Spring 2023 PLAN1012 | Walnut Hills: A Neighborhood Analysis

Walnut Hills A Neighborhood Analysis

Alexis Spurlock, Jaclyn Mauro, James McDermott

Walnut Hills is a neighborhood of Cincinnati, located northeast of downtown. It is known as the gateway to the east side as people traveling to the eastern side of Cincinnati, are all funneled through the area. It is a complex neighborhood, with a rich history and a promising future. It was once considered the second business district of Cincinnati and was a hub for the long gone streetcar network. It is an urban, mixed use area with pockets of residential uses, industrial buildings, and commercial areas. It is largely African American with a smaller but still sizable white population as well. It has had problems with urban renewal in the past which it is still recovering from and has struggled with vacant lots and a loss of density ever since. While the last few decades haven’t been the most prosperous for the neighborhood, it is now seeing the start of a resurgence with investment especially in the southern half of the neighborhood. However, this has not come without controversy, as many residents feel that they aren’t seeing the investment themselves and feel left out as a result.

Walnut Hills is highlighted in green. The black line is the boundary of Cincinnati, which situates

Walnut Hills into the city’s context.

Impressions

The map to the left is an impression map of Walnut Hills with an approximate street grid imposed on a collage of photos taken throughout expeditions and site visits to Walnut Hills. The bigger the photo, the larger the importance to our image of the area. We used Green, Blue, and Yellow as our colors to represent Walnut Hills because those are the colors used on the flag of Walnut Hills.

Wordle

We chose to model our Wordle on the physical shape of Walnut Hills and used words tied to specific areas in the neighborhood. For instance, in the southeastern section of the neighborhood, there is a feeling of economic and social stability which is why we placed that word there. However, on the opposite end of the neighborhood, the northern third feels forgotten and mostly vacant which is why those words are placed towards that side of the area.

Imageability

The map to the left is based on Kevin Lynch’s book, The Image of the City, and contains the five elements described in the book: paths, edges, nodes, districts, and landmarks. To complete this map, since we are not residents of the neighborhood, we decided to interview a number of residents about their thoughts on Walnut Hill’s image and what they think are, in their neighbor- hood, the paths, edges, nodes, districts, and landmarks. An acknowledgment of their contribution to the map is located on the bottom. We combined both the residents’ perspectives and our own to create this map.

With thanks to the residents of Walnut Hills who agreed to speak with us about their neighborhood.

Vacancy and Decay

The map to the left represents vacant parcels in Walnut Hills. The data was created using ArcGIS and findings from Google Earth. Then it was taken into Photoshop to draw the plots and to pixelate the image. The clusters of vacancy follow Interstate 71 and MLK Jr. Drive, which both cut through the grid of Walnut Hills to increase speeds and convenience of suburban automobile drivers to the detriment of area residents.

Growth and Decay

The map to the right describes the trends of growth, decay, and stability in Walnut Hills. Each black dot represents a block. As stated before in the Wordle, the northern areas of Walnut Hills are seeing decay while the center and south of Walnut Hills are seeing either growth or are largely stable.

Revitalization and New Development

The map to the left discusses newly built and renovated structures in Walnut Hills. Each orange circle represents a structure that has been built since 2000 while each purple dot represents a preexisting structure that has been renovated since 2000. As the map shows, McMillan Street in the center of Walnut Hills is the hub of renovated buildings because the once vibrant business district which had then fallen into decline is being rejuvenated using the beautiful architecture from the district’s heyday. The south of Walnut Hills has a cluster of new buildings because it has seen a rise in property values and therefore, an increase of new houses being built.

Neighborhood History

1794

Rev. James Kemper buys 150-acre farm, and names it Walnut Hill Farm

1840 Small business district emerges around intersection of Montgomery Pike and McMillan

1872

First horsecar lines comes to Walnut Hills, connecting the neighborhood to downtown via Gilbert Ave

1877 Lincoln Ave is established with a large percentage of African American residents

1883

Peebles Grocery opens on the intersection of McMillan and Gilbert

1906 Cincinnati Public Library opens Walnut Hills branch

1908 First black-owned pharmacy opened by Archibald H. Dickerson

1920

Frederick Douglass School sees highest enrollment rates as African Americans begin moving to Walnut HIlls from the American South

2017

Walnut HIlls Redvelopment Foundation publishes reinvestment plan

1930

Great Depression beigns and affluent residents move to newer suburbs

1938

Columbia Parkway opens, leading to the fall of the east side streetcar lines and therefore much of the business at Peebles Corner

