East Side Parkways Coalition

East Side Parkways Coalition is a grassroots community alliance based in Buffalo’s East Side dedicated to advancing environmental justice, racial equity, and restorative development by transforming harmful highway infrastructure into vibrant public space. The Coalition advocates for the removal of the Kensington Expressway (NY State Route 33) — the below‑grade highway that was built through what was once Frederick Law Olmsted’s Humboldt Parkway, severing neighborhoods and displacing residents — and for the restoration of Humboldt Parkway as a tree‑lined, connected public parkway consistent with Olmsted’s original vision.

Through community organizing, public education, and advocacy, East Side Parkways Coalition works with residents, allied organizations, and policymakers to elevate local voices in planning processes, challenge proposals that would perpetuate decades of environmental and health impacts, and advance equitable alternatives that reconnect neighborhoods, improve community health, and honor Buffalo’s historic park and parkway system.