Background on the Hill District
The Hill District, one of ninety neighborhoods, is on the cusp of a major transition. While residents welcome the opportunities that come from increased investment in the area, they are worried about being pushed out. They have reason to worry. In the 1960s, to make way for development of a new civic area, developers bulldozed the business district that had been the core of the Hill District community, and 8000 residents and 400 businesses were displaced.
In a public meeting concerning the Lower Hill development in the late 1950s, one official noted that “Approximately 90 percent of the buildings in the area [lower Hill] are sub-standard, and have long outlived their usefulness, and so there would be no social loss if these were all destroyed.”As developers are eying the Hill District once again, the community is striving to ensure that longtime Hill residents are part of the renaissance rather than becoming victims of it.
Approach for Our Project
We aim to enable the Hill District community members to share their stories to encourage richer dialogue about the neighborhood’s past and future, between residents and non-residents. We hope that it can help not only map history, but also help map the future of the Hill District.
Research and Design Process
Final Concept
A place-based story and information database, the content of which is collected from policy and community sources, aggregated, and then accessed via a centralized website, as well as provocations in the world that both supplement the site and publicize it.
Intracommunity Storytelling
Empower the community to collect, share and understand one another’s stories in order to help strengthen their existing network.
Design Principle
Afford use by young and old, easily accessible. Allow people to both contribute stories and ideas, and see and interact with those of others. Create a collection of stories that will outlive the individuals who carry them now.
Policy Priniciple
Mayor-elect Bill Peduto has published several policy papers highlighting the importance of bringing communities together around a table to discuss common challenges in their neighborhoods. The creation of this repository will work towards this important goal. It is important for communities to create strong relationships within themselves, which can lead to greater familiarity, lower crime, and a larger support network. This tool will create stronger internal communities which will require less outside assistance, which is a positive result of this policy.
Community Advocacy
Inform discussions with policymakers and development groups in order to enable a shared vision of the future.
Design Principle
Collecting disparate stories and information, now only available by getting to know residents overtime, to help make information more accessible and easier to aggregate.
Policy Principle
Better mapping of history and priorities can help the community advocate better for themselves. Better mapping of history and priorities can help development groups avoid stepping on toes unnecessarily, and know where they need to do additional community outreach work before moving forward.
Nonresident Interaction
Encourage non-residents to look beyond their preconceptions and understand how the Hill’s rich history informs the complexities of the present, as well as the community’s hopes and fears for the future.
Design Principle
Share the authentic voice and history of the Hill District to help non-residents empathize with the frustrations and heartbreak in its past. Provide non-residents with opportunities to explore the Hill District both virtually and in-place.
Policy Principle
The more non-residents understand the Hill District, the more they will care about what happens there, and more allies helps soft power of the Hill District community. Some non-residents may also be prospective future residents, if they know more about the Hill District they may be more likely to approach the move into the neighborhood respectfully.
Final Poster
Design and Policy 