¹ú²ú¾«Æ·

Two classes. One neighborhood. Generations of stories brought back to light.

In the Spring 2025 semester, students in BCAS took on the challenge of mapping what no longer exists — and, in the process, revealed the enduring impact of urban renewal on Akron’s communities. Through the [E]XL Center for Community Engaged Learning’s latest [Un]class collaboration, students explored the history of Howard Street and the surrounding neighborhoods erased during the construction of the Innerbelt in the 1960s and 1970s.

Part of a three-course arc on Akron’s lost neighborhoods, the current [Un]class, Disconnected Communities, is a joint effort between Dr. Hillary Nunn’s English students and Dr. Shanon Donnelly’s Geosciences students. English students focused on uncovering untold stories from community meetings and archival records, while the GIS students transformed that research into a digital StoryMap, visualizing communities that no longer appear on today’s maps. Their goal? To reinsert lost narratives into Akron’s public consciousness — and provide a platform for future research and healing.

“An [Un]class allows students to engage in open-ended areas of community study through hands-on investigative work,” said Rachael Herman, an English major and participant in the project. “For this course, we’re focusing on urban renewal in Akron and the lives changed by the displacement of those from the Innerbelt area.”

The Disconnected Communities [Un]class is the third in a series of EX[L] research projects centered on Howard Street. The first, ’Round Howard Street, explored the neighborhood’s vibrant jazz culture. The second uncovered connections between Howard Street and . With Disconnected Communities, students shifted focus to the consequences of urban renewal — what was lost, what remains, and how communities might begin to reconnect.

“This collaboration showed us how GIS and archival research go hand in hand to show what ‘blight’ really meant in Akron’s Innerbelt construction,” said Nunn. “And community meetings have been a fantastic means of showing students how much this still matters to Akron today."

The culmination of their work was presented on May 7 at the Vernon Odom Boulevard Branch Library. For many students, it was the first time the two classes met in person to share their research with each other and with community members, faculty, and local residents.

“The StoryMap helped us overcome scheduling challenges and bring our research together into one cohesive project,” Herman said. “It was powerful to see the impact our work had, and to hear from others how it might support future research or even policy decisions.”

Related:

• The blog series, with student reflections on community events, public exhibits, and their research journeys, is available on the .
• Explore the final StoryMap:
• Discover community engaged learning at ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·'s EX[L] Center

Story by Lisa Craig, BCAS Marketing, lmc91@uakron.edu.