P O S T - I N D U S T R I A L   C O M M U N I T I E S

This study explored the use of landscape narratives as a tool for facilitating community participatory design in a small post-industrial community in southeastern Ohio.  The goal of the project was to synthesize narrative practices with proven participatory design and planning methods in order to generate several community design alternatives that capture and channel the vitality of local heritage.

The researcher designed several community workshops that provided an open forum for the collective sharing of local stories and memories that were then collected graphically, in the form of photographs, maps, and diagrams and audibly, in the form of videos and tape recordings.  Responses were coded, analyzed, and mapped to discover their spatial distribution and patterns, and to identify potential opportunities to strengthen and preserve them. 

Following these procedures, the researcher was able to generate a set of design recommendations, both innovative programming for the main municipal spaces and historic interpretation of local landmarks, based on the opportunities and values voiced in the community’s stories.

For a more in depth discussion of this project, see Initiatives 2002 - 2003.