This document contains a portfolio by Jake Palant focusing on urban design. It includes sections on Niagara Square in Buffalo, NY, a design competition in Nashville, TN, a study on Shoreline Apartments in Buffalo, and suggestions for design guidelines. Diagrams include figure ground maps, land use maps, axonometric drawings, and layered diagrams comparing existing and proposed developments. Guidelines developed for the Shoreline neighborhood address building dimensions, setbacks, foundations, and window placement. The portfolio was created for an urban design class taught by Professor Hiroaki Hata.

1. Portfolio
Jake M. Palant
Urban Design

2. Page 2
I. Finding Good Urban Form at the Heart of Buffalo, NY
Table of Contents
II. Hines Design Competition
III. Urban Renewal Reconsidered and Renewed
IV. Coffee House on Seneca Street
2
6
8
12
V. Improving Neighborhoods through Green Infrastructure 15
VI. Suggestions for Design Guidelines for Main Street 18

3. Page 3
I. NIAGARA SQUARE
Finding Good Urban Form at the Heart of Buffalo, NY
Niagara Square is the center of Joseph Ellicott’s radial plan for the City of Buffalo, designed back in
1804. The present day site is headquarters for government functions, where City Hall sits at a traffic circle
in between the City Court Building and Federal Courthouse. While the post-modern judiciary buildings are
not representative of the original design for Niagara Square, the monument to President William McKinley
has adorned the center throughout the greater half of the square’s existence. The properties within a one-
block radius of the traffic circle are dominated by law offices. An abundance of stores and venues are located
directly outside of the area bound by South Elmwood Avenue, West Genesee Street, Franklin Street, and West
Mohawk Street.
As the merging point of seven different roadways, Niagara Square gives off the illusion of being a
bustling urban center, whereas most of the commercial activity is actually occurring outside of the immediate
boundaries. In despite of this, people still have motivation to visit the ceremonial park within Niagara Square,
as it is one of the few places downtown where somebody can sit on a bench and be away from traffic. Small
patches of green space garnished in trees create a buffer in between the ceremonial plaza and impatient
drivers in the traffic circle. Inadvertently, these trees also obscure the cold utilitarian post-modern Brutalism
structures, including the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on Genesee Street, the parking ramp on Perkins
Drive, and the mess of parking lots, office parks, and tract housing along Niagara Street. Meanwhile the vistas
of Delaware Avenue and Lafayette Square on Court Street have remained unmolested by the barricade of
vegetation.
It is difficult to evaluate Niagara Square in terms of “good urban form,” as the original design by
Joseph Ellicott has been doctored numerous times over the past couple of centuries. This section illustrates an
abridged version of my contribution of maps and diagrams to a study of “Good Urban Form” in Downtown
Buffalo (excluding the content created by my colleagues). This project was assigned by Professor Hiroaki
Hata, who was a student of Kevin Lynch. Kevin Lynch wrote the book titled “The Image of the City,” which
was Professor Hata’s inspiration for this assignment.
Buffalo
Niagara Square
Fiume Arno
N

4. Page 4
N
Figure Grounds Legend
50 m
20 m
100 ft
The first figure grounds map depicts the current state of Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York, and its
building footprint, with the outside surrounding buildings shaded in grey. Below it is a figure grounds of the
Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.
Though these two locations contrast in layout, with Niagara Square’s linear roadways and the Piazza’s
disarray of medieval corridors, they are not completely different in concept. Both maps demonstrate large
open space areas, while it is also evident that Niagara Square and the Piazza are adorned with several
monuments. Such monuments are shown in basic geometric form, at base level. The McKinley Monument,
for example, is shown in the center of Niagara Square as a small black square.
Figure Grounds Comparison
Impressionist sketch of view down Delaware Avenue from
Niagara Square.
View from inside of the Piazzale delgi Uffizi courtyard in the
Piazza della Signoria

