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The Community Context for Planning

The University as a City

When considering the size, components, and characteristics of the University at Buffalo physical environment, it is like a city—providing major business and services to its students, employees, and affiliates. Therefore, current systems, processes, and policies must be further developed in order to properly manage and unify UB’s growing physical infrastructure. In addition, the university as a city must strongly consider its role in the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the region.

Population

The University at Buffalo currently holds a total population of 40,000 students, faculty, and staff. Over 100,000 UB graduates have remained in New York State and two-thirds of those are located in Western New York. In addition, the majority of licensed professionals in the region are UB alumni. As those numbers grow with UB’s growth, the university’s contribution to the regional capacity will also grow.

Planning in the Buffalo-Niagara Region

UB is behind in planning for the future compared to our host region. There has been much work done and publicized on planning for the Buffalo Niagara region—such as the award-winning Queen City in the 21st Century, Queen City Hub, Queen City Waterfront, Amherst Bicentennial Comprehensive Plan, Rethinking Niagara, and Erie County Framework for Regional Growth.

UB's Regional Context

Currently, the university consists of three campus centers that are often viewed as disjointed from one another. The UB comprehensive plan will explore the potential for establishing three strong and united campus centers:

  • The highly developed North Campus in the suburban Town of Amherst
  • The historic South Campus in the northeast corner of the City of Buffalo
  • The new and rapidly evolving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located downtown among Buffalo’s historic Allentown and Fruitbelt districts.

In addition, UB and its affiliated lease holds occupy a number of satellite properties throughout the Buffalo Niagara region. The plan will attempt to better connect UB’s properties and lease holds by creating and enhancing the linkages among them.

UB in Erie County

UB’s institutional footprint on Erie County pinpointing the addresses of faculty and staff within county boundaries

This map illustrated UB’s institutional footprint on Erie County by pinpointing the addresses of faculty and staff within county boundaries. The total 6,495 employees that live in Erie County are predominantly located throughout the City of Buffalo and the Town of Amherst with the population thinning out further in the Southtowns. This shows that while many employees live within close proximity to the core campuses, a large number are willing to commute from distant areas.

UB Campus Communities

UB’s footprint on the region, focusing on communities adjacent to the three core campuses, satellite properties and lease holds

This map again is showing UB’s footprint on the region, yet focusing on communities adjacent to the three core campuses, as well as identifying satellite properties and lease holds. As the map illustrates, employees tend to gather near campus buffers. The geo-spatial characteristics of these UB communities are relative to the density of housing units within their respective environments. For instance, tighter groupings of employees exist in the downtown area, while those UB employee communities in the Town of Amherst tend to be less compact and situated farther from the core campus.

UB North Communities

University’s footprint on the area surrounding UB North Campus, with four satellite properties

This map shows the university’s footprint on the area surrounding UB North Campus, with four satellite properties existing within this frame. It also illustrates the fact that very few faculty and staff members live within the half-mile buffer displayed in white on the map, indicating that the majority of UB employees arrive to work by automobile, due to the limited availability of public transportation in this suburban environment.

UB South Communities

Faculty members living within half mile buffer surrounding South Campus

In contrast to the spatial characteristics displayed in the map of North Campus, a number of faculty and staff members live within the half-mile buffer (shown in white) surrounding UB’s historic South Campus. This is due mainly to the more residential and pedestrian friendly environment that encompasses the campus, as well as the attractive light commercial district that sits along the University Heights portion of Main Street. In addition, Metro Rail’s University Station, located on the campus grounds, provides locals with immediate access to downtown amenities, further eliminating the need for personal transportation.

UB Downtown

UB and affiliates — properties and lease holds

As the map shows, the University at Buffalo and its affiliates occupy a considerable number of properties and lease holds in the downtown area. It also illustrates the fact that the vast majority of UB faculty and staff members living near downtown Buffalo are located upon the upper west side, with few to none on the east side or in the central business district.

By the numbers

The University provides major business and infrastructure support services.
  • 1,346 acres
  • 9,779,586 gsf of space (North and South Campus)
  • 199 buildings
  • 48 off-campus buildings
  • 38 miles of road
  • 28 miles of walkway
  • 98 parking lots
The majority of licensed professionals in Erie County are UB alumni:
  • 9 out of 10 dentists
  • 8 out of 10 attorneys
  • 7 out of 10 pharmacists
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