We were surprised at the amount people that proved us wrong.

One

stand-out

statistic

determined from the survey was the

be designed for the people who

preferred method of travel to get to

would most use them. Without taking

Ellicott Creek Park. As Shown by the

public opinion into an account,

graph

below,

nearly

everyone

76

Transportation to the Park 9

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Personal Car

Public Transit

Walking/ Bike

Other

METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION

Figure 7: Source: User Survey Created by Tyson Morton

surveyed traveled to the park by

public

personal automobile. Most of the

inaccessible to the public.

visitors interviewed live within 15 minutes of the park.

area

had

bathrooms

Ellicott Creek Park is also currently undergoing

multiple

construction

In our visits to the park there was a

projects such as new pavilions and

huge range of activities park goers

roofs to building structures. Older

undertook. While some people visited

buildings such as the casino look

the various playground with their

structurally sound and as though they

children, other visitors utilized the

couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve

walking/bike

all

renovated however it no longer

throughout the park for exercise. We

operates as a casino. The parking lot

were even fortunate enough to

outside of the casino looked to be just

witness a cricket game among fifteen

a plot of concrete with no street paint

friends despite the colder weather.

lines

Even though there were many visitors

playground sets are newer however

at the park, we noticed that the park

there are playgrounds with missing

bathrooms were closed on Sunday

swing sets or visible rust on the

on November 3rd. We thought it

equipment.

confusing that a frequently used

observations suggest that due to

path

that

goes

for

possibly

ordered

been

recently

parking.

Collectively

Some

these

77

ineffective maintenance, the park’s

access to green space, and wild

age clearly shows.

ecosystems have room to exist.

Overall,

our

experience

with

The green expanses of Ellicott

Ellicott Creek Park was a positive one.

Creek Park reduce carbon and

The many playgrounds give off a safe

reduce

environment feel and very family

flooding. This is essential for the

oriented. The open fields provide

residents of the area, for health

many opportunities for recreational

reasons and to keep the surrounding

events and picnics while having

properties from flooding. Additionally,

separate areas for sporting events

the park is important for economic

such as soccer and tennis. It’s a great

and social reasons. Living near a park

public park that definitely has room

or greenspace increases real-estate

to grow and thrive with the proper

values, as well as having other

direction and consideration.

economic benefits, parks can be

how

community.

well

it

Beyond

serves

the

rudimentary

maintenance, there are many ways in which Ellicott Creek Park does not meet the current needs of its users.

Parks play an important role in ecosystems,

and outdoor recreation (National Recreation and Parks Association 2019).

Dredging the Creek Ellicott Creek Park rests between two waterways, Tonawanda Creek

Environmental sustaining

and

keep residents healthy with clean air

The most important part of any is

runoff

powerful community spaces, and

Recommendations park

rainwater

conserving

land, providing clean air and water, and maintaining a better quality of life for all (National Recreation and Parks Association 2019). Particularly in a time dealing with the impacts of urban and suburban sprawl, and an increasing reliance on technology, parks ensure that the population has

and Ellicott Creek. Neither of these waterways healthy;

could both

be

considered

having

been

contaminated by various pollutants many times since the 1930’s when Buffalo’s suburbs began expanding more into the surrounding land. Most recently, the city of Amherst was fined for allowing its wastewater treatment plant to dump pollutants into Tonawanda Creek.

78

In order to promote a healthy

Another recommendation to help

ecosystem in the rivers and reduce

preserve the environmental benefits

resident

harmful

of Ellicott Creek Park is tree planting

pollutants, it is recommended that

community events. Many of the

Tonawanda Creek be dredged. It is

parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trees are sacrificed to the

the larger and more toxic of the two

harsh Buffalo winter every year, and

waterways, as well as additionally

part of maintaining the park is

being of historic significance due to

replanting a few each new season.

its time as part of the Erie Canal.

