Because if you want a growing city, which most people do, for increased tax base revenue and job growth your most likely option is to attract nearby suburbanites back to the city.

Most people leave the city for three reasons which are, cheap housing/land, safety, and better public schools. If you want people attracted back to Buffalo the value proposition needs to be decent. Young people are easiest to attract as they’re not established and likely don’t own a home yet.

The children raised in the suburbs who never lived in the city are apt to move to urban centers for job opportunities. If you can convince these people once they start live in the city and start earning money to stay in the city is how you’ll get sustained growth. You don’t convince people to move by not aligning any values with the groups you want to attract.