Shaping Buffalo’s public space.
Community input informs development of the DL&W.
Buffalo’s DL&W project will shift the long-shuttered train terminal on the city’s waterfront into a public space that prioritizes accessibility, functionality, and community benefits over any single program or function. The vision for the terminal’s second floor reclaims the historic, highly visible site and returns it to its former use as a public space open to all while adding a host of modern amenities and activities.
A simplified overview of PPS’s approach to placemaking for cities.
To support this effort, Savarino Companies partnered with Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a nonprofit international “placemaking” consultant based in New York City. Since 1975, PPS has collaborated with over 3,500 communities across the country and around the world. Its approach, widely known as placemaking, helps communities reimagine public spaces not simply as amenities, but as civic infrastructure that reflects and supports the people who use them.
In early 2021, PPS led a series of virtual focus groups, interviews, and an online survey to understand what residents, entrepreneurs, and cultural stakeholders in Western New York wanted from the DL&W.
Defining public space and placemaking.
Public space is effectively a space, often civic, intended for people to congregate, commune, and converse. Public spaces are flexible places (like parks, sidewalks, plazas, squares, halls, and the like), which are either privately or publicly owned. Ideally, it is a flexible space that accommodates various uses and considers the needs of all users in its design and implementation.
For Project for Public Spaces, placemaking is the process of creating public spaces.
“Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.”
PPS and DL&W.
In 2019, when Savarino Companies formally proposed its vision for the DL&W in response to the NFTA’s RFP, it included a commitment to this kind of engagement. PPS was brought on to lead the process and produce a set of findings and recommendations. The PPS report, delivered in July 2021, provided a foundation for shaping the project’s public and community goals.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PPS conducted its study using online tools. Dozens of stakeholders and over 900 citizens were engaged across the city and region. Many responses came from Buffalo residents who frequently visit the waterfront, but saw the terminal as an opportunity to add something meaningful and missing: a place that could support daily use and flexible programming for a wider mix of people and experiences on a year-round basis.
What we heard.
Rather than starting with a design concept, as many projects of this kind do, the DL&W project began by hiring PPS, which led to a series of virtual interviews, surveys, and focus groups. These conversations included representatives from arts organizations, cultural institutions, food businesses, wellness providers, market operators, and recreation groups, as well as plenty of everyday residents. Participants shared what they felt was working in the city’s public spaces, what remained missing from downtown and the waterfront, and what obstacles they anticipated in bringing new ideas to life.
Participants emphasized that success would depend on visibility and access. Many people in Buffalo are still unfamiliar with the DL&W location or are unsure how to reach it. For the space to serve the public, that would need to change. Respondents also raised concerns about accessibility for people with disabilities. For the DL&W to function as a public space, they said, it must be physically navigable and welcoming to people of all abilities.
Flexibility was another consistent theme. Participants described a need for spaces that can accommodate multiple uses, adapt to the seasons, and support both planned events and casual visits. They emphasized the need for inclusive programming that fosters unity among people from diverse backgrounds. Public space, they said, should reflect the region’s diversity and give people a reason to return.
Findings and framework.
The public survey results reinforced many of the initial findings culled from the interviews and focus groups. It also provided new insights into the types of activities, amenities, and experiences that people felt were lacking on Buffalo’s waterfront.
Responses indicated strong interest in food, markets, and cultural programming. Many respondents said they would be drawn to the DL&W for a food hall, a café, or a market featuring local products. Others emphasized the value of live performances, seasonal events, and opportunities to experience arts and culture in a casual setting. Public access to the Buffalo River and surrounding trails was also considered important.
Design and comfort were frequent topics. People described the kinds of spaces that make them feel most at ease in public, ranging from green areas and movable seating to shaded places where they can rest and relax. Some spoke to the value of spaces that invite both short visits and longer stays. Others emphasized the importance of affordability and accessibility in both physical design and programming, as well as communication.
These insights helped inform the Savarino team’s decisions about the project’s layout and operations, and they continue to shape how the project team thinks about programming and day-to-day use. The goal is a responsive model.
A living space for a growing city.
PPS found that many of the citizens it spoke to desire the ability to use the DL&W in various ways and for different purposes. Some imagined it as a place to eat, shop, or see a performance. Others envisioned it as a space to relax or pass through on the way to the water. What connected these ideas was the sense that Buffalo needs more places that feel genuinely public.
Savarino Companies utilized these insights to inform its operational and development goals. Plans now include flexible programming, a diverse range of uses, and coordination with community partners. Vendors will be carefully selected, with a focus on both start-up and established local businesses. Management will strive to foster a balanced mix of commercial, civic, and cultural activities for people of all ages and incomes.
This approach reflects a commitment to long-term stewardship and the idea that public space must be shaped in collaboration with the people who use it. With the help of PPS and the other experts hired to inform the design and modeling of the business, Savarino DL&W Development will produce a public space designed to serve Buffalo’s needs now and into the future.
