Author: RiverAdmin

We could go on about redevelopment theory, strategies, and plans, and that is all well and good, but what does redevelopment really mean for you and for me? Redevelopment is essentially planning for the future–not only my future or yours, but for the future of our children, grandchildren, and so on. It matters to me… Read more

Wrapping up our series on adaptive reuse in redevelopment, this week we’re going to look at some future projects. First, let’s head downriver, through Pittsburgh, to the Ohio River and Wheeling, WV. Like our region, this historic city has seen a decline in the last 50+ years. Now, Wheeling Heritage, an organization whose vision includes… Read more

Last week we looked at the concept of adaptive reuse in redevelopment. This week, let’s look at some real-world examples of adaptive reuse and how the concept has been put into practice to create various new opportunities. First, let’s look at how adaptive reuse is used to create housing. Not far from the Oil Region,… Read more

You’ve probably heard the term “upcycle”, but what about “adaptive reuse”? If you have ever used Pinterest, you’ve probably seen numerous upcycling projects, but on a larger scale, this concept is called adaptive reuse. Adaptive reuse is a term common in redevelopment and refers to repurposing a structure for something other than what it was… Read more

Last week we explored what it takes for a community to be adaptive and resilient. This week, I want to look at how one centuries-old institution has had to adapt: the library. While libraries existed in ancient times–often only for the rulers or wealthy–their establishment for the public in America came in the 18th century.… Read more

Community development and redevelopment–where do you even begin? Generally, there are two ways of approach: looking at the community’s needs and looking at what the community already has–its strengths. Each of these approaches paints a very different picture of a community and occasionally they are used separately, but often they are employed together for double… Read more

If you’ve been in Foxburg in the last 9 months, you’ve probably noticed a big change. The Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County (ARTinCC) has been making progress on closing the Foxburg–Emlenton gap of the bike trail. With a DCNR grant and the additional help of a generous local supporter, the group was able to… Read more

Last week we looked at different levels of collaboration needed to build a resilient community. This week, I want to dive a little deeper into regional collaboration or collaboration between towns. Unfortunately, neighboring communities are sometimes seen as competition rather than another player on the same team. But research is showing that building a resilient… Read more

“Two heads are better than one.”  or “Many hands make light work.”  You’ve probably heard at least one of these phrases before, and they’re true. This week I want to talk about something that has the potential to exponentially multiply everything we do: collaboration. Let’s look at 3 levels of collaboration, starting with person-to-person. When… Read more