5. Page 5
N
Land Use Legend
50 m
20 m
100 ft
Commercial/Office
Institutional/Government
Parking/Vacant
Mixed Use
Residential
Parks and Recreation
Land Use Map
A land use map demonstrates how each
property is utilized by tenants or the municipality.
A large portion of buildings surrounding Niagara
Square are used for governmental purposes,
for Niagara Square has grown into Downtown
Buffalo’s civic center since the erection of City
Hall. The remainder of downtown is host to
offices, retail, and businesses, as represented in red
for “commercial.” There is very little residential
use in Buffalo’s downtown core.
Niagara Square alone (the green parcel)
is a special kind of park, for it is ceremonial as
opposed to recreational. It is one of the few open
areas in the downtown, and although many of the
institutional properties are technically open to the
public, they are still fully-enclosed and not places
that people typically visit during their time of
leisure.
N
Axonometric Legend
50 m
20 m
100 ft
Axonometric Diagram
This axonometric drawing of Niagara
Square is intended to show the basic volume
and geometry of buildings within the vicinity.
Unlike a perspective drawing or basic three-
dimensional rendering, an axonometric drawing
ignores depth and distance. An axonometric
diagram never represents a human’s point of
view, as it is designed as a tool for diagramming
the measured length, width, and height of an
object or building simultaneously. A perspective
illustration would typically skew at least one of
the three measurements. Through this axon, one
can see that there is little geometric consistency
throughout the square.

6. Page 6
II. Sulphur Dell, Nashville
Geraldine Hines Design Competition
The location in focus for the Urban Land Institute’s 2014 Hines Design Competition was a district
located along the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, known as Sulphur Dell. Competing were teams
from various universities, each one consisting of five Masters students with backgrounds in Architecture,
Urban Planning, and Business Administration. The objective for each team was to develop a plan that could
work in place of the existing infrastructure of Sulphur Dell. An important factor that needed to be taken into
account was flood mitigation in the event of the Cumberland River was to flood, for which my team proposed
an artificial wetland. For this project I created a base figure grounds map of Sulphur Dell and overlapped the
existing and proposed development in a series of informational diagrams. The competition persisted over the
duration of two weeks.
Roads:
Arterials
Local Roads
Highways
Waterways:
Permeable pavement
Wetlands
Flood management
Green Space:
Park space
Lawns
Baseball field
Excluding
green roofs
Built Environment:
Buildings
Monuments
Layered Diagram

7. Page 7
Demolished
Proposed
Preserved
Built Wetland
Parks and Leisure
Parking
Industrial
Commercial
Residential
Mixed Use
Mixed Use with Parking
Proposed Development
Comparison to Existing Development

8. Page 8
III. Shoreline Apartments
Urban Renewal Reconsidered and Renewed
This was an extensive study on Shoreline Apartments in Downtown Buffalo and the surrounding
neighborhood. Shoreline Apartments was designed by Paul Rudolph, an architect whom was known for
designing buildings in the Brutalist architectural style and having patented the building material of corduroy-
textured brick. The apartment complex required the demolition of the existing town houses located on the
two blocks bound by West Mohawk Street, 7th Street, Carolina Street, and Niagara Street. Shoreline suffered
numerous flaws, it weathered poorly, and its labyrinth of architectural niches provided coverage for criminal
activity, eventually destined for demolition.
The report was a compilation of history, demographics, photographs, and diagrams issued by
University at Buffalo’s Master of Urban Planning Students within Professor Kerry Traynor’s Fall 2014 Urban
Design Practicum. The final document was over 300 pages long and had received the 2015 Outstanding
Student Project Award from the Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Association. Part of
this assignment required each student to develop a set of design guidelines and a potential plan for infill
development in place of Shoreline.
•Most existing houses in the neighborhood are
2-2.5 stories in height. 1-story buildings are not
recommended.
•There currently exists 3-story apartment buildings
located at various intersections throughout the
neighborhood, but these taller buildings are rarely
positioned in between single-family residences.
•Local vernacular housing is usually around 20’
in width. Duplexes and single family residences
should not exceed 30’ in width.
•Buildings along Niagara Street may exceed 2.5
stories, yet not surpass 5 stories.
32’
23’
63.3’
15’
46’
38’
Figure 1A. Proper building dimensions for a residential
building in the Shoreline neighborhood.
Figure 1B. Inappropriate building dimensions
and form for a residential building in the Shoreline
neighborhood.
1. Building Dimensions