Trees are essential for clean air and

exposure

to

As a former industrial powerhouse, Buffalo has more than its fair share of polluted

areas,

and

there

for

cleaning

up

soil integrity, as well as providing shade and comfort for park visitors.

is

Collaborative tree planting can

the

have a social benefit, strengthening

remnants of that past. The Army Core

community bonds and reinforcing

of Engineers began dredging the

the relationship residents have with

Buffalo River in 2011, and the river has

their surroundings (Watkins, et al.

since begun to return to a healthier

2018).

state

precedent

(Landers

removes

In

making

this

routine

2011).

Dredging

maintenance a community event,

contaminated

sediment

inhabitants

of

the

surrounding

and in doing so enables remediation;

neighborhoods

benefiting not just the creek and the

connections with each other, and

immediate surrounding community,

gain a greater sense of responsibility

but also the watershed of the creek,

to the park (Watkins, et al. 2018). A

ensuring that the pollution does not travel further (Landers 2011).

neighborhood association or other

Dredging

the

river

would,

of

course, be a long-term project, but would bring benefits not just of a healthier

environment,

but

also

higher property values, and a more useable asset for the community.

Planting Trees

can

build

community group could organize such an event, and in doing so free up time and resources from park maintenance that could then be used for other improvements to benefit the public.

Connectivity One

of

the

more

significant

aspects of community building is the importance of connectivity.

79

Connectivity in communities leads

path across the floodway and a

to stronger bonds between people

pedestrian crossing across Creekside

and ultimately allows public spaces

drive on the western side of the park.

to thrive. For Ellicott Creek Park,

This would link the park on both sides

connectivity is definitely an area that

of Creekside drive, as there is no

can improve and will not only benefit

current designated crossing. In fact,

the quality of life within the park but

there is specifically a guardrail barrier

the surrounding area as well.

up

Through a series of data collection methods, it was determined that there could be recommendations, one minor and one major, to create a better flow of people within the entirety of Ellicott Creek Park and encourage an even greater amount of use than there is now. At present, there are three separate areas of Ellicott Creek Park that make up the whole.

The

main

park

wedged

between Ellicott and Tonawanda Creeks, Irvington Park at the north

that

inhibits

movement. walking

The

path

pedestrian

addition

of

the

would provide

an

alternate and faster route to travel between parks. If a visitor were to visit the bark park, and park in the available

parking

approximately

lot,

take

it

them

would 25-30

minutes to walk along the creek to the entrance of the main park. This new path would significantly cut this time down as well as provide an alternate view of the floodway as aesthetic scenery.

end of the park, and Ellicott Island,

One example of a trail being built

which is the dog park further north

to better connect adjacent areas is

along Tonawanda Creek. It is not

the 500-mile San Francisco Bay Trail.

easy to travel from one section of the

Although on a much larger scale, it

park to another right now, which can

was still rooted in the principles that

divorce the park from its community.

the new potential path for Ellicott

When visitors travel to the park by

Creek Park would follow. The Bay Trail

personal car for example, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

connected all the towns and cities

want to have to drive multiple times

that run along the shoreline of the San

to experience all that the parks have

Francisco Bay and is essentially a

to offer.

continuous trail for pedestrian and

A minor alteration to improve linkage is the addition of a walking

bike

travel

alike

to

encourage

another form of travel outside of

80

automobiles. This is better for the

Currently there is only one way on

environment and with the Bay as

or off Ellicott Island Park and it is quite

natural scenery, more people would

far removed from the rest of the park.

be encouraged to use the trail and

(Most likely add a picture highlighting

create

potential

more

face

to

face

areas

for

bridges) The

interactions that would strengthen

addition of a second bridge across

the affected communities (BayTrail,

Tonawanda Creek connects that

2019). Depending on the desired

island to the rest of the park more

quality of the trail, it could be a fairly

efficiently

inexpensive project funded by the

community.

Town of Tonawanda and possibly

important as of all the aspects of the

other

park, the bark park is heavily utilized

surrounding

towns

for

this

necessary change.

