Midtown Eco District MASTER PLAN
University of Cincinnati School of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 4th Year Urban Planning Studio Summer 2016
Team
Alex Byrd
Sarah Donovan
Brian Farrell
Haylee Martinko
Katie Miller
Alex Osborne
Brett Price
Alex Reasbeck
Overview
Over this six week summer intensive semester we were tasked in our classes to look at the area of Downtown Cincinnati between Central Parkway and 7th Street. Each of the classes were designed to overlap and give us an overall and comprehensive knowledge of the area in order to design a complete and accurate plan. Using tools learned in Theory and Ethics, we found a way to responsibly gain the information and feedback needed from the neighborhood stakeholders. Learning to perform a Fiscal Impact Analysis on a specific area during Financing and Budgeting, we gained an understanding about how the development could best suit the neighborhood and be adequately funded. We got an understanding of the Cincinnati zoning code during Urban Planning Law and learned how case precedents and legal exercises could help us better understand how to create a stronger area using the tools at our disposal. Lastly during the studio we analyzed the area and gathered extensive information to give us an understanding of the opportunities and constraints. Through careful analysis and thorough feedback from stakeholders we were able to use the takeaways to formulate into specific groups focusing on the different needs of the community. From here combining all of our knowledge and analysis into formulated concept plans and creating comprehensive plans using our values and goals that best suited our vision.
History Midtown Cincinnati over the years has deteriorated at a similar rate as the rest of the Downtown area of Cincinnati. Once a bustling and efficient urban area with several fortune 500 business, city hall, the courts and other civic centers, Midtown was a bustling area just on the edge of downtown before Cincinnati’s historic Over-The-Rhine. Over the years due to neglect and urban flight the area suffered similar to the surrounding areas, but as we inch closer to the next decade the areas around downtown and Over-The-Rhine are beginning to have a breathe of life. Due to investment and heavy interest in the city lifestyle these older neighborhoods are beginning to be redeveloped and given back their sense of place. Sadly Midtown is one of the few disconnects and dead areas that has lacked attention and revitalization. The area is littered with surface parking lots and vacant underutilized lots that are in need of renewal. The main stakeholders in the area such as Kroger, the library, city hall and the court house are the last large scale stakeholders who have remained and they are desperately looking and hoping for attention. As the surrounding areas begin to slow in development and flourish on their own the dead area of Midtown is finally starting to grab the attention of area developers who are looking for solutions to reactivate and re-establish this once proud area.
Sense of Place Court Street Within Midtown the sense of place is extremely gray with a few bright spots and opportunities. Over the years the area has become heavily parking focused with garages and lots scattering the area. The buildings in the area are very cut off from the street and create a feeling of being in a giant concrete structure. A spot with great opportunity though is Court Street. Court Street is heavily populated with nine-to-five workers looking for somewhere to grab a bite to eat or take a break from work. Kroger headquarters sits on the west corner of the street while the east side boasts the new streetcar line. These two huge anchors have the opportunity to help transform this street into a thriving area with full occupancy during nine-to-five hours as well as outside of those hours.
City Hall The first city hall was built on this site in 1852 and was demolished in 1888 to make way for the current structure. The building was built using the optic trick of “forced perspective� where using half stories and the high clock tower to create an illusion of being larger and taller than it is. It was listed on the National Register for Historic Buildings on December 11, 1972. City hall sits on the far most west side of the site area. Being a place of large employment as well as an establishment building that has no intention of moving in the near future it provides a group of people to consider while forming a plan for the area.
Public Library Founded in 1853, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is a landmark for the majority of the City of Cincinnati. Most children are taken there in elementary school and taught how to read, find books and even now in the 21st Century, taught how to use computers. In 2010, the Public Library earned the title of the 12th largest library in the United States, containing over 9 million volumes. The Main Library Branch, located on Vine Street in our site, is one of the only ones in the state to offer full special needs services. Being one of the few completely public spaces in the City of Cincinnati, the Public Library caters to a wide variety of the population, including the homeless. Our group saw the Library as a huge asset to the neighborhood that is not being utilized to its full potential. The outside walls shut off the library from the rest of Vine Street and make it look like a brick fortress. One of our main goals within the Eco District is to open the Public Library and bring it to its peek performance capability.