9. Page 9
•Single family residences are usually aligned with occasional variation in setbacks.
•Houses should be positioned no more than 10’ from the front of the lot.
•Apartment buildings with greater than 3 stories usually have a smaller setback than single family residences
and duplexes.
•Storefronts are typically built to the edge of the property, directly accessible from municipal sidewalks.
•Buildings along Niagara Street should have a setback of no more than 5’ from the lot line.
2. Setbacks
10’
No Setback
40’
Figure 2A. Proper setback for residence (left), and
mixed-use building (right).
Figure 2B. Inappropriate setback for residence.
•Many existing houses in the neighborhood
have a foundation that is 1-2’ from the
ground.
•Single Family residences and duplexes may
be 6” at minimum above the ground surface.
•Buildings along Niagara Street should not
require extensive walk-ups.
3. Foundations
2.5’
Figure 3A. Proper height for
residential property foundation.
3”Foundation
Figure 3B. Insufficient
height for residential property
foundation.

10. Page 10
•Windows should be arranged symmetrically on
houses with a centered entrance.
•Buildings with offset entrances may have a stray
window aligned with the doorway on second story
elevations.
•Many of the local Italianate houses are adorned with
small arched double hung windows positioned towards
the top of the front gables. These can be standalone or
in pairs.
•Windows on neighboring houses should be somewhat
aligned with one another.
•A diverse array of arched and angular windows
should be used on the buildings. What should remain
constant is the fact that the windows are double hung
with minimal panes on each sash.
•Semi-hexagonal bay windows should be used in order
to add depth to the buildings.
4. Fenestration
Figure 4A. Proper
fenestration for
Italianate residence.
Figure 4B.
Inappropriate
fenestration for
residence in
neighborhood.
Elevation of Proposed Development
7th Street
Carolina Street
15’8’
6’
6’
20’
6’
15’8’
6’
6’
20’
6’
30.5’
25.8’
8.5’
26’
8’ 25’
25’
20’
20’
20’
22’
23’
23’
23’
23’
20’ 20’
8’ 20’
30.5’
Niagara Street
6’
20’
6’
6’
20’
6’
27’
8’
20’
22’
45’
25’
33’
23’
33’
57.5’
23.5’20’
6.25’
38.75’
16.5’
25’
50’
26’
8’
46’
25’
38.75’
23’
4E 5A 5B 5C 6A 6B
1A 1B 2A 3A 3B 4A 4B 4C 4D
9C9B9A8C8B8A7A 7B 7C6B 6C 6D
4D

