“The Green Code, a top-to-bottom remake of Buffalo’s zoning code, went into effect citywide on April 3,” writes the staff at The Public. “The impact of a zoning code is never felt immediately, and is only evident as each increment of investment in made. If properly applied, over time the new code could be a transformational force for the human and natural environments.” “The last code was transformational in all the wrong ways. ‘A product of the 1950s,’ says activist Chuck Banas, who arguably kickstarted the idea of zoning reform back in 2006, ‘the old code was designed to suburbanize the city, and made most of Buffalo’s compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods illegal.'” “The Green Code turns this assumption on its head. Suburban sprawl is out, and mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods are in.” “April 22 was Earth Day. As such, let’s count the ways in which the Green Code could make Buffalo more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. Here are the top 10:”Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods are the most environmentally responsible form of development, and now enshrined in Buffalo's zoning and land use policies. (Credit: The Public)
Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods are the most environmentally responsible form of development, and now enshrined in Buffalo's zoning and land use policies. (Credit: The Public)