Eco District An Eco District is an organized environment of sustainable principles within a city. When in an urban environment, an Eco District is seen as a haven for new ideas, innovative growth and sustainable technology. Within the last 20 years, Eco Districts have grown from simply planting trees to implementation techniques and vast oasis’s within the urban space. In Cincinnati we are presented with a unique opportunity with the current trends of growth and development in our urban core. Specifically the Midtown District, located between Over-the-Rhine and Downtown, is an area primed for changed and exponential growth. In our vision, we propose to see the Midtown District become the first Midwestern city urban Eco District. It would put Cincinnati on the foreground of green development, in the likes of cities like Seattle and Portland. Not only would it create green and sustainable infrastructure and development, it would also attract green businesses, new urban dwellers, and overall, promote sustainable ways of living.
Policy
GENERAL GOALS
LEED GOALS
• Utilize alternative energy resources, like solar power, in the creation and renovation of buildings • Incorporate green infrastructure into road right-of ways • Reduce impervious surfaces • Create LEED certified Mixed Use centers that reduce water and energy consumption • Have a comprehensive marketing campaign that helps to educate citizens on green development, create better wayfinding, and helps stakeholders understand the value of the Eco District • Increase pedestrian and bicycle activity as well as access to parks and public spaces
• Encourage the design, construction, and retrofitting of buildings that utilize green building practices • Encourage walking, bicycling, and transit use to promote slower traffic and better air quality • Create safe, appealing, and comfortable street environments • Increase pedestrian oriented development, and minimize adverse environmental effects of parking facilities • Promote socially equitable and engaging communities by enabling residents from a wide range of economic levels, household sizes, and age groups to live in a community • Encourage the preservation and adaptive use of historic buildings and cultural landscapes
Planning Law Zoning Zoning is the groundwork for what is regulated and allowed within an area. In our site, the zoning is Downtown Development District- Subdistrict C. Starting with the general purposes, the downtown development district is in place to encourage a variety of building and landscape designs and to allow for a diversity in the uses and amenities of the economic and cultural center of the city. Focusing in, Subdistrict C is known as the Downtown Support area. Its purpose to allow room to offices, residential, commercial and public uses for the livelihood of businesses and residents living in the downtown area. This area permits a wide range of uses including governmental offices, residential, commercial, mixed use, and even some small industrial uses, which shockingly enough can be found in the north western portion of the site. While this is good for allowing a wide variety of growth, it is hard to focus in on a specific spark in an area within the city. Therefore, making the Eco District kind of challenging to maintain.
Within our Midtown Eco District, we hope to implement a more specific zoning code that will allow and encourage more specific development and growth based on its location in the area. Our vision is to see the area become more specific by really defining the uses and types of structures going into the district. So by creating these enclaves or hubs of more specific uses, such as more mixed use commercial with residential above around areas around the newly proposed civic campus to the west and even more strategic commercial and mixed use around Kroger to really give the area stronger identity and really solidify and give character to the key pieces we already have. Overall by creating a more specific and defined zoning regulations we will be better able to influence development, promote specific growth and create a unique Eco District.
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Historic Districts and Buildings
Historic Buildings Historic District
Historic Preservation One of our priorities is to preserve the historic architecture in the downtown urban core. One of the historic districts in our site is generally on 9th street between Plum and Vine on the western side of the project area. The second historic district is on the north-eastern side of our site between Main and Broadway. In addition to the buildings in these two districts, there are also many other historic buildings scattered throughout the area that we intend to preserve. Historic preservation can be achieved by offering tax incentives to property owners. Historic Preservation Tax Incentives programs promote private sector investment in rehabilitating and re-using historic buildings. Historic preservation has been used in many ways in Cincinnati. For example, the historic buildings in OTR have been preserved and revitalized to create the identity and sense of place a person gets when spending time in the thriving areas of Over-the-Rhine. Midtown can look at some of the historic preservation methods adopted in OTR and apply them to the area. We do not only wish to preserve the historic architecture of these buildings, but redevelop them to be more green and Eco-friendly.
In zoning district of Downtown Development in the City of Cincinnati, any subdistrict, including C, which our site is located in must follow the regulations found within the Municipal Code Chapter 1411-39. Within the site and the rest of the City, any signs that goes up must maintain a permit, which from the start of turning it in will demonstrate the design and size. The next step is for the permit to go through the proper channels to be approved. In our site, it will depend on where it is to be located, however it has the potential to go through the Historic Conservation Board in addition to staff approval.
