Districts

Canalside

“Canalside has been transformational for the city, for the waterfront and, frankly, for the psychology of people who lived here for years believing nothing would ever happen.”

—Steve Ranalli, President, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation

Grantee

Program

Location

Buffalo

New York

USA

Completed

2011

Client(S)

Partner

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation

Services

Place Evaluation & User Analysis

Community Engagement & Visioning

Programming

Place Plans & Design

Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper

About

The Buffalo waterfront was once home to a thriving maritime industry intermingled with bustling mixed-use development—a world-class model for the best of what waterfronts can be. In the early 20th century, Buffalo was the wealthiest city in the nation per capita; by the end of that century, it had become one of the poorest. Until recently, the city's once-great waterfront lay fallow, contaminated by industrialization and void of destinations.

Project for Public Spaces worked alongside community leaders to create a vision and implementation plan that would transform the vacant waterfront into a public destination in a matter of months, not years. A variety of tactical improvements were successfully made to prepare the site to host over 300 events and 500,000 visitors in 2010. Since then, the ECHDC has continued to implement LQC strategies while working on long-term capital improvements. They have expanded their selection of year-round programming and, in line with the team's recommendations, enhanced the "Canalside" brand through a strong web presence. The Buffalo waterfront is now a true community destination that anchors a new surge in waterfront development.