A major and more time dedicated alteration to improve linkage is the addition of two bridges to the park as

and

ultimately

This

is

the

especially

consistently, as people always need to walk their dogs. Weaving it more firmly into the fabric of the park will encourage more traffic in the rest of the park year-round. The second proposed bridge would have a much greater direct impact in connecting the

surrounding

communities.

It

would provide a direct pedestrian walking path to an entire community that would otherwise have to travel to the parks by car. This increased accessibility Figure 8: Source: Google Maps

would

be

a

major

opening that would attract everyone nearby and hopefully make Ellicott

shown in Figure 8. Bridge location 1

Creek Park the cornerstone of the

would be across Tonawanda Creek

surrounding area.

to the dog park Island, and bridge location 2 would be across the floodway in between Ellicott Creek and Tonawanda Creek that cuts off the main entrance of the park when it floods.

A

model

standard

for

the

potential benefits of what these bridges could provide, is the Missouri River Pedestrian and Bike Bridge in Jefferson City. The bridge is 8 feet

81

wide,

.7

miles

and

was

the

for

safe

unemployed people to work. These

pedestrian and bike travel over the

historic stone buildings were solidly

Missouri River with lookout points. The

built, and as such are still standing

bridge

integral

today, but have found themselves

connection between to areas of

into various states of disrepair. On one

interest however it also serves as an

end of the spectrum are the various

attraction itself that augments the

shelters needing minor repairs, and

surrounding area. The Ellicott Creek

the other end bears witness to the old

bridges would be a fairly expensive

boat house on Ellicott Island that is in

project that could take a page from

ruins after a fire. These buildings can

the Missouri River Bridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book and

easily be restored into their original

take

Federal

historic versions and, in the case of

Enhancements

the boathouse, can be restored to

specifically

long,

designed

provides

advantage

Bicycle/Pedestrian

an

of

the

program (Alsager, 2011).

history are doomed to repeat it, which makes the preservation of history one of the most important aspects human advancement. That being said, historic structures are also aesthetically appealing and allow spaces like a park to have unique attractions that bring in people and give them a reason to explore the grounds. Ellicott Creek Park has a unique historical draw in the form of structures

and

putting

as restoring the historic buildings,

Those who do not learn from

stone

space

their original functions as well. As well

Historical Significance

the

park

that

exist

throughout the park space. Such structures were erected during the New Deal era and were constructed by the Works Progress Administration for the dual purpose of building up

some light restoration work can be done to the playgrounds in order to improve

the

experience

of

parkgoers.

Restoring Boathouse Restoration of the Boathouse on Ellicott Island in addition to the various shelters present in Ellicott Creek Park will allow the park to capitalize on the historic nature of the shelters and buildings present in the park. The historic nature of the park will also help to establish it as a strong point in the surrounding community, producing

a

community

more

resilient to disaster and stress as a result (Appler, 2016). Preserving the historical significance of the park will

82

also help to bring in more traffic, due

including more visual appeal and

to the fact that the park has a unique

more

historic background as an attraction

Rehabilitating

and

The

destroyed parking lots is as simple as

boathouse can also be restored into

repaving the lots and installing new

a working boathouse, allowing for

parking lines, but the fresh look of the

more revenue through kayak rentals

redone lot will help albeit a small

and more options for recreation on

amount, to improve the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visual

Tonawanda Creek. Ellicott Creek Park

appeal by making it look more well-

would not be the first park to attempt

kept.

historic restoration to great success

playgrounds will also help the park to

however, as the Chesapeake and

look better kept, but this presents

Ohio Canal National Historical Park

another

had its lock houses restored and its

Rehabilitation of the playgrounds,

tavern converted into a day area

such as touching up the paint,

(Sirna, 2014). Ellicott Creek Park can

repairing

take advantage of its unique history

replacing any sites beyond repair

in the same way that Chesapeake

with newer pieces, will also make

and Ohio did, while also restoring

park

function to a historic building and

playgrounds. This will not necessarily

benefitting the park both monetarily

bring in crowds of people, but it will

and aesthetically as a result. The

definitely give people another reason

restoration of these historic properties

to enjoy Ellicott Creek Park. Grants

can also be supplemented financially

are also available for this type of

through

historic

project as well, such as Gametime

preservations grants available, such

playground grants for improving playground systems in parks.

a

reason

a

to

number

explore.

of

as the Save Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Treasures grant program

available

through

the

National Park Service.