1960

Construction of I-75 begins, cutting through WestEnd neighborhood. Displaced residents move to Walnut Hills

1992 Planning Department issues updated Walnut Hills Community Plans with new zoning andgoals for development

1985

Peebles Corner recognized as a historic place

1965

Walnut Hills Area Council is formed to give residents a vote

1974

1-71 opens through Walnut Hills

1977

Walnut Hills Redevlopment Foundation established to improve quality of housing

Neighorhood Data

Half of the business in Walnut Hills are food places or services. With a plethora of businesses of all kinds, Walnut Hills is considered a steady neighborhood with resources for practically any situaiton.

In terms of age, Walnut Hills is dominated by middle aged families and people. With a lack of educational institutions in the neighborhood, the lack of children makes sense.

Population density throughout the neighborhood is quite interesting because a single building can be the cause of whether a block is considered dense or not. In addition, blocks which house other uses like the block home to Frederick Douglas Elementary and the industrial areas on the west side of Gilbert Avenue are clear areas which lack population density. Finally the destruction of the neighborhoods historic urban fabric by MLK Drive, Victory Pkwy, and I-71 have a clear effect on the population density of those blocks.

Walnut Hills has been known for its diversity and changing demographics throughout its history.

Once being a very white-dominant and affluent area, present time Walnut Hills is primarily African American and low income. Interestingly enough, the neighborhood is unintentionally segregated. As shown in the map, the entire quadrant near Eden Park is largely White, while the rest of the neighborhood is largely African American.

As shown by the map, most residents of Walnut Hills commute by car. This is likely due to the fact that most people who live in Walnut Hills do not work there and vice versa. A significant amount of people come into Walnut Hills for work but don't live there; almost 99% of the total employed population.

Walnut Hills Commuter Data

Urban Design Analysis

Walnut Hills is full of small buildings, which are mostly single-family homes and small multi-family housing units. This map exposes the density and size of residential areas. It’s easy to tell the larger buildings are industrial, as they’re all located near the West side and the southern part of Gilbert Ave. The green areas show Eden Park and the Cemetery, and the lack of buildings within those areas.

Walnut Hills is mainly made up of residential and mixed-use areas with pockets of older industrial predominately in the south and west of the area. Multi-family housing is dispersed throughout the area, resulting in single-family unit housing concentrations taking over.

Walnut Hills Linkages Map

Walnut Hills mainly follows a grid pattern. The major arterial roads cut through the centers of the neighborhood. These roads house the business district and some industrial areas. Interstate 71 borders the west side, with highway ramps and collector roads directly connecting it to the arterials. Local roads and alleyways mainly follow a grid. Low to medium density residential buildings line these streets, which tend to have light traffic flow

Walnut Hills is walkable, but it has major pedestrian roadblocks. The three walk sheds on this map are at a playground in the northern area, Peebles Corner, and a viewing area of Eden park. Each shed represents what is reachable in a ten minute walk. From these three places, almost the entire neighborhood is covered.

Residential Block

Block around Melrose Ave and Lincoln Ave

This block shows a mix of primarily single-family homes with some commercial/ industrial scattered around. Most houses are close together, with empty lots or nature surrounding them.

Photographic elevation of single-family homes along Melrose Ave

Residential areas of Walnut Hills are mainly laid out in a grid pattern with close-together houses lining the streets and some yard space. Streets are two lanes with parking lanes and small sidewalks on both sides. Most homes are single-family, with a few small multi-family developments sprinkled in.

Mixed-Use Block

Centered on Gilbert and E McMillan.

This block consists of a mix of commercial and commercial-residential complexes. There are a variety of local-owned shops within the square such as Gomez, Fireside Pizza, and Artworks. A majority of the storefronts south of East McMillan feature multi-unit residences above single story storefronts.

Photographic Elevation of storefronts on Gilbert.

The four residential areas of Walnut Hills are divided by the commercial/mixed-use area along Gilbert Avenue and East McMillan Street. These two roads are major paths within the neighborhood.

Industrial Block

Centered on Florence Ave. and Gilbert Ave.

The southern part of Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills is lined with warehouses and other industrial and manufacturing buildings. Away from Gilbert Avenue, the area quickly turns residential, especially towards the east of Gilbert. West of Gilbert, warehouses continue to exist in smaller numbers alongside low to medium density residential buildings. This area is dominated by Gilbert Avenue and the large buildings which occupy the space between Florence and Gilbert Avenues, shown in the photographic elevation in the top right of the page.

