Buffalo Niagara: Diagnosis & Prescription for Change

Around 1900, Buffalo was a happening place. It was America’s eighth-largest city and the world’s sixth largest port. Buffalo was the world’s first city lit with electricity. Famous architects like Frederick Law Olmsted and Frank Lloyd Wright did some of their best work here. Buffalo hosted a World’s Fair featuring buildings illuminated by Thomas Edison. And so much more. By 2000 the city’s population was falling, the economy stagnant, the region’s reputation stained by racism and poverty, and jokes about the area’s weather became a frequent target of nightly talk shows. So what happened? Recently, it’s been easy to find positive signs of a change: waterfront development, medical campus construction, new business expansion and startups, and an uptick in population and employment. But how well are we really doing? Buffalo Niagara could arguably have the biggest gap of any metropolis in America between what it could be and what it is today. Can the region ever be great again? Buffalo Niagara: Diagnosis & Prescription for Change starts by taking a look at the status of the region that goes beyond just new construction. It then examines in unvarnished detail the major causes and forces that caused the region’s decline. And the book ends by offering a prescription for change that could once again make Buffalo one of the most progressive cities on the planet. Buffalo Niagara: Diagnosis & Prescription for Change is a tool and a road map for all those who love Western New York and are willing to help make a positive difference.