Implementing the vision of The Queen City Hub requires that hard choices be made about strategic investments in priority areas. It requires the creation of new residential communities within and among the priority areas, and it requires the mending of the urban fabric by reinforcing Joseph Ellicott’s radial street plan and relating it to Frederick Law Olmsted’s park and parkway system and to the waterfronts. Doing such work requires a continued focus on how work is done: the relationships among participants, procedures, and the quality of design and planning. It will require hundreds of acts of sound physical design and improved maintenance standards. It will require leadership from all sectors of our community and improved enforcement of the laws governing development and maintenance.

As discussed in the Overview (Volume 1), the obstacles to achieving the vision represent serious challenges. The vision can be achieved, however, with a concerted effort that builds on progress we have already made, organizes commitment to practical improvements, and demands continuing accountability to the plan. Achieving the vision will require a few bold moves, but mostly it will require incremental capital investments that build on current assets. It will also require specific policy initiatives and administrative reforms that develop institutional capacity. This will include developing a strong planning and design capacity in City Hall, and creating clear and enforceable design guidelines that produce the best urban environment possible.

Queen City in the 21st Century: Buffalo’s Comprehensive Plan incorporates The Queen City Hub and also describes ways to fix the basics and leverage strengths and past investments throughout the City. It also connects to a larger and still developing regional and economic planning framework without which neither Downtown nor the city will achieve their full potential.