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Institute briefing to focus on cross-border connections
By RACHEL M. TEAMAN
Reporter Contributor
UB's Regional Institute will unveil findings of its yearlong Region's Edge research initiative at a briefing for binational regional leaders from the public, private, nonprofit and academic sectors from 3:30-5 p.m. today in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.
In addition to presenting findings, the briefing will be an opportunity for the institute to explore with the audience the data's implications for the region, and to gather insight on additional research avenues to pursue, according to Kathryn Bryk Friedman, deputy director of the institute and Region's Edge project director.
The research initiative seeks to provide an objective understanding of the economic, political, cultural and social connections between Western New York and Southern Ontario. Data collected by the institute include cross-border visitation of arts and cultural attractions, attendance at professional sports games and use of services such as health care and education, foreign investment between Western New York and Southern Ontario, and the economic impact of cross-border activity.
"An improved, objective understanding of that which links the binational region is fundamental to informing policy decisions and addressing opportunities for and obstacles to collaboration and integration in economic development, border security, governance and other critical areas," Friedman said. "The compilation of these data, which involved pulling together fragmented and often disparate information sources, portrays a complex picture of daily interactions between residents, business and institutions on both sides of the border."
Friedman added: "As we move into the globalized world of the 21st century, it's clear that binational regions that work together, transcending the international boundary, have a competitive advantage."
She noted that the region already has a strong position as the most populous of the four urban regions along the U.S.-Canadian border, with the two metropolitan centers of Buffalo and Toronto fewer than 100 miles apart.
"Our findings demonstrate just how connected Western New York and Southern Ontario are," she continued. "The next questions are: Where do the data and information take us? What would be different if we thought of ourselves as a binational region and formulated policies that reflect this reality?"
The Regional Institute plays a vital role in addressing governance and quality-of-life issues in the Buffalo-Niagara region. A major research and public service unit of UB and a unit of the UB Law School, the institute leverages the resources of the university and binational community to pursue a wide range of scholarship, projects and initiatives that inform regional challenges.