Urban Oasis

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Year: 2024

Status: Concept Design

What if Cincinnati had preserved the canal and leveraged its proximity to the river to develop a thriving water-based economy and promote environmental stewardship?

This collage integrates the past and the future of the water, featuring the social and ecological functions of water embraced by the built environment.

Concept Collage: Liberation in the Water

The existing underutilized water resources present an opportunity to explore innovative design scenarios by examining both historical and contemporary contexts. Our project envisions the restoration of the Miami-Erie Canal through ecological design interventions, including Nature-Based Solutions (NbS).

Imagining the Miami-Erie Canal and surrounding Green Network

Miami-Erie Canal

The Miami-Erie Canal (Figure 1),

established in 1845, exemplified this importance as a waterway connecting the Ohio River to Lake Erie. It linked key cities in Ohio, including Cincinnati and Toledo, facilitating trade and contributing to their growth throughout the 19th century.

In the 20th century, urban renewal and shifts in transportation rendered the canal obsolete within a few decades. After the subway construction was abandoned, a wide Central Parkway was built atop the former canal to accommodate rising automobile traffic. While the parkway retains some historical character, many citizens nostalgically reflect on the canal's former significance, viewing its loss as a missed opportunity for public space development.

Miami-Erie Canal in the 1880s (Image: The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County)

Central Parkway (Now)

Ohio Watershed

Today, Cincinnati and its surrounding areas face substantial environmental disparities linked to a 20th century industrial legacy. The Ohio River and Mill Creek in Cincinnati are recognized as one of the most contaminated watersheds in the United States. Despite a recent economic revival, challenges related to pollution and public health persist, underscoring the need for sustainable design strategies. Furthermore, the extensive presence of impervious surfaces in the urban core exacerbates stormwater runoff and intensifies the urban heat island effect, diminishing the effective use of public spaces.

Ohio River and Mill Creek in Cincinnati

Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)

Building on this research, the design proposals will include prototypes of ecological interventions for residual buildings, streets, and infrastructure, integrating various Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) at multiple scales to support the vision of canal restoration.

The U.S. Department of the Interior defines Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as actions that incorporate natural features and processes to protect, conserve, restore, and sustain ecosystems, addressing socio-environmental challenges by integrating green and blue infrastructure, such as bioswales, constructed wetlands, rain gardens, and green roofs.

Street Intervention incorporating Green Infrastructure/ NbS

Canal Typology

The typological design iterations could align with the surrounding topography and urban density to enhance public space, improve pedestrian connectivity, and manage stormwater, thus supporting multiple functions of the canal and Ohio Riverfront.

Canal Typology in the Residential Block

Conceptual Renderings of the Miami-Erie Canal

NbS mitigates flood events by slowing overland flow and facilitating groundwater infiltration. NbS also increases biodiversity and reduce urban heat islands.

Ohio River and the surrounding watershed will incorporate at various scales, connecting the riverfront and the urban core by multiple water-related programs, including urban agriculture.

Conceptual Renderings of the Ohio Riverwalk and Urban Farm

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