Ground Breaking On Global Green Urban Agriculture Project

Friday May 20 soil testing began in the Oak Hill neighborhood on various abandoned city lots.  Youngstown State University (YSU) students Mike Perry, Nate Wilson, and Danni Wilson collected soil samples on these city lots under the supervision of YSU Professor Dr. Felicia Armstrong and assistance from City of Youngstown Planning Fellow Jason Langer.  Pictured to the right, Mike Perry and Jason Langer collect composite soil samples from 6"-10" deep using a soil probe.  This group of researchers were collecting and analyzing soil samples for Global Green USA in partner with the City of Youngstown to see if there is any sort of contamination before any initial plans of planting produce on these lots progress.  Once the soil testing is complete the YSU researchers plan to put test garden plots on these areas to see how the plants grow and further analyze the bio-accessible contaminants on these lots.  The main potential contaminants of concern are likely heavy metals.  Graduate student Mike Perry is using this project as an opportunity for his thesis research.  Global Green plans to use these lots for a large scale urban agriculture project.  More updates and details about Global Greens project will be available upon its progression.

Population Distribution by Ward from 1990-2011

The recent available results of the 2010 Census show Youngstown's continually shrinking population to stand just short of 67,000 residents, which is down nearly 30% from the 1990 population of 95,706.  It is well known that Youngstown is a shrinking city, but what about the distribution of its population through the city's 7 wards, or which parts of the city is experiencing the majority of the population loss.

The following map shows the location of the 7 wards within the city

 The following chart show the population distribution by ward from 1990-2010

Ward 4 has lost the least amount of residents over all since 1990, making ward 4 the highest and most consistently populated ward since 1990.  The least populated ward from 1990-2000 was ward 1.  Since the 2010 Census data has become available the least populated ward is now ward 6, which has experienced a 45% population loss since 1990.  Wards 2, 3, and 5 have also experienced a population loss slightly above the city average loss of 30% since 1990.  Wards 1, 4, and 7 have experienced a loss below the city average of 30% loss since 1990. 

Youngstown Gains International Interest

Early this month director of Youngstown's Community Development Agency (CDA), William D'Avignon, was contacted by two separate international parties who have developed interests in Youngstown.  Planning to visit Youngstown are two doctorate students from Germany's  RWTH University Aachen, Martin Pudlik and Cyryl Garus, who are working on their dissertations on the development of regional analysis on industrialized regions in Poland and Germany.  Mr. Pudlik and Mr. Garus wish to expand their research to the industrialized areas in Midwestern United States.  The students have asked Mr. D'Avignon to meet with them on Tuesday, October 19th, to discuss issues in Youngstown.

Mr. D'Avignon also spoke with Dr. Sadatsugu Nishiura a professor who is teaching urban planning at Meisei University in Tokyo.  Dr. Nishiura's main area of research is city and regional planning.  For the past 15 years he has been doing research on American planning, and has published many papers on topics such as growth management and smart growth.  Recently Dr. Nishiura has gained an interest in the Youngstown 2010 plan and has many questions and inquiries.  Dr. Nishiura along with a dozen other planners will be visiting Youngstown in October.  Mr.D'Avignon has agreed to meet with them on Monday, October 25th, to discuss the Youngstown 2010 plan.  This will be the second time that they have visited Youngstown.