Playgrounds and Parking Lots The rehabilitation of playgrounds and parking lots is a collection of simple and cheap fixes that can bring a host of benefits to the park,

comfort

for the

park cracked

Rehabilitation

of

benefit

broken

goers

want

goers.

as

the

well.

areas,

to

and

use

and

the

83

References Alsager, S. (2011, April 14). Missouri River Pedestrian and Bike Bridge opens in Jefferson City. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs010/1102290150619/archive/11051 29729805.html Appler, D., & Rumbach, A. (2016). Building Community Resilience Through Historic Preservation. American Planning Association. Journal of the American Planning Association, 82(2), 92â&#x20AC;&#x201C;103. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2015.1123640 About the Trail. (2019). Retrieved November 10, 2019, from https://baytrail.org/about-the-trail/building-the-trail/ Erie County Department of Environment and Planning (DEP), Erie County Department of Environment and Planning (2003). Retrieved from http://www2.erie.gov/environment/index.php?q=ParksMasterPlan Home. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.tonawanda.ny.us/departments/youth-parksrecreation/town-facilities/playgrounds.html Kamenetz, A. (2017, October 19). Young Children Are Spending Much More Time In Front Of Small Screens. Retrieved November 4, 2019, from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/10/19/558178851/young-childrenare-spending-much-more-time-in-front-of-small-screens Landers, J. (2011). Buffalo river dredging will reduce contamination, facilitate remediation. Civil Engineering, 28-31.

National Recreation and Parks Association. (2019). Role of Parks and Recreation in Conservation. Retrieved from NRPA.org: https://www.nrpa.org/ourwork/Three-Pillars/role-of-parks-and-recreation-in-conservation/

84

National Recreation and Parks Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.nrpa.org/our-work/Grant-Fundraising-Resources/ Real Property Information, Real Property Information (n.d.). Retrieved from https://paytax.erie.gov/webprop/property_info_details.asp?sbl=40.05-43&KEY=1464890400500004003000 Sirna, A. (2014). Reconciling Competing Visions in New Deal Parks: Natural Conservation, Historic Preservation, and Recreational Development. The George Wright Forum, 31(1), 63â&#x20AC;&#x201C;68.

State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.nps.gov/preservation-grants/sat/ Watkins, S., Vogt, J., Mincey, S., Fischer, B., Bergmann, R., Widney, S., . . .

Sweeney, S. (2018). Does collaborative tree planting between nonprofits and neighborhood groups improve neighborhood community capacity?

CITIES, 83-99 Vol.74.

What is Placemaking? (2007). Retrieved November 4, 2019, from https://www.pps.org/article/what-is-placemaking

85

Figures Figure 1: Ellicott Island Park Boathouse, Negative 7321-C. (n.d.). photograph, Tonawanda, NY. Figure 2: Ellicott Creek Park Map. (n.d.). photograph, Tonawanda, NY Figure 3: Google, (2019), Google Maps place for Ellicott Creek Park, Retrieved November 3, https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0179063,78.8116946,13.25z Figure 4: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0101, 2017, Sex by Age of Kenmore Village, New York (2017) generated

by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0101, 2017, Sex by Age of Amherst, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0101, 2017, Sex by Age of Wheatfield, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0101, 2017, Sex by Age of Town of Tonawanda, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0101, 2017, Sex by Age of North Tonawnada, New York (2017) generated

by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 Figure 5: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0801, 2017, Means of Transportation to Work in Kenmore Village, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0801, 2017, Means of Transportation to Work in Amherst, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19

86

U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0801, 2017, Means of Transportation to Work in Wheatfield, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0801, 2017, Means of Transportation to Work in Town of Tonawanda, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, S0801, 2017, Means of Transportation to Work in North Tonawanda, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 Figure 6: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, DP05, 2017, Race in Kenmore Village, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, DP05, 2017, Race in Amherst, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, DP05, 2017, Race in Wheatfield, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, DP05, 2017, Race in Town of Tonawanda, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, DP05, 2017, Race in North Tonawanda, New York (2017) generated by Tyson Morton using Census lookup using Fact Finder, 11/04/19 Figure 7: Annunziata, J., Kang, M. H., Morton, T., Popp, S. (2019). User Survey for Ellicott Creek Park. Figure/Graph/Table prepared by Morton, T., using Microsoft Excel.

