★ Strong Towns Buffalo ★
YOUR
CITY
NEEDS
YOU.
A field guide for everyday Buffalonians who want to improve the places they love.
Start anywhere. Start now.
Here's the truth: cities are built by decisions. Most people never show up to make them. The ones who do? They shape everything. Streets. Parks. Housing. Transit. Your neighborhood's future.
You don't have to be an expert. You don't need a title. You just have to start. This zine gives you a ladder of action. Climb as high as feels right for you, and share your progress with us. We're cheering for you!
🌱
Level 01 · Entry Point
Tiny Tiny Actions
No meetings. No expertise. Just small changes in how you show up each day. Anyone can do it!
Take transit or walk
Skip the car or Uber for a trip. Every rider makes the system stronger.
Pick up trash
One piece of litter on your walk. It shifts your relationship to the street and sends a signal to everyone else.
Find out who your council member is
Know your rep. They make decisions that affect your block every week. Find yours →
Sign up for your district newsletter
Local knowledge is power. Find yours →
Start noticing your city
Which streets feel unsafe? Which blocks feel alive? Pay attention to the buildings, the noise, the energy. Once you start noticing, you can't stop. And that's the point.
Download the Transit app
The best way to navigate Buffalo's Metro buses and rail. Makes going car-free way easier. Get it →
Talk to one neighbor you haven't met
Working together makes us stronger, and knowing our neighbors makes us feel at home.
Leave a Google review for a local business
A five-star review is a real act of support for small businesses in walkable neighborhoods.
💡 Strong Towns Insight
Every car trip not taken reduces wear on roads that cost Buffalo millions to fix. Walking keeps people healthy and streets lasting longer.
📣
Level 02 · Getting Louder
Little Bit Bigger
Five minutes can make a difference. These actions send signals that someone is paying attention.
Report a problem
Pothole, broken light, cracked sidewalk? Use BUFF 311 → Blocked bike lane? Use Bike Lane Uprising → Cities respond to data.
Sign a petition
Local ones matter more than you think. Check out Buffalo Planning Initiatives →
Use a Strong Towns Buffalo tool
Maps, guides, and resources built for Buffalo neighbors. Explore the site →
Follow and share urbanist content
Local: @strongtownsbuffalo. Broader: Jon Jon "The Happy Urbanist" and City Nerd. Every share puts these ideas in front of someone new.
Donate money
Even $5/month funds advocacy. Volunteer orgs run on small donations.
Bike or Reddy
Every trip builds the case for better bike infrastructure in your neighborhood.
Ride a Metro bus or the Rail to a stop you've never been to
Get off, walk around for 20 minutes, go home. You'll see a different side of Buffalo.
Walk or bike a route you'd normally drive
Pick one errand. See what the trip feels like at street level.
Listen to one podcast episode
Just one. The Strong Towns podcast → breaks down why cities go broke and what residents can do about it.
Contact your council member about something you care about
Email, call, or DM. It doesn't have to be formal. Even a short message shows them someone is paying attention. Find their contact info →
🔥
Level 03 · Show Up
Bigger
This is where things start to really change. Showing up in person is disproportionately powerful. Most people never do it.
Write or call your council member
5 calls on an issue = your council member thinks it's a movement. Find your council member →
Neighborhood assoc. meeting
Go once. Bring a friend. You'll see who's running things and who isn't.
Read an urbanist book
Strong Towns, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer, and Escaping the Housing Trap are great starting points.
Donate your time
Volunteer at a local org. Table at a festival. Help run a meeting.
Strong Towns Buffalo events
Attend a local gathering. Meet new people!
Attend a Common Council meeting
They're open to the public, in person or via livestream. Show up. Ask questions. Be known.
Walking audits
Walk your block with a checklist. What's missing? What's broken? How to do one →
Get a friend involved
The biggest multiplier there is. You joining is good. You + a friend is great!
Join a local org doing the work
Connect with groups like GObike Buffalo or Grassroots Gardens WNY. People are already working on this stuff in your neighborhood.
Share a car
Carpool with a friend, neighbor, or family member. Fewer cars = less traffic, quieter streets, and money saved.
Take a domestic urbanist trip
Visit a walkable U.S. city like NYC, D.C., or Chicago. See what good transit, dense neighborhoods, and active streets look and feel like, then bring those ideas home.
⚡ Why it matters: Most neighborhood meetings are dominated by a handful of regulars. If 3–5 new people show up consistently, the entire political calculus of that room shifts.
⚡
Level 04 · Civic Muscle
Biggest
You're not a bystander anymore. You're shaping decisions that could outlast all of us!
Tactical urbanism
Paint a crosswalk. Build a parklet. Plant a street tree. See how Buffalo residents did it →
Weigh in on how Buffalo spends its money
Review the city budget → and speak up at hearings. Some districts have tried participatory budgeting. Ask your council member to bring it to yours.
Public comment before Common Council
In person, on Zoom, or written. We can help you prepare!
Speak at the Zoning Board of Appeals
Where specific projects get approved or denied. Submit written comment or attend via video to speak on a proposal in your neighborhood. Learn more →
Go car-free!
It's possible in more Buffalo neighborhoods than you think. Use Turo when you need a car. You become a living argument for better urbanism.
Take an international urbanist trip
Visit Tokyo, Amsterdam, Mexico City, or Barcelona. Seeing how other cities move people will change how you think about what's possible here.
Own a role in a Strong Towns Buffalo campaign
Go beyond attending. Take responsibility for a piece of a project. Coordinate logistics, run outreach, manage a table. Get involved →
Write an op-ed, or help us make a video or social post
Your creativity can go a long way!
YOU GOT THIS!
⭐
Level 05 · Superhero Mode
Superhero
You've been showing up. Now it's time to lead. Buffalo needs you at the table!
Run for office
Buffalo Common Council races are won with a few thousand votes. You probably know enough people already to run.
Serve on a board
Zoning, planning, and preservation boards rely on regular residents. Open seats and low participation mean your voice can matter quickly!
Lead a working group or event in Strong Towns Buffalo
Best after volunteering at several events. Talk to an initiative lead or board member to get started.
Start your own neighborhood group!
Do you see a gap for more urbanist organizing in your neighborhood? You can be the one who starts it. We can help!
Mentor a new volunteer
You know the ropes. Help someone else find their footing faster than you did.
Connect folks that should already know each other
You're in multiple rooms. Use that. Introductions are underrated civic infrastructure.
Attend a national urbanist conference
Go to a Strong Towns national gathering, CNU, or Rails-to-Trails summit. Come back with ideas and connections for the chapter.
Lead a walking tour or organize a group trip
Show new members what you see in your neighborhood, or take a crew of volunteers to visit another city's projects together.
Draft a resolution or ordinance with your council member
Council members' offices often need constituents to come with the language already written. You could be that person.
Why It Matters: Strong Towns Principles at Work
1
Do what you can, with what you have, right now. You don't need permission to make your city better.
2
Local knowledge beats top-down expertise. You know your block better than any consultant.
3
Streets are for people first. Cars are guests. Expensive, dangerous, and inefficient guests.
4
Abundant housing, safe streets, and effective transportation makes cities more resilient and equitable.
5
A city that can't maintain what it has shouldn't keep expanding. Fix it before you build it.
6
Cities should grow incrementally through small bets, not massive projects funded by debt. Failure is information.
Ready to start?
Buffalo is waiting.
Pick ONE thing from this zine. Do it this week. Then come back and pick another. You'll be surprised how quickly momentum builds!
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