Opinion: A Bold Vision for the Future is Needed
Through JazzBuffalo, we’ve witnessed firsthand how arts and culture can breathe new life into a city’s core. In downtown Buffalo, our initiatives—from JazzMondays at the Tappo Rooftop Patio to Jazz at Seneca One to Jazz at Richardson and the Art Meets Jazz series—have played a pivotal role in attracting residents from the suburbs and visitors from Rochester and Canada. These events showcase local, regional, and international talent and act as catalysts for economic and social revitalization.
Post-pandemic, Buffalo faces a significant challenge: as reported by the Buffalo News and other sources, an estimated 20,000 workers and commuters have left our downtown. This trend demands bold new thinking about the city’s purpose and sustainability. In my research and consulting work, I conducted persona-based studies for the ride-sharing company Lyft, exploring how urban centers across the country are evolving and what trends can be anticipated over the next five to ten years. While we expect fewer people to work downtown in the future, there remains a strong desire for innovative transportation solutions and enhanced livability in the heart of our cities across the country.
The solution lies in embracing the arts as a cornerstone of urban renewal. As the success of Shea’s Buffalo demonstrates, positioning Buffalo as an arts and entertainment destination can reinvigorate downtown life and attract both residents and visitors. Coupled with strategic residential development and the creation of more walkable, connected neighborhoods, our city is poised for a renaissance—provided we can craft a compelling vision that unites civic leaders, commercial developers, and the arts community.
As we look to the future, let’s continue to champion initiatives that blend culture, entertainment, and smart urban planning. Together, we can transform downtown Buffalo into a thriving hub where our community’s creativity meets the practical needs of a modern, sustainable city.
It’s not a matter of bringing suburban dwellers into the city through the various Arts offerings the downtown provides. People want to come and be entertained, so this article does nothing more than be redundant in message.
The true culprit is the rising cost of living and how it limits people from spending on the Arts. They simply cannot afford more than two or three Arts related entertainment events in a given month. A night out for two can range from $200 to $400 if they have drinks and dinner beforehand, parking, two tickets to a big marquee show, and possible drink afterwards. This leaves little financial room to attend smaller Arts events throughout the month (even though this may cost 1/5 the cost of going to a “name” Arts venue.
Additionally people want a bigger bang for their entertainment dollar so they’ll trust proven commercially successful Arts events than unknown or unproven ones. It’s like having the choice to see the Bills or Sabres play. Which one is guaranteed to be more consistently entertaining? This then begs the question to which do Arts venues choose to promote, commercial or creative artists? And what does this do to encourage originality with Art forms?
Truth to be told, the days of diversity in Arts and the forums that incubate originality are growing shorter. The choices are becoming limited. Sadly, people are accepting this more and more. This isn’t a downtown issue. This is result of a country that’s turning away from creativity & originality and looking for the same homogeneous commercial crap they see and hear everywhere
Thank you for joining the conversation and for offering good perspectives here!