| This work uses the core assumptions of urban regime theory to assess past and present economic policy decisions in Buffalo, New York, a declining city in the Rust Belt. Methodology included a literature review of Buffalo history, waterfront development, and urban regime theory, as well as interviews of key stakeholders in Buffalo waterfront planning. Three economic development opportunities in Buffalo are explored to establish a foundation regime on which to analyze waterfront planning: (1) the site selection for the University at Buffalo Campus, (2) development of public transportation, and (3) site selection for Buffalo Bills Stadium. The established regime, forming between 1950 and the mid-1980s, is used to explore the waterfront planning process, the current economic development strategy in Buffalo beginning in the early 1990s. Waterfront planning and the opportunities and challenges associated with related transportation infrastructure on waterfront lands is scrutinized using regime theory. The maintenance regime established between1950 and the mid-1980s now resembles a development regime with a growth imperative. Recommendations for future economic development strategies in Buffalo and contributions to urban regime theory are considered in the conclusion. |