Figure 8: Google Earth Pro V7.3.2.5776. (2019). Buffalo, New York. 43° 01’ 26.14”N, 78°49’31.86”W, Eye alt 8469 feet. U.S Geological Survey http://www.earthgoogle.com [October 18, 2012]

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Photos Photo 1: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Soutwest on November 3, 2019 at 11:23 AM. Photo 2: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Northeast on November 3, 2019 at 12:15 PM Photo 3: Ellicott Island Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing West on November 3, 2019 at 12:42 PM Photo 4: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Southwest on November 3, 2019 at 11:15 AM Photo 5: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing North on November 3, 2019 at 12:08 PM Photo 6: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Northwest on November 3, 2019 at 11:37 AM Photo 7, 8, 9: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Northwest on November 3, 2019 at 11:52 AM Photo 10: Ellicott Creek Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Northwest on November 3, 2019 at 12:20 PM Photo 11, 12, 13: Ellicott Island Park, Buffalo, New York, Facing Northeast on November 3, 2019 at 12:49 PM

88

Photo Map

10

11, 12, 13

3

4

2

1

7, 8 ,9 5

6

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User Survey for Ellicott Creek Park Tyson Morton, James Annunziata, Sara Popp, Min Hyoung Kang Professor Bleuer END 350: Methods of Inquiry

Objective: Through the use of user surveys to gain the first hand opinions of visitors of Ellicott Creek Park, we plan to analyze and develop a Park Mini - Master Plan.

1. How often do you use Ellicott Creek Park?

B. Once a A. Once a Week Month C. Couple times a Year

D. Multiple times a week

2. What form of Transportation do you use to get to the park?

A. Personal Car B. Public Transit C. Walking or Bicycling

D. Other

3. How far away did you travel to get to the park?

A. 5-10 Minutes B. 10-15 Minutes C. 15-20 Minutes 4. Reasons for using this park?

A. Recreation B. Exercise

D. Over 20 Minutes

C. Pleasure/Therapeutic use

D. Other

5. Level of Safety this Park makes you feel.

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 6. Personal Recommendations for this park? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Charts and Graphs Age Under 5 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 20 to 24 years 25 to 29 years 30 to 34 years 35 to 39 years 40 to 44 years 45 to 49 years 50 to 54 years 55 to 59 years 60 to 64 years 65 to 69 years 70 to 74 years 75 to 79 years 80 to 84 years 85 years and over

Male 6954 6201 7786 9462 9334 9015 7635 7129 7237 7838 8895 8500 8786 6697 5393 3183 2699 3239

Female 5901 6871 7234 8306 9313 8525 7908 7266 7033 8903 9493 10011 9595 8262 6364 5215 4056 6138

Age Pyramid for Surrounding Ellicott Creek Park Area 80 to 84 years 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years

Age

50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years 20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years Under 5 years 15,000

10,000

5,000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

Number of People Figure 4: Source: United States Census Beurau

Male

Female

91

Race Hispanic or Latino (of any race) alone White alone Black or African American alone American Indian and Alaska Native alone Asian alone Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone

# of People 8750 221888 12633 707 13278 52

Race of Ellicott Creek Park Area Hispanic or Latino (of any race) alone White alone

Black or African American alone

American Indian and Alaska Native alone

5.16% 4.91%

3.40%

0.02% 0.27%

86.23%

Asian alone

Figure. 5: Source: United Satates Census Beaurau

92

Method of Transportation Workers 16 years and over Car, truck, or van Public transportation (excluding taxicab) Walked Bicycle Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means Worked at home

