National Planning Achievement Silver Award for Environmental Planning
Rain Check 2.0 Opportunity Report
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo's Planning Playbook
Expanding Green Infrastructure and Public Health
The Rain Check 2.0 plan in Buffalo, New York, expands equitable green infrastructure to manage runoff, improve waterways, increase resilience, and protect public health. It builds on the foundation of the city's previous stormwater management plan.
The effort used comprehensive technological studies, including an equity analysis tool, to determine which areas would maximize stormwater, environmental, equity, and economic benefits.
The plan is structured to support the City of Buffalo's comprehensive plan and inform planning initiatives of the future. It includes a toolkit of educational resources for communities, organizations, and individuals, and is considered Buffalo's playbook for understanding land use, placemaking, and partnerships.
Rain Check 2.0 is the recipient of a 2020 National Planning Achievement Award for Environmental Planning.
New construction of bioretention walls is a key project for CSO Basin 53, which has a population that makes up nearly a quarter of Buffalo and is identified in the report as having the most need for green infrastructure. Photo by Kevin Meindl.