Florence Avenue is a lightly used road which connects Gilbert Avenue and the intersection of Reading Road and Dorchester Avenue

Windsor Street is a crosstown street which connects Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway. It is a typical street for this part of Walnut Hills.

Throughout this industrial typology, there exists lightly used land which has great potential for redevelopment and densification. There are numerous surface parking lots which aren’t used to their full capacity. Additionally, there are a number of abandoned lots, especially west of Gilbert Avenue. Currently, the area is lightly populated and seems past its prime.

Photographic Elevation of Three Industrial Buildings Along Florence Avenue

SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats. We analyzed Walnut Hills using this method to pinpoint in which areas the neighborhood could be the most improved.

Cultural amenities, such as Eden Park, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Historic Harriet Beecher Stowe House are all strengths of the neighborhood. In addition to this, the pre-existing urban fabric, especially pertaining to block sizes in the south-west residential area and urban core along McMillan are also particularly strong elements.

The streets and their design are one of the neighborhood’s biggest weaknesses. Residents are forced to drive personal vehicles or embark on the dangerous streets that were designed solely for cars.

Walnut Hills has a significant amount of vacant lots and surface parking lots. These are potential sites for new development.

Gentrification and an overflow of new residents can be a threat in Walnut Hills. Due to the current separation of the four residential areas, it’s likely that there will be some push back from certain areas depending on the amenities they receive.

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Issues

Dangerous street infrastructure

Designed primarily for vehicular traffic

Solutions

Promote other modes of transportation such as walking, biking, and public transit

Incorporate a variety of street infrastructure that prioritizes cyclist and pedestrian safety

Reassess public transportation routes and stops

Lack of essential businesses with poor connectivity to existing businesses

Creative attractive areas for businesses

Provide storefront with smaller footprints to encourage small businesses and pop-up shops

Provide accessible pathways to and throughout business districts

Lack of public spaces and the ones that exist are under-maintained

Provide improved public spaces and ensure they are well-maintained

Incorporate various activities within parks to Accommodate many different people and interInclude recurring programming in these public

Newer development is inconsistent with the neighborhood’s identity and needs.

Align new development with the current building aesthetics

Expand areas which have already been developed into those that have not Identify neighborhood needs and provide spaces tailored to these (Goods/Services)

Disconnect between the four residential areas.

Promote connectivity and walkability throughout the entire neighborhood

Provide equal amenities to all four areas

Create more public spaces to serve as third place outside of the four areas

Goals of Park Proposals

Give New Life and Use to Vacant Lots and Abandoned Buildings

Increasing the Neighborhood’s Sense of Community

Amplifying Existing Green Spaces and Restoring Attractiveness and Aesthetics

Revitalizing Existing Green Spaces to Better Meet the Needs of the Neighborhood and Community

Goals of Business Proposals

Create Attractive Areas for Businesses

Provide Storefronts With Smaller Footprints to Encourage Small Businesses and Pop-Up Shops

Expand Areas Which Have Already Been Developed Into Those That Have not.

Align New Development With the Current Building Aesthetics

Provide Accessible Pathways To and Throughout Business Districts

Goals of Street Proposals

Increase Walkability and Pedestrian Safety

Increase Bus Speed and Reliability

Increase Bikeability and Cycling Safety

Urban Green Spaces

Green spaces are important to have throughout a neighborhood, as they provide space for community gathering and interaction. Walnut Hills has an abundance of vacant lots and has a lack of green spaces and parks, both of which weaken the community. Most existing parks within the neighborhood are not attractive, therefore getting little to no community use. What can be done to these vacant lots and small parks to make them better for the neighborhood?

Inspiration

Hamilton’s Urban Backyard and the urban park to the left both served as inspiration for these parks

Current Harriet Beecher Stowe Site

In it’s current state, the area surrounding the Harriet Beecher Stowe house is full of vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and useless roads. This ultimately takes attention away from the historic site sitting beside it.

Proposed Park

The proposed park would utilize the area around the historical site to engulf the Harriet Beecher Stowe house in a urban park. The design would include a playground, basketball court, community garden, and multiple gathering spaces.

Current Green Man Park

In it’s current state, Green Man park is essentially a large, empty lot next to an insignificant park. It has very little greenery which is not taken care of and almost no communal amenities within the park itself.