Total Number of Workers 129252 118808 2224 2853 379 857 4034

Means of Transportation to Work in surrounding Eliicott Creek Park Area Method of Transportation

Worked at home

4034

Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means

857

Bicycle

379

Walked

2853

Public transportation

2224

Car, truck, or van

118808 0

20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000

Number of Workers over the age of 16

Figure. 6

93

Transportation to the park Personal Car Public Transit

# of People 8 0

Walking/ Bike Other

1 1

Transportation to the Park 9

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

8 7

6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Personal Car

Public Transit

Walking/ Bike

Other

METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

Presentation Script History: Ellicott Creek Park was first formed in 1925 from a combination of private land acquisition and debt foreclosure by Erie County.

The stone structures in the park, including the casino, the boathouse, the concessions stand, and the shelters, were built by the Works Progress Administration during the Depression.

Due to the large amount of shelters, the boathouse renting out boats, and the two creeks on either side of the park, Ellicott Creek Park was wildly popular amongst boaters and picnickers in the 30’s and 40’s.

1970 saw the park experience a period of neglect and lowered park attendance, which made the park a favorite spot for more unsavory characters.

Come 1990, the county began to pay more attention to the park and made plans to rehabilitate it.

Background: Ellicott Creek Park as it is known is actually broken up into 3 parks. The southernmost portion of the park, up until the floodway, is Ellicott Creek Park.

Ellicott Island Park is on the Island to the north, and Irvington Park is the portion directly within the residential area next to the park. The grassy areas along the creeks are also part of the park, as the map shows.

The floodway that bisects the park is used to link Tonawanda creek in the north to Ellicott Creek in the south.

Erie County maintains the Ellicott Island Park and Ellicott Creek Park, while the Town of Tonawanda is responsible for Irvington park. This is because Irvington Park is little more than a soccer field, which is used by soccer teams in the Town of Tonawanda’s school district.

Context:

105

Ellicott Creek Park is located in Erie County, between Ellicott and Tonawanda Creeks. The park is right on the corner with Niagara county, the border falling on Tonawanda Creek itself.

The park falls in both the town of Tonawanda and the town of Amherst, but is close to North Tonawanda, the city of Tonawanda, and Wheatfield. This allows for the park to draw prospective attendance from a number of populous suburban areas.

The Ellicott Creek Bike Path also links the park to the University at Buffalo North campus, which makes the park available to the students on campus. There are also talks about a bike path along the historic Erie Canal, which would run through the park due to Tonawanda Creek being a part of the canal.

The park is also bordered on the south by Ellicott Creek Rd. and crossed in the north by Creekside Dr. Observation

Our team observed the Ellicott Creek Park, the primary research was conducted on November 3rd, and further research was conducted as well.

This is an aerial view of the park, and this is the picture of outdated pavilion.

There are total 25 pavilions in the park, and most of them were not managed for a while. You can see the wood fragments and trash bins on the ground.

However, some of the pavilions were working on their roof replacement.

Playground was outdated. Chains on the swings were either rust or missing.

This is water fountain. Pipes were either rust or broken.

This is the trail which meets the floodway. You can see the sediments on the trail by recent flood. The sediments were not removed.

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Photo on the top is the crossing that visitors should cross to get to the Ellicott Island Park from the Ellicott Creek Park. There is no crossing line, or traffic signals, or stop signs.

Photo on the bottom is the vehicle road in the park. There was only one stop sign and speed limit in the park.

Photo on the top is the bridge to the Ellicott Island Park, and this is the only entrance to the Ellicott Island Park. There were a fair amount of signs, and the bridge was well maintained.

On the bottom, there is a boathouse ruin. It is not managed, the graffiti on the walls shows it.

For challenges, our team could find three major challenges. First, the accessibility of the park was poor. As you saw in the photo, there was only one entrance to the Island Park, people would go all the way around to get to the Island. Also, there was a crossing that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any traffic signs, which is highly dangerous for both drivers and pedestrian traffic.

