UC, International Students Build on Avondale s Vision for Itself

Experience from around the world is coming to the Cincinnati community of Avondale. 

From Dec. 14-18, advanced planning, architecture and design students from throughout the United States and Europe will visit the community, talk to residents there and share specific ideas targeting revitalization along the Forest Ave. strip of the main business district.

“The long-term goal is to make Avondale an Uptown destination,” explained workshop organizer Johanna Looye, associate professor of planning at the University of Cincinnati. 

It’s a goal that residents have been approaching one step at a time, and to assist them, about 20 students and 10 design faculty from around the world will, for one week, address the neighborhood challenges specific to Forest Ave., between Burnet Ave. and Reading Road.

“That strip is a mix of business, residential and a park.  It’s an area with potential, but it needs an injection of energy.  The streets and sidewalks are tired and worn out.  There are empty lots.  It needs to be sharpened, made more appealing to residents, which would effectively turn around business activity,” explained Looye.

Highlights of the week-long effort include a walking tour of Avondale with residents from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 15, and a preliminary presentation of ideas by students to residents from 4:30-6 p.m. that day.  The final presentation of plans and ideas to residents is set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18.  Both the Dec. 15 and the Dec. 18 presentations will be held in an open space adjacent to Room 5470 of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. 

Students and faculty represented among the workshop participants are UC, North Carolina State University, the University of Michigan and three European schools – the Netherlands’ Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Belgium’s Hogeschool voor Wetenschap & Kunst and Scotland’s University of Strathclyde.

In addition to Looye, other UC faculty participating in the effort on behalf of Avondale are David Edelman, director of the School of Planning; Mahyar Arefi, assistant professor of planning; and Frank Russell, director of UC’s Community Design Center.  Working with Looye to organize the event is doctoral planning student Dina Abdulkarim.

The ideas produced during this week will belong to the community to use in pursuing improvement grants or development funds from the city.  “The residents,” according to Looye, “Already have visions of what they’d like to see.  We will be giving very targeted and focused suggestions in line with their vision.  We’re moving forward with them.”