Unpacked by AFAR · Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Terry Alfred describes the urban renewal projects from the mid-to-late 1960s through the 1990s in Buffalo as 'urban removal,' as they led to the demolition of many structures. This, combined with increased integration allowing affluent African Americans to move to other parts of the city, resulted in a distressed community within the Michigan Street corridor. The commission now works to preserve the area's historical integrity and build for the future.
“That all started changing, I think late in the mid to late 60s, right through the 90s, when you had something that's termed around the country, urban renewal.”
“We like to call it urban removal because a lot of things were sort of torn down and things.”
“And so what you had remaining was a distressed community.”