Category: River Roots Redevelopment Column

  • Agritainment

    RiverAdmin

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    I’m a sucker for documentaries. Historical, ancient civilizations, travel—it’s all fascinating. I love seeing and learning about new places and cultures, especially by visiting those places, but documentaries provide glimpses of new places and information and ignite a desire to learn more. I found myself watching a documentary the other evening that my Prime Video… Read more

  • Balancing Progress and Preservation

    RiverAdmin

    When talking about development or redevelopment, it is important to look not only at progress but also at preservation. Taking historical or architectural preservation and conservation of our natural resources into consideration is a much-needed step to create a balance between progress and preservation. The goal of redevelopment is not to wipe out the old… Read more

  • Ecotourism and Redevelopment

    RiverAdmin

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    If you were to Google “ecotourism” you would see that various organizations define the term slightly differently. For the sake of this article, we are going to look at ecotourism as “nature-based tourism intended to support wildlife and conservation and the local economy.” Now that we’ve defined ecotourism, let’s look at how it ties in… Read more

  • Green Roofs and Vertical Gardens in Redevelopment

    RiverAdmin

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    Green roofs and vertical gardens are both becoming more popular as we attempt to create greener, cleaner buildings. In a Market Research Future report, it is estimated that the vertical garden construction market will grow annually at a rate of 8.2% over the next 5 years, and other green building trends are expected to see… Read more

  • Local Community Gardens and an Update from River Roots Community Farm

    RiverAdmin

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    Community Gardens are assets that bring not only fresh food but a much-needed sense of community. In addition to the River Roots Community Farm located in Foxburg (update below), there are other community gardens in the area.  About twelve years ago, a group of church members at First Presbyterian Church in Oil City were interested… Read more

  • Sustainable Landscaping in Redevelopment Projects and At Home

    RiverAdmin

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    Sustainable or “green” landscaping is being used more and more in redevelopment. Purposeful landscaping with this method can mean savings in time and energy and can reduce pollution. It is also beneficial to local birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. This landscaping technique combines function and numerous benefits for people and the environment. Sustainable landscaping isn’t… Read more

  • Brownfields to Greenspace

    RiverAdmin

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    When discussing redevelopment, we often think primarily about buildings or industrial sites being cleaned up and developed as another structure or business space. Redevelopment can also mean transforming a place back into a natural or semi-natural state. Let’s talk brownfields to greenspaces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a brownfield as “a property, the expansion,… Read more

  • What Does Redevelopment Really Mean

    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

  • GUEST – Don Smith – Seneca Plaza

    RiverAdmin

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    The recent conversation around adaptive reuse has sparked a desire for me to share a personal note on not just the “how” but the “why” of redevelopment, from my point of view. My name is Don Smith. Many in the Franklin and Oil City area simply know me as Doc, as I’ve fixed many a… Read more

  • What Adaptive Reuse Mean for the Future

    RiverAdmin

    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

  • Adaptive Reuse in Practice

    RiverAdmin

    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

  • And Introduction to Adaptive Reuse

    RiverAdmin

    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