11. Page 11
8’
8’
18.5’
18.5’
18.5’
23’
23’
23’
18.5’
20’20’
6’
8’
2
2 36.25’
15’8’
6’
2
17’
42.6’
2
17’
2
15’
8’
2
63.3’
76.6’
7’15’
2
6’
20’
28.75’
20’20’
67.6’17’
17’16’
2
2
2
3
6’
20’
28.75’
2
15.5’9’
3
46’
54.6’
16.5’
67.6’
17’8’
2
2 34’
34’
50’2
28’
67.6’
17’8’
2
20’20’
2
2
2
58.9’
12.5’
3
19.5’
6’
3
2
45.5’8’
15’
2
63.3’
57.5’
15.5’
19.5’
1A
1B
2A
67.6’
3A
3B
82’
14’
2
4A
4B
4C
4D
4E
5A
55.8’
5B
5C
6A6B
6C
6D
7A
7B
7C
8A
8B
8C
18.5’
23’
23’
9A
9B
9C
Ramp
8’
8’
8’
8’
8’
9A & 9B Two-Unit Apartment: 1 Bedroom, 725 Square Feet Per Unit
8A, 8B, & 8C Two-Unit Apartment: 2 Bedrooms, 949.5 Square Feet Per Unit
7A, 7B, & 7C Single Family Residence: 3 Bedrooms, 1150 Square Feet Per Unit
6C & 6D Two-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,149.2 Square Feet Per Unit
Two-Unit Apartment: 2 Bedrooms, 948.6 Square Feet Per Unit
7thStreet
Carolina Street
NiagaraStreet
5’ 15’ 30’ 40’
0
60’ 80’
33
Module 1
Legend
Playground
Garden
1A & 1B Two-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,150 Square Feet Per Unit
Module 2
2A Two-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,149 Square Feet Per Unit
Module 3
3A Two-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,149.2 Square Feet Per Unit
3B Three-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,149.2 Square Feet Per Unit
Module 4
4A Three-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,148.55 Square Feet Per Unit on First Two Stories
4B Three-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,148.55 Square Feet Per Unit
2 Bedrooms, 949.65 Square Feet on Third Story Unit
4C & 4D Three-Unit Apartment: 1 Bedroom, 713 Square Feet Per Unit
4E Three-Unit Apartment: 2 Bedrooms, 900.9 Square Feet Per Unit
Module 5
5A
5B Two-Unit Apartment: 1 Bedroom, 724.2 Square Feet Per Unit
5C Two-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,148 Square Feet Per Unit
Module 6
6A First Story Cafe: 1,400 Square Feet
Second Story Community Building: 1,400 Square Feet
6B Two Story Community Building: 2248 Square Feet Total
1A & 1B Two-Unit Apartment: 3 Bedrooms, 1,150 Square Feet Per Unit
Module 7
Module 8
Module 9
9C Single Family Residence: 3 Bedrooms, 1150 Square Feet
Plan of Proposed Development

12. Page 12
IV. 2308 Seneca Street
Coffee House on Seneca Street
“Site Planning and Design” was a course taught by Professor Harry Warren at the University at
Buffalo. For this course, students were expected to learn how to survey and analyze individual parcels
before designing a site plan. The final project for this course focused on the construction of a coffee shop
on a small parcel at the intersection of Seneca Street and Fairview Place in Buffalo, New York. It was
required that students diagram land uses, viewsheds, traffic intensity, sun paths, wind direction, and possible
sources of noise prior to developing concepts for the site plan. Two particularly important factors to take in
consideration was the setbacks of businesses along Seneca Street and the close proximity to the St. John the
Evangelist Roman Catholic Church. The aesthetic merit of the church would be the determining element of
where an outdoor seated cafe area would best fit.
Land Use and the Church
SenecaStreet
Fairview
Place
Duerstein Street
Existing Land Use
10
20
45
70
Scale in Feet
N
Commercial
Two-Family Residential
Single-Family Residential
Garage
Religious Institution

13. Page 13
Site Plan Concepts
SenecaStreet
Fairv
Concept 1 Proposed Land Use
10
20
45
70
Scale in FeetN
Coffee Shop
Outdoor Café Area
Hardscape and Parking
Dumpster
Softscape
Site Boundary
Concept 2 Proposed Land Use
SenecaStreet
Fairv
10
20
45
70
Scale in FeetN
Coffee Shop
Outdoor Café Area
Hardscape and Parking
Dumpster
Softscape
Site Boundary
Concept 1 would align the front of the coffee shop with the other properties along Seneca Street. The parking would be moved
to the back of the parcel, out of view.
Concept 2 would set the coffee shop back from the property line, allowing room for the outdoor cafe area in the front, giving
patrons a view of the nearby church.

