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Susan Lucas, assistant teaching professor in 51��Ʒ��Ƶ’s Urban Studies Program, and colleague Dawna Cerney, a professor at Youngstown State University, were awarded the 2024 Mon Valley Initiative Community Partner of the Year for their work on the SEED for Swissvale project.  The award recognizes projects and partnerships that aid “the recovery of post-industrial communities within the Mon Valley through rebuilding or creating community infrastructure or linking people and employers.” 

The initial scope of the SEED for Swissvale project was mapping vacant land in Swissvale borough, located on the Monongahela River, just above the site of Carrie Blast Furnaces historical site. Mapping efforts began in summer 2023 with students designing and carrying out a survey of vacant land parcels in Swissvale. Since then, students have been using census data and GIS to map socioeconomic and demographic variables, highlighting disparities between Swissvale and nearby Regent Square. Next steps will include “data walks,” an interactive way for community stakeholders to share information about vacant land and potential future uses. 

Central to the project is the active involvement of students from both the 51��Ʒ��Ƶ and Youngstown State University. 51��Ʒ��Ƶ students involved in SEED for Swissvale include:

• Aurora Slovensky (A&S ’24)
• Piper Narendorf, a senior Urban Studies major
• Cara Steinberg, a senior environmental studies major
• Tommy Berensen, a junior Urban Studies major

In Spring 2025, new students will join the project and begin planning the data walks.  The project provides students with hands-on experience in several critical areas, including citizen engagement, data collection design and geographic information systems. This direct involvement not only enhances the students’ practical skills but helps them understand citizen engagement, respecting community values and bottom-up approaches to planning.