I was a guest on a recent edition of the OSU Arts and Sciences Voices of Excellence podcast, hosted by Prof. David Staley. In this podcast, we talk about CURA’s Ghost Neighborhoods of Columbus project which uses AI, machine learning, and GIS to extract data from historic Sanborn fire insurance maps and construct 3D virtual models of neighborhoods that have been altered or destroyed by urban renewal, highway construction, and redlining.
Urban history
Ghost Neighborhoods project demo at Poindexter Village event
At a public event at the Union Grove Baptist Church on the Near East Side neighborhood of Columbus, the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) teamed up with the Sharpe Field Library to demonstrate the 3D urban models of historically Black neighborhoods being created by CURA’s Ghost Neighborhoods of Columbus project. CURA is developing these 3D models to give people an immersive and visceral feeling of what Black neighborhoods were like before highway construction, disinvestment due to redlining and urban renewal projects. Participants were able to experience a VR simulation of Poindexter Village in 1940, and interacted with the model of Mt. Vernon Ave in 1951 on iPads. Participants also provided some very valuable feedback on the model interfaces, and the historical authenticity of the representations.
The Ohio History Connection organized the event to highlight plans for a new Columbus African American history museum, opening in February 2028. CURA’s 3D models will be featured in the museum. Harvey Miller, Jordan Swaim-Fox, Karyn Kerdolff, Summer Ha (CURA) and Adam Tjoelker (Sharpe Field Library) were at the event.
Ghost Neighborhoods and Bronzeville Universe collaboration
The Center for Urban and Regional Analysis and Artfluential co-hosted a community visioning workshop at the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center on Wednesday, July 24th. The event brought together two initiatives: CURA’s Ghost Neighborhoods project and Artfluential’s Bronzeville Universe branding campaign.
Read more about this exciting new collaboration
