Scholarly Commons @ MiamiOH
Scholarly Commons is a service of the Miami University libraries. Research and scholarly output included here has been selected and deposited by the individual university departments and centers on campus. To learn more about Scholarly Commons, please visit our FAQ page.
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Communities in Scholarly Commons
Recent Submissions
Data archive for "Escalated wheel running in the activity-based anorexia model develops in male and female adolescent C57BL/6J mice"
(2026) Lily Connolly; Anna Radke
Rebuilding community: designing a community center for the enrichment and social engagement of a diverse youth
(2026) Grant, Austin;
It’s a recurring trend that the fate of many community centers is to become an operable, yet irrelevant space that people simply ignore, or to become simply abandoned. Many community center buildings have lost traction as true ‘centers for community engagement’ and have been repurposed as gymnasiums, weight rooms, and community pools. While this still drives some community engagement and belonging, it doesn’t quite fit the needs of every community. The main problems currently plaguing community centers nationwide include insufficient funding, difficulty measuring impact, recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers, lack of effective community outreach, and irrelevant or unsustainable program. In order for community centers to be successful, they must not only be physically accessible, but locationally accessible. Community centers must aim to fill the gap that exists in communities, whether that be a lack of access to good education and GED programs, or a lack of access to fresh produce and affordable food. Another reason for this research is the current lack of community among people. In recent years (especially post-Covid) people have become more isolated, and community has become less mandatory for people and places in day-to-day life. Things like food, friends, family, ideas, and everything in between can be accessed remotely through the use of technology, and people have begun to lose the importance of true human connection and interaction.
Understanding the principles of the human experience provides a solid foundation to begin exploring the importance of human connection and engagement, and what it means to be a part of a community. Through literature review it is possible to learn how architecture impacts the human experience, and how to use architecture to facilitate engagement and specific behaviors. Through interviews and archival research it becomes possible to learn how specific communities differ in their practices and needs. By first understanding what a community wants/needs, there can be further development of a community center based on those needs.
This research is relevant to all communities that currently lack a space where people can come together for the benefit of one another. The lack of community engagement and interaction in recent years has led to the abandonment and irrelevance of community centers across the country, and a new set of principles and practices is required in order to reshape the community center into something more usable. By redefining the framework of what makes a community center, cities can be better prepared to provide spaces for community engagement and interaction that will last far longer than the community centers we see today that fall to the wayside after initial excitement dies down.
Immersive exhibits: inspiring empathy through design
(2026) Frederick, Andrew;
This thesis seeks to explore how zoos can bring a connection to nature within a modern, urban society, and how this connection can be mutually beneficial to both humans and the animals in captivity.
This design seeks to synthesize applying knowledge of animal welfare and husbandry to exhibit design with creating opportunities for people to get close encounters with the animals. Balancing these needs, the goal is an environment where the human presence is minimized, and guests feel as if they are in the habitat of the animals. Furthermore, these close encounters and transparency of animal husbandry will provide educational opportunities for guests, inspiring empathy and a sense of stewardship towards nature.
From edge to edge: reimagining the city without boundaries
(2026) Dalakyan, Viktoriya;
Physical and juridical separations—such as highways, industrial zones, zoning policies, and socio-political structures—continue to reinforce socio-economic polarization and spatial segregation in contemporary cities. Gated communities represent one of the most explicit manifestations of this condition, operating through both visible barriers and less perceptible systems of exclusion. Expanding beyond their traditional definition, this thesis interprets gated communities as a broader urban phenomenon encompassing physical, economic, administrative, symbolic, social, and biopolitical boundaries. Through a combination of literature review, typological analysis, and case studies—including observations of gated developments in Chicago and boundary conditions in Cincinnati— this research examines how these layered separations shape urban experience and social relations. Particular focus is given to the Village of St. Bernard, understood as a village scale gated condition embedded within a larger metropolitan context. Fieldwork, visual documentation, and analytical mapping reveal how infrastructural, industrial, and administrative divisions contribute to fragmentation and disconnection. In response, the thesis proposes an alternative design approach that reimagines these boundaries as opportunities for connection rather than division. By introducing a dispersed, non-linear socio-economic corridor through the industrial landscape, the project aims to foster interaction, diversify economic activity, and reconnect isolated communities. Ultimately, this work argues for a shift from exclusionary spatial models toward “gateless” urban environments that prioritize accessibility, integration, and social cohesion.
ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTIONS FOR POST INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE RESTORATION AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
(2026) Akhter, Saida;
This thesis investigates how architecture can operate within contaminated landscapes by reframing soil as an active medium of ecological, cultural, and spatial transformation. Focusing on the Tar Creek Superfund Site in Oklahoma, the project addresses the long term environmental and social impacts of lead and zinc mining on Quapaw tribal lands, where contamination, displacement, and ecological collapse remain ongoing.
Drawing on regenerative design, Indigenous ecological knowledge, and the ecology of knowledges, the research proposes “earth architecture” as a framework for post-industrial environmental justice. Within this framework, architecture operates as a form of geological prosthetic supporting damaged ground systems rather than imposing upon them. The project develops a phased, process-driven approach that integrates underground stabilization of mining voids, phytoremediation through native plant systems, and ecological zoning across wetlands, prairies, and productive landscapes.
Repository landforms act as both containment infrastructure and cultural markers, referencing Indigenous mound-building traditions while safely storing contaminated material. Through qualitative methods, including case study analysis and site-based research, the thesis identifies strategies for aligning remediation with community resilience.
Ultimately, it argues that healing land is inseparable from restoring cultural relationships, positioning architecture as a long-term participant in ecological recovery and collective healing rather than a static object of design.