General News Planning efforts by University of Cincinnati students to polish the environmental appeal of a Price Hill neighborhood is reaping praise from the neighborhood residents and activists and from the nation's professional planners. Price Hill residents aren't alone in their appreciation for the ideas by 20 UC graduate planning students to make this urban neighborhood an ecological cornerstone for the city. The student work has also been named a winner in the American Institute of Certified Planners' national competition for students. In addition, their work will be published in the April issue of Planning, the APA's national magazine. Students agree that the recognition for their work, completed last spring is great, but even better is the fact that their efforts are taking root and growing in Price Hill.
Many planners work hard only to see their ideas put up on a shelf.
We didn't want that to happen. So, we deliberately made them very practical, low-cost. We didn't want to get ahead of ourselves or the community by proposing grandiose schemes. We're looking to make a more liveable community that also rests more lightly on the earth, moving in concert with nature. We've taken an abandoned bowling alley and transformed it into a housing center where residents can get information on buying a house, take home repair classes, and find out about rental property.