HEIR OF ENLIGHTENMENT

BUFFALO, PLACE OF ACTION

Hoang Le Minh, Jelena Sabovljevic, Nargess Doosti

I remember in 2021 when my grandpa took me to ‘DEL’ corridor for the first time. I still remember it as if it was yesterday. The corridor was and it still is probably one of the only places where we could explore the charm of diverse people and nature. It was always out-of-theordinary holiday when we went there on weekends. Overwhelmed by the smell of plants, brightness colors and dreamy light, it seemed like the park path will never end, showing its beauty on every corner. Grandpa always used to say: “You kids are living in a different world. You live in this fast world of technology. We didn’t have so much opportunities, find a way to use them.” I was lucky. When I wanted a little of both worlds, I could always turn to grandpa. He worked in a grain factory for fifty years. This came to an end because the factory closed, and made him search for a new job for years when Buffalo was not a booming city. Last year when we were looking at the grain elevators from the corridor, he pointed at them and proudly said: “Kid, we have lived our lives there. Our identity should be there for good!” Things are different now. Every generation should have something it will be proud of. It is mesmerizing how the corridor was our place of comfort. How it was our second home and how it made us start acting differently after thinking of our hopes and dreams. We learned about ourselves, how to explore and cherish diversity. Finally, we learned how to stop and think about the world around us. Stop, observe and connect with it.

New plants ( green ones ) would be added based on the new design and some of existing plants ( black ones ) should be removed. For example, invaseive species, the ones that are in a bad condition, as well as the ones that are blocking the potential views.

Vegetation Proposal

Connection And Views

Biking and walking trail// The residential area is kept safe and sound by creation of the buffer zone. The dense row of native vegetation allows people to use corridor freely and keeps privacy and security of the existing homes on a high level.

The beach// The beach was recognized as one of the main treasures of the corridor. By opening the space and adding new access points, people are able to enter from the land as well as from the water. This multi-use zone can be a place for gathering, group sports, fishing, chess, and many more activities.

Entrance and bike rental station // The idea is to make bike station digitalized, and accessible at any time of day and night.