Signage In zoning district of Downtown Development in the City of Cincinnati, any subdistrict, including C, which our site is located in must follow the regulations found within the Municipal Code Chapter 1411-39. Within the site and the rest of the City, any signs that goes up must maintain a permit, which from the start of turning it in will demonstrate the design and size. The next step is for the permit to go through the proper channels to be approved. In our site, it will depend on where it is to be located, however it has the potential to go through the Historic Conservation Board in addition to staff approval.
Within our subdistrict, there are a number of prohibited signs, which already help the feel of the Eco District. These include outdoor advertising signs, flashing signs, and portable temporary signs. The other standards in which a sign must abide to depend on the type of sign it is and the Municipal Code contains all the size restrictions for these permitted signs. Within the Eco District, we envision there being a new type of sign that promotes the green and environmentally friendly infrastructure that we are promoting. This could be something as simple as using led light bulbs and replacing old neon signs that are radiating heat and adding to the heat index of the neighborhood. On the other hand, techniques could be more extreme, such as building the sign out of non-toxic material. There are a number of businesses that have been able to create signs that have actually been proven to withstand the elements for longer, while still being non-toxic. In the long run this could, this could prevent the business owner from replacing the sign and therefore saving them money.
Eminent Domain Eminent Domain is a powerful tool used to acquire land in order to better redevelop it to create a more efficient space. Its goal is typically to promote or build of the development within the area. State and local agencies use eminent domain when attempting to acquire a property that the offer to buy has been rejected by the current owner. The state and local agencies have the right to take the property while properly compensating the current owners, when the area has a direct benefit to the public as a whole. There have been several legal precedents and eminent domain is very clearly outlined in the state of Ohio code under the appropriation of property section.
Within our district of Midtown Cincinnati eminent domain could have a very powerful and useful role in our redevelopment of the area. Several lots are maintained as surface level parking lots that the area clearly has too many off and which are not being used efficiently. The current owners are only holding onto the properties for the capacity of parking lots which are “cash cows� because of their low tax and maintenance. In the case of our Eco District we can argue the public benefit and health benefit of reusing these lots for green space or even green sustainable development. With some of the buildings in the district many of the owners do not have the funds to improve their properties and are simply sitting on the properties in order to allow for the value to increase so they can make more money. Through incentives and redevelopment efforts we hope to have many of these historic buildings being renovated but in some cases we will need to use eminent domain to fairly obtain the property. From there we will begin redeveloping and retrofitting the buildings to meet the new green policies we are implementing. By using eminent domain strategically and not maliciously against the current residents our we will be able to strategically succeed in creating an urban Eco District.
Connectivity Programming Programming in a smaller community is important to not only draw people in, but to bring the community together as a whole. It can increase the quality of life, vitality of an area, and create an identity for neighborhood. Within our site, programming will be a huge part of keeping the Eco District thriving. It’s an interesting idea if you can pull everything together, however if you cannot sell it, explain it and show people why it needs to be there, then it will fail. Eco Districts really only work if the people are there and programming will be how we pull them to this little area of Downtown Cincinnati and show them how it is different from the rest of the City.
The challenge with this area is that you do not want to take the busyness from Over-the-Rhine, Fountain Square or the Banks. You want to make it possible to spend a whole day in Downtown Cincinnati, experiencing new things in each area. There are ways to start small with programming, such as Movie Nights, book readings and basketball leagues in Library Square and local music in Civic Park. Moving into a more community intensive program, “Art Day� will bring the creative class to this area. Diverting traffic off of 8th Street from Walnut, around the Public Library to Piatt Park. This will include a wide array of activities from sidewalk/street chalk contests, face painting and other crafts for children to participate in, and booth space for vendors and street artists to sell their own pieces. Depending on the popularity of this event it could potentially become a monthly event, such as Second Saturday in Northside. Without stealing traffic from Findlay Market, there will be a Merchant Festival, specifically tailored to the businesses present in this area to put their products on display. Most of the businesses within the Eco District as locally owned, making it an incredibly unique place to buy a variety of goods strictly home to this area.
Creating an Identity
Streetcar
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Green Corridor Public Spaces
Green Corridor Typically the definition of a Green Corridor is a strip of land used to connect wildlife to other wildlife. They are used in order to protect species, plants or other natural elements. However in our Eco District, we are using a Green Corridor to create a connection from north to south and east to west to preserve the walkability and already natural urban environment within our site. When we first were discussing what would be included in a corridor of this nature, the obvious response was street trees. While this is a great start, for it to be a complete Eco District there needed to be so much for. The Green Corridor also has a direct connection to the phasing that will be proposed within our site, reflecting the street hierarchy, implementation tactics, and new technology that would be feasible for this area. Locating the corridor in the most ideal and populated areas can spur growth and an increase in activities within the area. Including new businesses, events, and green spaces.
Infrastructure
VARIES MIXED-USE RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL
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Typical Existing Streetscape
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12.5ft WALK
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8ft BIKE
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16.5ft WALK
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Type One A - Street Trees, Bio Swells, and Bike Lane Additions
VARIES MIXED-USE RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL
12.5ft WALK
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Type One B - Street Tree, Bio Swells, and Extended Sidewalk Additions
VARIES MIXED-USE RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL
VARIES MIXED-USE RETAIL / RESIDENTIAL
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Type Two - Street Tree and Bio Swell Additions
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Type Three - Street Tree Additions
The streetscape on the left page is the current street structure of Vine St, a major roadway in the project area. Pictured above are four different possible options to improve the street.
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Alleyways
Alleyways When walking down the sites main roads, the one thing that we kept noticing was this vast network of alleys. Most too small for cars, the alleys seemed to hold a secret world, that was full of surprises. While the site has a history of being known for crime, and we were instructed before classes to be careful, we could not help but walk through the whole network. Typically, you could stand at one of the cross sections of an alley and see clear to the end of the site. From the first day of visiting, we knew that the alleys would be a huge asset to the site. Holding potential that is not usually taken advantage of in the City of Cincinnati. The alley map illustrates where the connections are in our site, throughout the site. As illustrated, you can see the possibilities for alternative routes and possibilities for growth of walkability through the alleys.
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Solar Potential and Property Value
High Solar Potential Low Property Value ($200,000 and below) High Solar Potential and Low Property Value
Development Redevelopment When you think of green technology and advancements in environmentally friendly techniques, one of the first things that comes to mind in regards to redevelopment or infill is LEED Certification. While these are challenging goals to achieve, most developers take the chance with new buildings to boast about their certification when selling or leasing space. For the Eco District, we wanted to find a way to identify the buildings that would be the best for LEED in this area to draw developers and companies into their area from the very start. Using OKI Solar Data, we identified the properties within the site that have the highest solar capacities. The characteristics used include either a flat or easily managed roof, so minimal things located on the roof (air conditioners, generators, etc.) and height.
In order to spark an interest in this area, in regards to redevelopment and growth, the starting point needs to be identified. To us, it made sense that we would show this through current property values. There are already a solid amount of buildings located in the site that are worth a lot of money, on the other hand, there are also a decent amount that we could tell needed more money than they are worth. Starting out we knew that identifying the buildings with a low property value would help in the long run to know where we could focus development. On the map, we identified properties with a value of $200,000 or less. While this might seem like a lot, there were also a couple of properties included that do not need as much work to be made into something incredible. Especially when paired with the solar information from OKI, it was possible that the higher valued buildings only needed a small solar panel to start seeing at least a little bit of return on their investment. Whereas, with the properties that have a lower value obviously need more work, they could have the highest LEED potential and greatest return.
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Low Property Value ($200,000 and below)
Parks
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New Parks
BEFORE- 9TH & WALNUT ST.
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AFTER- 9TH & WALNUT ST.
AFTER- CHEAPSIDE ST.
Pictured above are two different example rendering of proposed parks as part of the master plan. Pictured left is a splash park proposal in a surface parking lot diagonal the public library on the corner of 9th and Walnut St. The rendering on the right is also proposed on a surface parking lot. It’s located on Cheapside road in the Southeast portion of the study area. These are just two of many proposed parks and parklets.
BEFORE- PUBLIC LIBRARY VINE ST.
AFTER- PUBLIC LIBRARY VINE ST.
BEFORE- COURT ST. NEAR CITY HALL
AFTER- COURT ST. NEAR CITY HALL
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Sustainable Infill Development
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The project area boasts many surface parking lots, like the one pictured to the right. We propose using some of these underutilized lots to instead build infill development. The map to the left shows all the possible locations that offer the possibility for development to occur. Pictured above is the corner of 9th & Plum St. by City Hall. The rendering shows a LEED certified housing unit that would fit in with our Eco District guidelines as well as our proposal for infill housing.
Finance & Budgeting
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The current conditions around city hall are less than idea. A strew of parking lots exist in the area as well as many vacant, and rundown buildings. For an area that contains such important civic space one t e e r would think the area would be active but 9th St instead it remains cut off and desolate. P For our fiscal Impact analysis we wanted to find a way to activate the space while continuing our push for green initiatives in the area. Within our fiscal impact sight we came up with four alternative plans. In each plan we propose a different combination of apartments, office, retail and park space through the creation of a seven story mixed use building along with various configurations of park space in d Place l e fi r a G a space that currently occupies and old car service garage and a parking lot. This coupled with various configurations of park space to compliment development. After running analysis it was conclude that Plan 2, with the most office space, had the largest positive impact. Meanwhile Plan 4, with the most residential, had the largest net loss.
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Alternative 1 includes: Single Family Residential space: 4,947 sq. ft. Multi-Family Residential space: 61,972 sq. ft Place Garfield Retail (Neighborhood Shopping Center) space: 22,201 sq. ft. Office space: 84,469 sq. ft. Parks, Parking Structures space:20,707 sq. ft. eet 9th Str
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Alternative 2 includes: Single Family Residential space: 4,947 sq. ft. Multi-Family Residential space: 36,800 sq. ft Retail (Neighborhood Shopping Center) space: 71,372 sq. ft. Place Garfield Office space: 84,469 sq. ft. Parks, Parking Structures space:20,707 sq. ft.
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Alternative 3 includes: Single Family Residential space: 4,947 sq. ft. Multi-Family Residential space: 34,572 sq. ft Place Garfield Retail (Neighborhood Shopping Center) space: 29,669 sq. ft. Office space: 84,469 sq. ft. Parks, Parking Structures space:36,707 sq. ft.
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Alternative 4 includes: Single Family Residential space: 4,947 sq. ft. Multi-Family Residential space: 89,372sq. ft Retail (Neighborhood Shopping Center) space: 17,701 Place Garfield sq. ft. Office space: 57,069sq. ft. Parks, Parking Structures space: 27,385 sq. ft.
Phasing
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Midtown Eco-District Comprehensive Plan
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Phase One
Phase 1
Phase 1 will attempt to instill the culture and tools necessary to allow an Eco District in Midtown to flourish. This beginning phase will feature the lower and more attainable short term goals that will lay the foundation for the district. We will begin first by writing in and creating the green precedent using policies. We then will focus on rebranding and creating a sense of identity within Midtown. By creating the first green city district in the Midwest will really give Cincinnati as a whole a leg up on other redeveloping cities. We will begin working toward the more cohesive streetscape by focusing on the areas and streets on the green corridor that we envision. Next we will begin green development and redevelopment in three of the major key areas we envision, the civic campus to the west, the library in the center and Court Street beginning at the east end. We will begin opening up and creating green space throughout the area and begin to have simple and education green programming on these spaces. We will begin identifying and cleaning up alleyways that we find to be possible connections and valuable space to be utilized.
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Phase Two
Phase 2
Phase two we will begin to really build green infrastructure and development off of the groundwork we laid in phase 1. We will look to have 90% of our district’s streetscape cohesive and made green. We will begin creating permanent infrastructure and green programming on the parks and green spaces we began to add in phase 1. Also in this phase we will continue to create and redevelop the areas around the newly created civic campus and along Court Street moving west. Within this phase one of the biggest factors will be the enforcement and implementation of the green policies that we enacted within the first phase. They will allow for green practices and development to be regulated and allow for them to become the norm within the district which will only continue to increase its success. We will begin to develop and create unique spaces within the alleyway network we have identified and create a new network throughout the area. Lastly we will continue to push the green branding we are planning for the district by using it as a symbol and way to attract not only new businesses but individuals who want to maintain an Eco friendly way of life.
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Phase Three
Phase 3
Phase three is the make or break phase, the phase where the Eco District is either accepted or abandoned. We will continue to push for green infill development along court moving west. We will have completed the streetscape and made a continuous and cohesive streetscape network. We will continue to program and build upon the green corridor and new green spaces we are creating through the district. The policies will be adapted and enforced to the most efficient possible way to ensure that the green policies and the district as a whole is adapting and utilizing the best and newest precedents and techniques for success. Lastly we will begin to identify new connections that have arisen in the advent of the development and redevelopment that could be utilized within the district, while also beginning to identify possible streetcar lines/ extensions that will allow connections to surrounding areas to be capitalized on. Phase three of the plan will call for the most infill and redevelopment within the district and rely heavily on the precedents and policies enacted within the first two phases.
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Phase Four
Phase 4
The final phase of the plan will look to expand green infrastructure and streetscaping to the surrounding neighborhoods and areas. We will look to update and build of our green policies, programming, and branding strategy to adjust to the times and changes that have occurred throughout Cincinnati. We will continue green infill development and redevelopment through the area. We will begin to utilize and program the new connections we identified in the previous stage. We will also push for the development and addition of the streetcar from the hub of the district we identify to allow for citizens to utilize and travel to the area. In this phase we hope to have created and implemented a fully green and sustainable Eco District within the Cincinnati area. The precedents and green movement that the country is moving toward on the coasts is something we are looking to be one of the first Midwestern cities to make large strives towards the concept of Eco Districting.
Ethical Connections
At the beginning of the semester in Theory and Ethics and in Studio we discussed our vision and goals. When coming up with our values for Midtown, we took into consideration Stollman’s list of planning values. These values include health, sustainability, efficiency, beauty, equity, pluralism, individuality, democratic responsibility, and rational management. Although it is clear there needs to be many changes made to the Midtown area, it can be challenging to prioritize our values. As a group, we put the values of the public and our client first. As the Eco District group, some of our main values are connectivity, policy, development, and phasing. Under these values, some of our specific goals include LEED buildings, historic preservation, green corridor, programming, infill, parks, and redevelopment. Our next step was to figure out where the strength and weaknesses are within the area. We conducted a SWOT analysis of Midtown, during this our group saw some of the strengths of the area as the location, public library, and streetcar. The weaknesses are the amount of surface parking lots and crime rates/crime perception, illustrated through the pictures in the top left and right hand corner of homeless population and handcuffs.
This area of downtown is also a nine to five community which is a weakness. On the other hand, there are many opportunities such as empty lots, the existing businesses, and parks and greenspace in the area. Next, we analyzed the threats of Midtown and decided that crime, the historic architecture, lack of parking, and current property owners all serve as threats. The bottom portion of the poster focuses on how we used the information gathered in the first half of the semester and put everything into action. Purposefully, the following information is all represented by bold and bright colors. We used a couple of strategies before compiling all resources into our final presentation. The first were trial balloons and while typically this is done with the public, we did this within our group of eight. Even though some of the ideas were outlandish, this forced us to think outside of the box and realize what was actually feasible for this area. Our feedback was mainly from ourselves as a group, professors and the client. However, this gave us the opportunity to process the advice given to formulate more specific goals, identify alternatives, recognize the problems at hand, and decide on an implementation process.
Finally, we analyzed some of the methods of theory that we used during the studio. In the beginning of the semester we worked on breaking down the site, into different information and data that we thought was important. Soon after, we began to synthesize the data to see what overlapped and made logical sense together. Using the complexity theory, our group began to understand the human systems and the natural environment of the site and how they interact together, not just separately. Overall, we used communicative theory the most and throughout the whole process. This theory, focusing on a two-way conversation and a neutral path to lead to a common understanding, was incredibly useful for our studio. Within our group, it opened a dialogue not only in the beginning, but since there was a common goal and the ability to discuss, it became easier to continue talking as the project moved along. It caused not one person to be the expert, but for there to be an equal playing field and to learn from each other.
Communicative theory also includes the discussions that we had with the stakeholders that came in. Having them in our studio, seeing what we are doing on a daily basis gives our stakeholders an open forum to think out loud about the work we are doing. Once a path of communication is open, the possibilities of information is endless. The problem is figuring out which information is more important than others and overall what information will be used. The last method we used was, the rational model, which is the application of the scientific method and emphasizes logic and reasons for a particular view. Rational decision making separates facts and values through the rule of science. A rational decision maker considers all alternatives, identifies and evaluates all consequences, and selects the alternative with the most valued ends. Greetings from Midtown Eco District: The pictures used in the word Midtown are all pictures that we, as a group, thought represented the area of Midtown. From Court Street, to historical buildings, murals and public art, and finally the streetcar, representing potential for future growth downtown.
Midtown Eco District MASTER PLAN
University of Cincinnati School of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 4th Year Urban Planning Studio Summer 2016