BEFORE ADDING THIS TOUR TO YOUR SCHEDULE, PLEASE NOTE: Registration for tours is not included in general conference registration. In order to attend a tour you must register for it here.The West Side Tour will focus on three local Buffalo organizations: PUSH Buffalo, Massachusetts Avenue Project, and the WASH Project
PUSH Buffalo’s Green Development Zone (GDZ) is a place-based initiative focused in a 25-block district on Buffalo’s West Side. Renewable energy projects, green housing rehabilitation, urban farming and green infrastructure installations have transformed over 200 parcels within the zone. Projects in the Zone have generated more than 100 living wage jobs accessible to neighborhood residents in a range of sectors and have reduced carbon emissions by approximately 155 Metric Tons of CO2 annually. The Zone has gained worldwide attention as a model of building community wealth and power while reducing the carbon footprint through intensive interventions through energy efficiency and renewables.
Massachusetts Avenue Project has built cultural, economic and political power by engaging youth in the food justice campaigns and community planning processes and by helping to lead the creation of community-controlled social enterprises in the food sector that advance the self-sufficiency and localist elements of the New Economy. MAP’s mission is to nurture the growth of a diverse and equitable Western NY food system, providing economic opportunities, greater access to affordable, nutritious food and food sovereignty for all.
The WASH Project engages residents in planning the future of their communities by integrating interactive visual and performing arts projects with regional organizing initiatives. The WASH is a mixed-use laundromat and community arts center serving Buffalo’s most diverse neighborhood. The WASH establishes an outlet to create and engage in art, music and literacy, as well as a neighborhood access point for information regarding a wide range of community services and cultural opportunities.
All bus tours will depart at 2pm at Cleveland Circle and return before 4pm.
