Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Streetscape

How can urban streetscapes adapt to the ecological challenges of the twenty-first century? At Buffalo Niagara Medical Center, a monotonous urban environment was ecologically barren and lacking a unique identity. SCAPE worked as part of a larger team to re-establish a strong vegetated footprint for the site. Long angled planting beds maximize additional tree planting area while respecting the root zones of existing large street trees. A tiered system of vegetation increases permeability while cooling the space. The shrub layer, understory tree planting, and canopy tree planting are composed of a mix of native and urban-adapted species with a high tolerance to Buffalo’s harsh winters and salting regime. A new experience emerges within the campus– a once homogenous edge transforms into a dynamic and ever-changing forested walkway, offering new experiences for students, patients, and visitors who use the path every day.