Taylor is one of the creators of the University-Community Initiative, a project aimed at combining the strengths of UB, the City of Buffalo, surrounding towns and a number of area organizations and businesses in a collaborative effort to improve life in the area around UB's Main Street Campus.

Conducted under the guidance of UB President William R. Greiner and Vice President for Public Service and Urban Affairs Muriel Moore, with "tremendous help" from Mayor Anthony Masiello, University District Councilman Kevin Helfer and Amherst Supervisor Thomas Ahern, the project, Taylor said, aims to "transform and make (the University District) a wonderful place to live and work."

Economic problems caused by Buffalo's shift from an industrial base to a service and technology base have led to problems of unemployment and underemployment, Taylor said. "Unless the university intervenes, the problems will continue and make life difficult for those of us in the University District."

To address those problems, Taylor said he is looking at what is being done in other cities to fight urban decay.

"There are a number of things one can do in terms of the design of physical space," he said. In addition, Taylor said he will be looking at "innovative projects around the country and the world for things that people have used to combat crime.

Taylor cited as an example a Philadelphia project that uses young adults who work for the municipality and patrol the central city area. These community service workers not only provide a presence, they serve as a source of information and a link between the area and police, reporting suspicious activity and other potential problems.

Last week, Buffalo took a step toward providing more of a presence in the University District when city officials announced plans to expand community policing efforts in that area as well as in two other high-crime neighborhoods, Broadway-Fillmore and Jefferson Avenue.

Key elements of the plan, which was announced by Mayor Masiello Nov. 10, include: higher visibility for police officers, who will be assigned to beat patrols and, weather permitting, bicycle patrols; stricter enforcement of relatively minor crimes such as disorderly conduct; and greater communication with the community as well as with other police agencies, including UB's Department of Public Safety.

Collaboration and cooperation among UB, Buffalo and the surrounding communities are an important part of the solution to problems facing the University District, Taylor said.

Plans for the University-Community Initiative began about three years ago. "We knew and understood that without intervention the problems of crime and neighborhood deterioration would continue to take place," Taylor said.

Although the issue of safety and security is probably the most visible aspect of the project, Taylor noted that the initiative has four priorities: neighborhood improvement, commercial development, safety and security, and education. "The point is to create a healthy environment and totally transform and change the community," he said.

"We have a basic framework and some plans already have begun," Taylor said.

Those involved in the plan, Taylor said, include Buffalo, the towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga and Tonawanda, the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, UB and area business, most of which employ police or some type of security force. Taylor called it the "critical mass of people who function in the area."

"If we can create a mechanism that allows for collaboration and cooperation, you have a unique opportunity" to turn the area around and make the university district a safe community, he said.

He emphasized that this is a proactive, not a reactive plan. "We have understood (the problems) for some time and the university has been working for several years to put together...a program that makes it possible to make the community safe and secure," Taylor said. "In a two- to three-year period, the university community will be one of the safest places in Western New York."