Buffalo Waterfront Revitalization

Buffalo, New York

The Sapphire Necklace is a master plan to rejuvenate the waterfront of Buffalo, New York. The downtown’s relationship to Lake Erie was destroyed in the 1950s by an elevated freeway, the Skyway. Moule & Polyzoides’s design replaces this outdated, car-centric infrastructure with a grand boulevard along Ohio Street, transforming the entire corridor into a premier living, entertainment, and recreational district. These urban amenities are balanced by abundant nature preserves that serve as havens for fish and other aquatic life. A string of water-related open spaces and amenities is designed to bring new life to the old Skyway corridor.