Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
A Different Type of Resilience: A Paradigm Shift for Small Post-Industrial Communities
Session Abstract or Summary
Resilience is a term often used in design to refer to natural disaster relief through architectural practices. Yet, a new form of resilience could potentially serve as a paradigm shift for those cities and towns seeking economic relief. In the small post-industrial town of Steubenville, Ohio, we find a community that’s struggled to reassert its identity in the face of its raw economic decline. Therefore, an economic resilience must be implemented that empowers the town to reinvent itself and to thrive as it did during its 1940s Industrial heyday. Can economic resilience become the new solution for small town planning? Dilapidated, abandoned buildings and rubble-filled lots remain as reminders that haunt downtown Steubenville. How do we restore the sense of community among residents as well as bring about the economic stability that the town once enjoyed? Historically, the Ohio River served as a key source of the town’s economic prosperity. The catalyst for Steubenville’s renewal may lie in the coupling of this noble natural resource and the implementation of economic resilience. This endeavor could introduce a paradigm shift for Steubenville using approaches taken by other small and struggling, post-industrial cities.
Research has been comprised by interviews with city leaders, business owners and residents, embedded research, and analysis via case studies such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Roseburg, Oregon. Peering through the lens of Steubenville’s once-flourishing industrial history, cross-temporal connections begin to reveal viable clues that indicate a more community-centered downtown that can be re-activated, re-engaged, and re-invigorated as well as sustained for future generations.
Keywords: Resilience, economic resilience, small towns, waterfront, post-industrialism
Presentation #1 Title
A Different Type of Resilience: A Paradigm Shift for Small Post-Industrial Communities
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Resilience is a term often used in design to refer to natural disaster relief through architectural practices. Yet, a new form of resilience could potentially serve as a paradigm shift for those cities and towns seeking economic relief. In the small post-industrial town of Steubenville, Ohio, we find a community that’s struggled to reassert its identity in the face of its raw economic decline. Therefore, an economic resilience must be implemented that empowers the town to reinvent itself and to thrive as it did during its 1940s Industrial heyday. Can economic resilience become the new solution for small town planning? Dilapidated, abandoned buildings and rubble-filled lots remain as reminders that haunt downtown Steubenville. How do we restore the sense of community among residents as well as bring about the economic stability that the town once enjoyed? Historically, the Ohio River served as a key source of the town’s economic prosperity. The catalyst for Steubenville’s renewal may lie in the coupling of this noble natural resource and the implementation of economic resilience. This endeavor could introduce a paradigm shift for Steubenville using approaches taken by other small and struggling, post-industrial cities. Keywords: Resilience, economic resilience, small towns, waterfront, post-industrialism
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Steubenville, Ohio, I have always known what I wanted to do with my life- I wanted to design. Maybe the telltale signs of my passion were evident when, as a young child, I spent countless hours playing with Legos and Lincoln Logs. Years later as a freshman in high school, I joined my first drafting class and my fascination increased for the world around me. Since then, I decided to pursue a career in architecture. I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Fairmont State University in 2015 where I also played NCAA Division II softball and was president of the AIAS. I then decided to pursue a Master’s degree at Miami University where I am currently a second year M. Arch. II 2017 candidate.
A Different Type of Resilience: A Paradigm Shift for Small Post-Industrial Communities
Resilience is a term often used in design to refer to natural disaster relief through architectural practices. Yet, a new form of resilience could potentially serve as a paradigm shift for those cities and towns seeking economic relief. In the small post-industrial town of Steubenville, Ohio, we find a community that’s struggled to reassert its identity in the face of its raw economic decline. Therefore, an economic resilience must be implemented that empowers the town to reinvent itself and to thrive as it did during its 1940s Industrial heyday. Can economic resilience become the new solution for small town planning? Dilapidated, abandoned buildings and rubble-filled lots remain as reminders that haunt downtown Steubenville. How do we restore the sense of community among residents as well as bring about the economic stability that the town once enjoyed? Historically, the Ohio River served as a key source of the town’s economic prosperity. The catalyst for Steubenville’s renewal may lie in the coupling of this noble natural resource and the implementation of economic resilience. This endeavor could introduce a paradigm shift for Steubenville using approaches taken by other small and struggling, post-industrial cities. Keywords: Resilience, economic resilience, small towns, waterfront, post-industrialism
