Price Hill Plan

Price Hill Introduction

Lower and East Price Hill are located on the west side of Cincinnati and are both neighborhoods with lots of planning opportunity. While Lower Price Hill sees much more poverty and undeveloped areas, its access to the Mill Creek and the east side make it a unique planning scape. East Price Hill boasts great views and decent infrastructure, but still needs effort put into its commercial district. In an assigned group, we were tasked with identifying problem areas within these neighborhoods and designing solutions for them.

East Price Hill is mostly zoned for residential dwellings, with a stretch of commercial use along Warsaw Avenue. Lower Price Hill sees a very different land use category in the majority, with industry and public utilities taking up access along the water front of the Mill Creek.

Connectivity is a major aspect of planning neighborhoods and this map aims to give a general idea about where congestion occurs or traffic flows. The map also includes walksheds, which show the high walkability of Lower Price Hill. but the low walkability of the neighboring East Price Hill.

Demographics

To dive deeper into Lower and East Price Hill, I created charts showing basic demographic information of the area comparing 2010 to 2019. The comparison shows the trajectory that the neighborhoods are heading in, which include more residents seeking higher education and a major population increase for white residents compared to a decrease in population for Hispanic residents. These trends tell planners which amenities or planning efforts would be best received by the community.

Population has been decreasing gradually since 2010 in Lower Price Hill, while East Price Hill has seen a dramatic drop in residents. This may be due to the higher affluence in East Price Hill, which gives residents more opportunity to leave. As the area goes longer and longer without any new development, residents may be deciding that it is not worth the wait, which is why planning action is needed soon.

Areas for Improvement

Amenity Challenges

East and Lower Price Hill both see a lack of commercial space that is well-kept and easily accessible. Attracting businesses to the area may prove difficult because of the crime and vandalism currently present in the two commercial districts.

Amenity Opportunities

Lots of empty space makes it easier to redevelop the space. Encouraging small businesses and introducing temporary attractions like food trucks and farmer’s markets can add to amenities near residential areas.

Connection Challenges

The large hill separating East and Lower Price Hill makes pedestrian connection between the two neighborhoods low. Most sidewalks are placed too close to the road and are filled with potholes, while other areas have no sidewalks at all.

Connection Opportunities

Creating a pedestrian-oriented connection between East and Lower Price Hill will help eliminate the current divide between the neighborhoods. Also, adding buffers between the road and sidewalks will add to pedestrian safety.

Vacancy Challenges

The commercial districts in East and Lower Price Hill have lots of abandoned commercial buildings, which are difficult to advertise to new businesses. Each building would have to be renovated before people would be willing to move in.

Vacancy Opportunities

Vacant buildings give the community more choice in what they want to occupy the space. These vacancies allow more room for growth in commercial districts in East and Lower Price Hill, with businesses that residents will actually use.

Natural Environment Challenges

East Price Hill has many open lots of green space that are under-utilized or empty. Lower Price Hill has direct access to the Mill Creek, but residents feel disdain towards the creek due to decades of pollution and industrialization.

Natural Environment Opportunities

Cleaning up the Mill Creek and adding direct water access will help mend the relationship between residents and the creek. Plus, converting open green lots to parks, gardens, or playgrounds will allow more space for outdoor activities.

Identity Challenges

When undergoing redevelopment, many neighborhoods lose what made them unique. As development continues in the Incline District, it is important to pay attention to who the development is serving and how to keep the feel of the area in tact.

Identity Opportunities

Keeping the original architecture of buildings and developing towards the needs of the community will help to keep the neighborhood distinct and also better the quality of life for existing residents. Finding a balance is crucial for maintaining identity.

Commercial District Design

The Warsaw Avenue commercial district mainly faces the problem of heavy through-traffic on the road but little to no engagement with businesses on the street itself. Because of this, pedestrians must be kept in mind when planning and more activities along the street need to be created. The first problem can be combated by adding trees and parking lanes as buffers between pedestrians and moving vehicles. To garner more activity, parking lots can be converted into social spaces on select days to draw in locals.

To make pedestrians along Warsaw Avenue feel safer, the road can be narrowed with an added parking lot and a row of trees can be placed next to the sidewalk, as shown above. A dedicated parking lane also allows parking lots to be free for events.

Example of a converted event space.

Rendering of the same space with a different event example.