The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Community Development Strategies That Work or Don't

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo's UB 2020 Strategic Research Initiative in Civic Engagement and Public Policy (CEPP) will present two free public events this summer that focus on the kinds of plans put forth in support of Buffalo's community development initiatives.

The CEPP is focused on advancing community-based research at UB and the goal of these programs is to educate the public in the ways that urban development policies are formulated and sold -- for good or ill -- and the consequences faced by citizens.

The first event will be the public workshop, "Smart and Sustainable Community Development: Strategies for Investors and Policymakers in Buffalo," to be held June 30 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Madonna Lounge, Madonna Hall, D'Youville College. Parking is free and refreshments will be provided.

The second, a talk by urban sociologist Christopher Mele, will look at the problems that have resulted when Rust Belt cities, desperate for economic development, focus on gambling, new prisons, sports venues and other trendy money-making enterprises to bring them back from their moribund state. It will take place Aug. 3 from 4-5 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre, UB North Campus.

The June 30 event offers the public and elected officials alike an opportunity to redefine how community and economic development takes place in Buffalo. Executive directors of six local community organizations will present innovative, interdisciplinary, cross-sector projects that build on Buffalo's often untapped assets.

Presentations will be made in the form of short "social enterprise pitches" that focus on entrepreneurial models for affordable housing, community health, holistic education, neighborhood-driven economic development and fostering creativity through arts and culture.

The event was organized by the Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo, Partnership for the Public Good and the UB Civic Engagement and Public Policy Research Initiative. It is free of charge, but those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to Megan Connelly, megan@ppgbuffalo.org or 852-4191 ext. 110.

The Aug. 3 talk is part of the "UBThisSummer" lecture series. The talk, "The Art of the Deal: Casinos, Prisons, Incinerators and Other Adventures in American Urban Development," will be presented by former CEPP Research Fellow Christopher Mele, PhD, associate professor of sociology at UB.

Mele points out that, faced with the problem of chasing smokestacks in a postindustrial economy, many rustbelt cities have turned to casinos, sports arenas and even prison facilities in an effort to revitalize their economies. Much of what is built in these circumstances, he says, is driven by the incentives offered by the cities in question: property tax relief, favorable tax policies and direct capital assistance to developers, and that today, urban development is driven more by deal making than by responsive community planning.

This process and its consequences were particularly apparent in the city of Chester, Pa., a small, troubled city south of Philadelphia. Mele conducted a lengthy study focused on Chester's curious revitalization effort.

Mele says that Chester, which turned to gambling, prison construction, waste management and a professional sports arena, created a landscape of disconnected fragments that coexist awkwardly. The city's curious effort at revitalization reflects its unique and specific history, but Mele will discuss the underlying forces behind these developments that reflect the new reality of urban development.

The CEPP Faculty Advisory Committee consists of senior faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Graduate School of Education, School of Social Work, Regional Institute, School of Architecture and Planning, Law School, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and School of Public Health and Health Professions.

For further information on these and other CEPP events, go to http://ub2020.buffalo.edu/civic/.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.