One of the best things about a city that it considered “midsized” is that change can happen pretty fast. When it comes to being “green,” Buffalo is able to make sweeping city-wide changes fairly quickly. Whether that means introducing “no mow, low-mow” park policies, or cleaning up our waterways, it is clear that all cities need to get onboard with “prioritizing nature-based solutions to combat climate change.”
To that end, the city of Buffalo was recently designated a “United States Pioneer” by CitiesWithNature. This online platform guides municipalities to:
- Help protect nature
- Prioritize nature-based solutions to climate change
- Make sure residents in their communities have easy access to nature and the outdoors
Buffalo has the ability to introduce key environmental policies and plans that will not only improve the quality of life for our residents, but safeguard the planet as well. Upon receiving the designation, Mayor Brown issued a statement that the City is committed to drafting and maintaining eco policies that will lead the region towards a more sustainable future.
“My Administration continues to explore new methods to preserve our natural resources, invest in our world-class park system and utilize cutting-edge technology to clean and protect our water,” said Brown. “I am proud that our great city continues to be a model for other municipalities across the nation looking to create more environmentally-friendly spaces for future generations to enjoy for years to come.”
CitiesWithNature provides a shared platform for cities and their partners to engage and connect, working with shared commitment towards a more sustainable urban world.
In years to come, we will hopefully see Buffalo enacting sweeping changes when it comes to its sustainable operational policies. There are already guidelines in place, available online, for cities to follow. By using best practice models, and forging revolutionary policies, cities are able to capitalize on their natural abilities to excel.
Moving forward, we will be paying close attention to the city’s sustainable commitments that have garnered the designation as a “United States Pioneer.”
Managed in partnership between ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Nature Conservancy, the CitiesWithNature platform is endorsed by the United Nations Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as the official mechanism to coordinate local and subnational ambitions and commitments toward global efforts in halting biodiversity loss and protecting our natural world.
Lead image: Buffalo is currently at a crossroads, combatting our failures of the past with the possibilities of the future.
