Abstract:
Many cities in the United States are in need of redeveloped urban spaces to reverse the decline of the city and its neighborhoods. Urban redevelopment can help to reconnect communities and draw more people downtown rather than to the suburbs, while saving rural areas for natural resources. Redeveloping these spaces and providing sustainable affordable housing will rejuvenate neighborhoods to include residents on all economic levels.Brownfields have become a major crisis in the urban fabric of American cities. These areas are frequently eyesores that are contaminated by waste and therefore a safety hazard to the public. After intense clean-up and revitalization these spaces can become engaging attractions that include amenities and places to live and work.After a Brownfield or dilapidated neighborhood has been revitalized, it is important that its new use will be conducive to the context of the neighborhood. The amenities, including the scale of the development and affordability of housing and services within the development, are important factors to consider when planning for a new community. The new and existing neighborhoods must correlate together to create an effective patch in the urban fabric.The greater Cincinnati area lacks affordable urban communities that are in good working and living conditions. This study explored the possibilities for and impacts of the development of a sustainable urban mixed-use community to draw all types of people to downtown areas rather than to suburbs and contributing to urban sprawl. Its particular focus is providing affordable housing in a new development.