5/25/2007

Elena's "Death and Destruction Tour"

Elena Buscarino just posted this over at Buffalo Rising - LISC Tour of Abandoned Houses.

Make sure to check out - Undeliverable - the preliminary analysis of LISC's investigation into abandonment and vacany issues here in Buffalo, NY using recently released Postal Service and HUD data.

Very unsettling...
__________________________________________________________________________
ArtspaceBAVPATour d'Neglect - 2007Woodlawn Row Housesfaqmy flickr
the creativity exchangeCEOs for Cities

5 comments:

Mark Williams said...

Though, I do not question that the City of Buffalo’s population continues to decline; I would like to ask if this “undeliverable mail” is not attributed to the residents who reside much like a transient moving from home to home and not altogether caring about changing their mailing address.

Running from junk mail and bills is probably a way of life assuming that anyone living in these blighted areas probably has no choice and no money.

Also, if Mayor Brown is considering “land-banking” he should be applauded.

Reducing the number of streets is probably the best solution.

I have read on this blog that such buildings as like Saint Mathews should be mothballed and retained as an anchor for if and when the City of Buffalo rebounds and, granted, this may not be in our lifetimes but it may happen in our children’s or grandchildren’s.

Anonymous said...

The undeliverable mail statitics that group reported sounded to me pretty consistent with shrinkage the Census estimate projected last year (which some also claimed was overly pessimistic) - all of which also seems in ballpark of Buffalo's average rates in official Census counts the past few decades. In a few years we'll have 2010 actual counts which no doubt some will say has undercounted us no matter what the number is.

I don't think Byron, or any local official for that matter, has mentioned considering land banking, so any compliments might be premature. If he has mentioned it he's keeping it kind of quiet so far. Maybe Steve Casey said "Shhhhhhh... Icksnay on the And-Lay Anking-Bay."

Anyhow, the Buffalo News editorial writers apparently think everything's under control about all this.
Tuesday they wrote:
Revival effort well-targeted
For once, Buffalo is ahead of the curve.
... The City of Buffalo has been in the forefront in efforts to revitalize its urban core. The current administration has acted aggressively in attacking blight... Its demolition plan is well under way and properties have been listed for the next several years. And, for what it’s worth, the city is working diligently to improve its permits and licensing process. ...
link here

I wouldn't have guessed about the "ahead of curve", "forefront", or "aggressively", but I suppose those words are all relative.

David, could you send that editorial to the Smart City program woman and ask her to ASAP schedule a full hour with Byron? What good is being ahead of the curve if we keep it such a secret?

fixBuffalo said...

b...

I'll do my best to reach Carol Coletta, host of Smart City Radio.

Meanwhile consider reaching her here: Smart City Consulting, 41 Union Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 Telephone 901 528-0800 | Fax 901 527-9713

Thanks for making the connection.

David

Anonymous said...

You're welcome, but now I almost feel a little guilty because my suggestion of him being interviewed was a little on the sarcastic side.

I wouldn't want them to feel they need to change the name of the show for that week.

But hey, might be entertaining radio.

Maybe he could bring Fronczak along and they could explain... uhhh well I'm... uhh not sure what they'd say about our... ummm progress about uhh... what did that editorial call it yesterday? Something about agressively maintaining blight... no wait - attacking! Aggressively attacking blight! Yeah!

fixBuffalo said...

b...

it's like theater, no?