For maintenance, facilities like pavilions and water fountain was left broken. The sediments on the trail from the flood was not removed. Those facilities and trails should be managed periodically.

Lastly, signage. In the park, there were significantly few signages. As the park has three parts, and lots of places like pavilions, it is confusing not having map or direction signs.

Opportunities.

Despite all the challenges, Ellicott Creek Park has great potential. As the park has both green space and water access, the park provides plenty different activities like jogging, tennis, picnic, kayaking, swimming. It gives visitors more choices. Also it is a great benefit having a place where people can hang out with their pets.

107

Demographic and Observational Analysis ● For our statistical analysis, we decided to focus on towns surrounding Ellicott Creek Park in a 10-15 minute radius to consider all forms of travel from walking and biking to personal automobile. (Also credit the United States Census Bureau of Statistics) Age and Gender: ● Stationary Pyramid meaning the population is neither increasing or declining ● High number of young adults and elderly demographic ● How does this compare to who the park is meant for? ○ Accessible for all age and gender demographics ■ Playgrounds, open fields for recreation, walking paths, dog park.

Race: ● Lack of Diversity ● Collectively describe all bullets together: ○ Limits potential economic development due to other races being discouraged to move in. ○ Limits inclusion opportunities such as public cultural events that could possible be held at the park. ○ Relation to park: ■ If other races aren't comfortable enough to move into the area, then they won’t feel comfortable to share public spaces such as Ellicott Creek Park.

Mobility and Transportation ● Suburbs- Importance of cars to them

108

● Despite negative environmental impact of cars still preferred method of travel. ● Due to many reasons: ○ Points of interest located too far away in suburbs ○ Convenience, freedom of travel ○ Environment not conducive to all forms of travel such as pedestrians and cyclist not feeling safe.

Survey Results: ● Surveyed several people in our visits asking various questions. Through surveys it was determined Recreation was the main motivation for park goers as opposed to exercise or leisure. ● Transportation mirrors the demographic statistical data ● Race differed from the data collected and was less dominated by a single race ● Age and Gender in the park was equally represented among all age groups despite young adults and elderly demographics being higher statistically. ● Surveying allows face to face interactions that allows us to balance the wants as well as the needs of Ellicott Creek Park and form appropriate recommendations that Sara will now discuss.

Recommendations: The most important part of any park is how well it serves the community. Beyond rudimentary maintenance, there are many ways in which Ellicott Creek Park does not meet the current needs of its users.

Environmental Recommendations Parks play an important role in sustaining ecosystems, conserving land, providing clean air and water, and maintaining a better quality of life for all. Particularly in a time dealing with the impacts of urban and suburban sprawl, and an increasing reliance on technology, parks ensure that the population has access to green space, and wild ecosystems have room to exist.

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The green expanses of Ellicott Creek Park reduce carbon and reduce rainwater runoff and flooding. This is essential for the residents of the area, for health reasons and to keep the surrounding properties from flooding. Additionally, the park is important for economic and social reasons. Living near a park or greenspace increases real-estate values, as well as having other economic benefits, parks - community spaces, - residents healthy - clean air - outdoor recreation Dredging the River The park is bordered by two waterways; both have become polluted in the past 50 years. Most recently, the city of Amherst was fined for allowing its wastewater treatment plant to dump pollutants into Tonawanda Creek. Tonawanda Creek is valuable not from a community standpoint but also from a historical one, as part of it was once part of the Erie Canal System. Dredging the creek would remove contaminants and pollutants not just of the immediate area but the whole watershed. It would promote a healthier environment and become a more usable asset to the community.

More expensive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cost Tonawanda less â&#x20AC;&#x201C; buffalo river - army core of engineers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; federal grants.

Recommendations for improving connectivity.

Connectivity in communities leads to stronger bonds between people and ultimately allows public spaces to thrive. For Ellicott Creek Park, connectivity is definitely an area that can improve and will not only benefit the quality of life within the park but the surrounding area as well.

