Don't Drive-Through East Aurora

Residents and planners of East Aurora, NY, have been diligent about abstaining from big-box development. The importance of maintaining a "sense of place," as well as their dedication to preserve and reconstruct historic sites, has led their planning decisions. Shoot, they've even gone as far as nixing drive-through restaurants! In an article for The Buffalo News, Elizabeth Cheteny, a preservationist and planner, says that East Aurora can be a model for other communities. 

"All too often, developers want to impose faceless, nameless architecture anywhere," she said. "They hit a wall here. We don't want to be anywhere; we want to be East Aurora."