Proposed Park

This new park would feature a mix of uses. There would be areas for both outdoor and indoor entertainment, as well as spots designated for local food trucks to visit. The green space would be revitalized with paths designed specifically to guide people into the park.

Business Districts

Walnut Hills is home to a variety of smaller businesses, both franchised and locally owned. Many of these businesses are centered on Gilbert and McMillan. Those which aren’t in this Central Business District are placed sporadically throughout the neighborhood, mostly along Gilbert Avenue. With businesses being so concentrated in the center of the neighborhood and poor transportation conditions for everyone other than drivers, it can be hard for residents to feasibly on the fringes of the neighborhood to make it to the existing businesses. Expanding the current business district will provide better accessibility to businesses for the different residential areas.

Inspiration

Tradition pop-up shops served as inspiration for the temporary storefront units

The design also aligns with the current mix-used developments within the neighborhood.

Proposed Site Plan

One of the biggest setbacks to any efforts of bringing businesses to Walnut Hills is that the potential sites aren’t the most attractive in regards to business potential. Because of this, it’s important not only to consider the buildings the business will go in, but also the area surrounding it. In addition to considering the site, it’s also important to create appropriate building footprints for businesses looking for a temporary, lower-risk space.

Mixed Use Building Elevation

Mixed Use Building Diagram

Proposed Plan Collage

Creating more temporary options in regards to storefronts can promote the addition of local-owned businesses or allow established companies to test the waters with a pop-up shop. With these modular, storage garage units, business owners will have the option to rent out as much space as they need.

Streets

Today, the streets of Walnut Hills solely serve the automobile. Pedestrians and bus riders are an afterthought, while cyclists aren’t even thought of. We envision Walnut Hills to return to its transit orientated and walkable past while retaining the important connections that motor vehicles have provided the neighborhood with. With these improvements, it will be able to return to a center of commerce as it was a century ago.

Toolkit

Crosswalk Pedestrian Island Curb Extension

Protected Bike Lane

Shared Lane Thru Traffic Diverter

Bus Boarding Island Bus Only Lane Bus Bulb

McMillan St. and Gilbert Ave.

This is an important intersection for all modes and its the center of the Walnut Hills business district. Buses would be the new dominate mode, replacing cars. There would be a southern gateway to a Melrose Avenue bike boulevard and a major bus junction between the Montgomery Road BRT, Route 4, Route 11, and Route 31. It would maintain vehicle throughput while also reducing speed.

Key

Red: Bus Space

Green: Cycling Space

Blue: Pedestrian Space

Purple: Bus Stop

McMillan St. and Gilbert Ave.

This intersection is also important for all mode. It would serve as a possible new center of a potential North Walnut Hills business district and gateway to Crown Trail to the west of the intersection. It would feature separation between vehicular turning movements and pedestrians and cyclists. Vehicle throughput would be maintained with speed reduced. It would also include pedestrian islands on the western and southern legs and curb extensions on the norther leg to reduce the currently long crossing distance. Cars would continue to be the dominate mode, but other modes could safely coexist.

Walnut Hills is at once a typical example of an African American and urban neighborhood in the United States. It was at one time a center of business and black culture before Interstate 71 and other road projects decimated the neighborhood in the name of progress and urban renewal in 1970’s. At the same time, Walnut Hills is a very unique neighborhood with deep historical roots. Its position as the second downtown of Cincinnati in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and its continued position as the meeting point between Uptown, the East Side, and the Downtown Basin puts it at an important and special crossroads in the city of Cincinnati.

At its heart, what Walnut Hills truly is, is complex. It is a multifaceted neighborhood which has different trends and patterns throughout its area, with clear divides between the south, center, and north. It has serious problems currently, such as the large amount of vacant land, the difficulties with gentrification, the lack of a grocery store, and the dangerous streets. Yet at the same time, the neighborhood is filled with positives and opportunities, such as the rich history of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Peebles Corner, the beautiful architecture along McMillan Street, and the convergence of important city bus lines. Additionally, while the vacant lots and surface parking lots pose a hindrance to development, they also provide an opportunity to build more buildings and increase density without condemning and destroying any existing buildings.

The neighborhood has a potentially bright future with more investment in store for the area, a bike lane project on Gilbert Avenue which will start in 2025, and a possible Bus Rapid Transit line which has yet to be confirmed. At the same time, Walnut Hills will have to try to balance its current residents’ needs along with the needs of future residents without making any group feel left out or uniquely affected by negativities.