Floodway walking Path and Bridge to Island As discussed three separate areas of the park - It is not easy to travel from one section of the park to another right now - divorce park from community.

Link park on both sides of Creekside drive, guardrail up and no path right now except for going around the entire park.

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walking path across the floodway and a pedestrian crossing across Creekside drive on the western side of the park alternate and faster route to travel between parks – prioritize accessibility and pedestrian movement Another recommendation – second bridge across the creek to Ellicott Island Park.

Better Connect bark park to the rest of the area and community, important because bark park is utilized the most – people always need somewhere to take their dogs.

Increase accessibility – at the moment using your car is most viable by far to access the park.

Provide attraction – building and opening the bridge can draw interest.

Rebuilding the boathouse: Restoring the boathouse and shelters will help more than just the look of the park. The historic structures can remain a source of consistency in stressful times, helping to increase the resilience of the community as a whole.

Restoring the structures will also allow the park to capitalize on the unique historical characteristics of such. This creates a draw, a reason for people to visit the park on top of just the normal attractions of a park.

The restored boathouse can also have a use as a kayak rental site for use on Tonawanda Creek. This has a twofold purpose to encourage recreation on the creek and generate revenue for the park for upkeep.

Now, these restorations will not be cheap, as historically accurate masonry rarely is, but the county does not need to shoulder the entire burden of this payment.

The National Park Service has a “Save America’s Treasures” grant to help with the rehab of historically significant parks like Ellicott Creek Park.

This type of restoration work has already been done before to great success as well. The Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park rehabilitated it’s old lockhouses into day shelters and made excellent use of them. Ellicott Creek Park

111

can look to the success of that park in order to give precedence to a decision based on historical preservation.

Playgrounds and Parking Lots: The benefit to touching up playgrounds and parking lots is that it is simple and cheap. The parking lots can have the pavement and lining touched up, while the playgrounds can have broken equipment repaired or replaced.

This will improve the look of the park, as well as make the park more comfortable for park goers. The parking will be more pleasant and the playgrounds will look presentable.

The rehabilitated playgrounds will also give people more reasons to visit the park.

It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a huge attraction by any means, but it certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t scare people away.

Playgrounds also have payment assistance options available, such as the Gametime Playground grants that helps with the cost of replacing playgrounds in parks.

112

Ellicott Creek Park Connecting Our Past to Our Future James Annunziata, Min Hyoung Kang, Tyson Morton, Sara Popp Context and background: Ellicott Creek Park is a park located in Erie county, within the Towns of Tonawanda and Amherst. The park is near North Tonawanda, the City of Tonawanda, and Wheatfield. The park is composed of three separate parks: Ellicott Island Park, Ellicott Creek Park, and Irvington Park. the park is also Bisected by a floodway connecting Ellicott Creek in the south to Tonawanda Creek in the North.

History: Ellicott Creek Park has a rich history stemming from the construction of it’s stone buildings, including a boathouse and casino, during the Works Progress Administration.

Observations and Challenges: Overall, the park was not in great condition. Facilities were aged and not managed. ● Poor accessibility due to lack of the entrances and connections. ● Facilities were left broken. Trail which meets floodway was not managed. ● Park needs more signage and maps for wayfinding.

Demographic Analysis of Surrounding Area: Age and Gender: Mostly young adults and elderly demographic.

Race: Heavily dominated by one race showing lack of diversity.

Mobility and Transportation: Automobile heavily favored choice of transportation.

Survey Results: Recreation most important use of park.. Transportation mostly by car.

Race differed from race demographic results. All age groups observed at the park..

Recommendations Environmental: Dredge Tonawanda Creek to remove pollutants and make it a usable asset for the community. Tree planting events to strengthen community and maintain the park.

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Connectivity: Construct pathway along floodway and a second bridge to Ellicott Island Park to improve connection and flow within the park.

Historical Significance: Restore boathouse and update playgrounds to reflect the height of the parks usage and reflect the historical significance of the park.

Ellicott Creek Park is already a valuable resource, but through our recommendations it can become a truly great asset for the community and area.