YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Additional redevelopment along the city’s riverfront that appeals to a wide demographic; efforts to certify Youngstown as a “welcoming” city; new strategies for maintaining city lots; an innovative means of promoting historical sites; and establishing a safety and informational portal to encourage urban cyclists.
These were among the visions presented by 20 students at Youngstown State University on Wednesday as part of this year’s Civic Innovation Transforming Youngstown, or City, internship program. It is the largest class since the program was piloted four years ago.
“We’ve gone from seven interns to 12, to 13, and this year 20,” said Dan Bancroft, program manager at the Economic Action Group, which partnered with YSU and other organizations on the project. “Next year is the last year of our grant, but we’re going to look to sustain it one way or another.”
Students split into five groups of four, and each group this summer worked with a mentor of a particular organization or department and devised proposals to improve the quality of life in the city. Students delivered their final presentations Wednesday at YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration.
These ideas ranged from redeveloping land along the Mahoning River to creating a more “bikeable” Youngstown.
Improving the Riverfront
Despite venues such as the Covelli Centre, Wean Park and the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, the city’s riverfront is still underutilized, said Smriti Wasti, an information technology major at YSU. Her group, Flow Forward, presented ideas to encourage new development and attractions along the river that would appeal to people of all ages.
“We’re proposing a way to make the space more attractive,” she said, which would drive more foot traffic and tourism.
Their plan calls for identifying areas along the riverfront that could be used for activities targeting specific age groups. For example, an area east of the Covelli Centre and the South Avenue bridge could be reserved for families and feature playgrounds and other amenities for children. A second zone – slated for the open space in Wean Park between Covelli Centre and the amphitheater – could feature activities such as soccer, volleyball, a zip line or rock climbing for young adults.
A third area of the riverfront, just west of the amphitheater, could serve as an education and activity zone that would host outdoor yoga classes, an augmented reality-enhanced history trail, community gardens and a greenhouse and game sites. A fourth area that encompasses land where the B&O Banquet Center operates, would function as a downtown cultural center, replete with a riverwalk and public art, a small amphitheater for events, a food truck plaza and even floating cafes along the river.
The student group projected that such new development could boost downtown visitation by 30% to 40%, based on results in other cities. However, the group noted that funding and resistance from downtown stakeholders are among the challenges of executing the project.
Stephanie Gilchrist, the city’s economic development director, served as the group’s mentor for the project.
Maintaining City Lots
Another group worked closely with the Mahoning County Land Bank and its executive director, Deborah Flora, to develop a strategy to maintain vacant lots across the city.
Stephon Miller, a civil engineering major at YSU, said the group came up with several ideas, including three booklets that addressed ways to repurpose vacant lots. The booklets contain information related to home construction and renovation, business creation and development and recreational amenities.
The idea is to connect lot owners with proper contractors, developers or landscapers who would improve city lots. “We want to connect them with local suppliers and contractors to help build their dream,” Miller said.
Other ideas for site improvements included neighborhood engagement, developing co-housing in neighborhoods near YSU, using low-maintenance plants that are native to Ohio for site development and making use of externally funded youth employment programs to maintain city-owned lots.
Youngstown as a Welcoming City
A third student group that worked with Thrive Mahoning Valley and its director, Vicki Vicars, focused on ways to certify Youngstown as a “welcoming” city that would make the local immigrant population feel safe and fully integrated into the community.
“We worked with Thrive Mahoning Valley and we’re essentially trying to get Youngstown to become a Certified Welcoming City,” said Trevon Barnett. The designation is awarded by a nonprofit organization called Welcoming America, which establishes criteria that recognizes communities that are welcoming to immigrants and foreign-born residents, he said.
The city has satisfied five of seven criteria that determines a welcoming city, Barnett said. The group found that the city is close to meeting educational standards but still falls short when it comes to economic development.
“Our project is trying to help immigrant businesses to meet that economic development framework,” he said.
The solution was to develop the Youngstown Green Book, a directory of immigrant-owned businesses that could be distributed throughout the region, marketing grocery stores and restaurants that are owned by minorities and foreign-born residents.
Barnett said the idea originated from the Negro Motorist Green Book, a directory published by Victor Hugo Green between 1936 and 1966 that identified safe, secure places for Black travelers to eat, sleep and shop as they traversed segregated American communities.
The group believes the Youngstown Green Book would be similar to its original namesake in the sense that it promotes the idea of safety, dignity and empowerment, said student Kimora Murphy. However, in this case, the Youngstown Green Book would also be used to encourage inclusion, diversity and community support.
Among the challenges to the project is convincing immigrant business owners to participate, noted Suragana Rijal. “A lot were not comfortable right now,” she said. “It was also difficult to get feedback because of language and communication barriers.”
Youngstown as a Bikeable City
A fourth group, Pedal Smart, presented a cohesive strategy for cyclists across the city. The group’s objective is to increase bicycle use in downtown and the surrounding areas for recreation and as a cost-effective mode of daily transportation.
Pedal Smart worked with Sarah Lowry of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley to develop a website that contains information valuable to cyclists in the city.
Daniel Ramage, a sophomore in electrical engineering and an avid cyclist, said the website provides tips on safety, details of key traffic laws, bike routes and bike lanes, local regulations and contact information for local community groups and bikeshare businesses.
“We wanted to build an educational website and present information on cycling in the region,” he said.
The group also offered some recommendations that include the installation of more covered bike racks, enhanced cyclist crossings to improve safety and an increase in the number of cyclist crossing signs and improvement in their quality.
Boosting Visits to Local Attractions
A fifth group that worked with Janet Yaniglos of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society presented ideas to encourage and improve visitation to local historical sites throughout the city.
“We want people to explore all the different sites around Youngstown. We encourage families to rediscover the science and history of the city, and we want everyone to earn rewards from doing so,” said student Sebashton Aughinbough.
The group has developed a website and passport booklet that accumulates points for visitors when they visit the city’s cultural, historical and arts institutions. These points could accumulate and be used at local participating businesses in the new program.
“Each year has been getting bigger and better, which is what we like to see,” Nick Chretien, executive director of EAG, said of the internship program.
He said many students are intent on staying in the Mahoning Valley and want to make a difference, and this program helps to further their efforts. “We look forward to continuing to develop the concept and have more community projects in the future.”
Pictured at top: YSU students Bhaskar Koirala, Destiney Jordan, Smriti Wasti and Asher Chiwawa presented a redevelopment plan for Youngstown’s riverfront.