Firestone Plant 1

This project grew out of my involvement with a multi-disciplinary group of preservation professionals, architects, planners, and community stakeholders examining the future of Firestone Plant 1 in Akron, Ohio. My role has focused on advocacy and historic research for cultural landscape designation application.

The potential demolition of Firestone Plant 1 raises broader questions about how post-industrial cities manage legacy assets. In this case, the discussion around Firestone has highlighted the importance of distinguishing between structural feasibility and policy direction. How do municipal systems handle complex historic properties when they become difficult? What are the metrics and framing being used to justify demolition, how are they pliable, where can existing policies be updated to favor adaptive reuse just as equally demolition?

This research reflects my interest in approaching complex sites through integrated analysis, and research in: history, environmental systems, and policy.