Revitalization: Buffalo’s Cure for Zombie Neighborhoods

Click on the map above to find The Atlantic Cities Aug. 2nd article entitled In Search of a Cure for Zombie Neighborhoods. The article cites the cryptically titled study,”Dawn of the Dead City: An Exploratory Analysis of Vacant Addresses in Buffalo, NY 2008-2010.” Virtually mirroring the high-crime areas of Buffalo, these vacant properties are likened to zombies sapping life from the surrounding neighborhood. With no panacea in sight one urbanist begged the question on whether any urban renewal plan has worked anywhere; “Just one. No theory please; just real on the ground success.”

The following week The Atlantic Cities posts the title-link article citing another scientific study, “Greening vacant lots to reduce violent crime: a randomised controlled trial.” Urban renewal has gone from theory to science and the findings reveal vacant lots that are maintained and nice to look at make the neighborhood inviting and safer. Buffalo is ahead of the curve with such organizations as Re-Tree, Urban Roots, and the Massachusetts Avenue Project leading Buffalo to a future where it sets the national example once again.