Industrial rehabilitation in Indianapolis

Outside the busy inner cities of America lie depressed industrial neighborhoods whose deteriorated streets and buildings no longer interest large-scale manufacturing or commercial enterprises. One such district is the near south-side industrial area in Indianapolis. My proposal is to rehabilitate this area through the integration of habitation and work environments into an emerging type of urban community. This idea is a synthesis of two growing trends which are taking place in Europe and the United States. The first is the European model of integrating life and work into small manufacturing enterprises. The second is the “small business incubator” which is beginning to prove very successful in the United States. This project will incorporate the reuse of existing structures for commercial, industrial, and residential units with new structures which combine housing and small industry. This project will provide new opportunities to this neighborhood and serve as a prototype for other industrial areas.College of Architecture and PlanningThesis (B. Arch.