Downtown / Race for Place
Buffalo’s Race for Place initiative is a collaborative effort between Buffalo Urban Development Corporation and the City of Buffalo. The main goal of the initiative is to support talent attraction and our modern workforce through the creation of innovative and attractive environments—both indoors and out.
Under this imitative, several efforts are underway. The Ellicott Street Placemaking Strategy aims to create a vibrant mixed-use streetscape plan that adds vibrancy, enhances mobility, encourages growth, and most importantly connects people. The Downtown Waterfront Improvements Plan is a strategic master plan aiming to better connect residents and visitors to the Downtown Waterfront area through accessibility and placemaking enhancements, including improving roadways, trails, parks, signage, and lighting. The Smart Streets Design Plan will examine ways to technologically enhance the roadways in Downtown Buffalo to better accommodate a wide range of modes of transportation including e-bikes, e-scooters, smart cars, and electric charging stations, and increase pedestrian and ADA compliance access.