Recent investment in Buffalo, New York has been celebrated in the press and the city as a renaissance after decades of decline. But rising tides don't always lift all boats. A recent article describes a unique effort to call attention to the divide.
The opening of the article by Ethan Powers:
"The city of Buffalo has an identity problem. One half has been reborn like a phoenix from a graveyard of industrial ash – experiencing an economic and cultural resurgence that has transformed many previously barren areas into bustling centres of commerce and entertainment. Yet the other half sits in a state of utter disrepair – its streets manifest a palpable level of poverty, blind to the recovery and optimism growing across town.
'It’s a true tale of two cities,' said blogger and photographer David Torke, who created the Tour de Neglect. 'You have the more prosperous and emerging West Side contrasted with the East Side, which has been neglected on all sorts of levels for decades.'
Torke uses his fixBuffalo blog to catalogue the structural devastation which plagues Buffalo’s East Side. Eight years ago, Torke decided that his blog was too detached from readers stuck in front of a computer screen – and the Tour de Neglect was born. It is now an annual event."
FULL STORY: The Tour de Neglect: a cycle ride through Buffalo's deprived East Side
Economic Recovery in Legacy Cities
Americans living in legacy cities face a unique set of challenges and opportunities in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several local, state, and federal support strategies could aid these cities in recouping losses.
Revitalization Should Not Overshadow the Continued Decline in Cities
When gentrification takes center stage, neglected places facing poverty, segregation, and disinvestment are overlooked.
Rustbelt Cities Continue to Make Play for Millennials
From St. Louis to Baltimore, the Rustbelt Cities are seeing a growing population of millennials as a possible cure to shrinking populations and stagnating economies.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie