Built Historic Retail & Regional Agenda
This upcoming section dives into a better understanding of the context, history, and culture
of Muncie, Indiana. Like many Midwestern cities, Muncie, IN, is brimming with leftover spaces that are the by-products of urban infrastructure planned and designed without engaging the surrounding environment. However, cities like Muncie did not appear overnight. Rust-belt cities emerged across the country and became what they are today through industrial shifts (Connolly 27). It’s fundamental to grasp a firm understanding of the community to provide proper guidance through design for the community’s needs are the focal point of landscape architecture. One of the best ways to learn about a city is to learn from the source. The online sources www.co.delaware.in.us and www. muncieneighborhoods.org share history, knowledge, journal articles, current news, and insight to residence in the Muncie community. Muncie is a city in Delaware County in East central Indiana with a current population of 70,085. This city is most notably known to host both Ball State University, and the famous Ball Corporation back in its day. Muncie has had tremendous times to prosper and, unfortunately, times of economic depression. The local economy began to rise due to the Indiana Gas Boom in the 1880s and through the rapid increase in factories from the 1930s through the late 1900s (History of Delaware). Since then, many manufacturers have left the city leaving it to be one of the many postindustrial cities without its backbone. One of the largest industrial factories is the Ball Corporation when they moved their headquarters from Muncie to Broomfield, Colorado in 1998 (History of Delaware). Much like similar Rust-belt cities, Muncie has increasingly taken steps to improve the community and quality of life for its residence. Since losing mass industrial manufacturing, the city has had plenty of opportunity for redevelopment, but has lacked the financial stability to do so. “The first decade of the 21st century saw a cultural shift toward local businesses and economic empowerment, boosted by the Muncie Downtown Development Partnership and the residents, patrons, and business owners of the downtown community. In 2007, Muncie was rated the most affordable college town in America by real estate company Coldwell Banker.” (History of Delaware) MAPLE | URBAN ENERGY & ADVANCEMENT IN MODERN MALLS
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