14. Page 14
Final Site Plan
Fairview
Place
Proposed Land Use
10
20
45
70
Scale in FeetN
Coffee Shop
Hardscape
Hardscape and Parking
Dumpster
Softscape
Trees
Entry
Café Canopy
The final site plan combines elements of Concepts 1 and 2. The building is set back from the street
in order to leave room for a small cafe area at the front of the property. The parking lot remains to the rear
of the property, while the width of the driveway reduced for one-way traffic. This increases the surface area
on the lot for softscape. What is unique about the final plan is that the coffee shop had been rotated, allowing
enough room for a buffer of trees to separate the parking lot from the property behind it. To keep the building
aligned with the neighboring properties, a canopy (about the same width as the neighboring building) had
been placed over half of the cafe area.

15. Page 15
V. Buffalo “Green Zones”
Improving Neighborhoods through Green Infrastructure
The objective of this project was to establish a possible pedestrian walkway that encompasses park
and recreational infrastructure throughout the City of Buffalo. Utilizing Esri ArcMap GIS software, a network
of three “Green Zones” were created. These Green Zones were established from five property clusters, each
of which were selected based on fulfillment of five different criteria.
Green Zones
The three Green Zones are highlighted in yellow. Zone 1 consists of parcel clusters 1 and 2, Zone 2 consists of parcel cluster 5,
and Zone 3 consists of parcel clusters 3 and 4.

16. Page 16
Green Connection Eligible Clusters
Criteria 2. Tracts with Population within the age group which
would benefit the most from green development and linkage
Criteria 3. Tracts with high number of people commuting to
work by alternative means of transport.
Criteria 1. Tracts with a high population.

17. Page 17
Criteria 4. Tracts which engulfs parks which could become
potential commercial and transitional corridors.
Criteria 5. One mile walkable area around the park which
could become part of new parkway system.

18. Page 18
VI. Historic Williamsville
Suggestions for Design Guidelines for Main Street
Williamsville is a village located in between the Town of Amherst and the Town of Cheektowaga in
Erie County, New York. The village takes pride in its architectural history, as evident from a sign that reads
“Welcome to the Historic Village of Williamsville” at its entrance along Main Street. After a study for my
Masters Project at the University at Buffalo, I have concluded two important findings, one being that the
architecture along Main Street is inconsistent with what has existed historically, and the second being that
there is economic merit to revitalizing Main Street’s historic character.
At little expense, a set of historic design guidelines can be implemented in order to tailor future infill
or renovations to the existing and historic infrastructure of Williamsville. Before “what should be done”
can be determined, research is needed to define “what existed” and “what has changed.” Knowing this will
prevent the same mistakes that have left Main Street architecturally inconsistent.
Historic and Present Day Photographs
The Beach-Tuyn Funeral Home was built in 1888 in the
Italianate architectural style. Source: Joseph A. Grande’s
Images of America: Amherst.
The Beach-Tuyn Funeral home after renovations. The
building’s current façade boasts faux-colonial windows that
were commonly utilized in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Long Store at Cayuga and Main Street, opened in
1875, designed in the Folk Victorian style. Source: Joseph
A. Grande’s Images of America: Amherst.
The former Long Store. The second story has been
modified with mid-20th Century double-hung sash windows,
yet the number of fenestrations has consistently remained.

19. Page 19
Recommendations
It is advised that a formal set of architectural design guidelines be created specifically for
Williamsville’s Main Street. The existing Mixed Use District Design Standards describes the spatial
arrangement and general design principles applicable to Main Street. It does not reference the existing
architecture unique to Williamsville, but case studies of other historic neighborhoods. In order to tailor
guidelines specifically to Main Street, there must be an understanding of the local architecture, both existing
and compromised.
Stores, restaurants, and taverns constructed to the west of Ellicott Creek prior to 1965 exhibited
Italianate and Federal architectural features. These buildings were usually two-stories high and had
vertically-oriented fenestrations on the second story. Paired or showcase windows were often confined to the
first-story elevation of these businesses. Showcase windows were rarely positioned lower than two-feet from
the bottom-edge of the wall, yet there should still be a generous amount of transparency on the front façade.
TavernBoutique
Contextually appropriate mixed use storefront
Pharmacy
Contextually inappropriate commercial building