Groundwork Buffalo Feasibility Study

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) contracted with The Urban Design Project to conduct a feasibility study for starting a Groundwork Trust in Buffalo in 2008. Groundwork organizations’ purpose is to build sustainable communities through joint environmental action thereby empowering people, creating better places, and helping to bring about prosperity.  The Groundwork USA network is built on partnership and linked together by the Groundwork USA national office, with support from the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program and the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. Projects and activities are organized into six program areas as part of our integrated approach to community rejuvenation: land, brownfields, education, business, youth, and communities.

As both convener and implementer, a Groundwork Buffalo (GWB), with representation from existing greening and environmental organizations, has the prospect of adding much value to the process of reclaiming underutilized and neglected open space throughout the city. The reality of resource limitations, however, should be neither overlooked nor understated. It will be crucial for GWB, and its partner agencies to tailor their efforts to communities where their work can have a substantial and sustainable impact. By leveraging and connecting existing assets, greening efforts can serve as more than active and passive recreation spaces, but can serve as catalysts for community involvement and anchors for future investment.