Another Dayton: Daytonology Heads North

The local blogosphere is pretty much focused on just a handful of local places, mostly in the city. Suburban focus is usually pejorative, directed at the new I-75/Austin Road interchange. Or the bias is "South" or to Greene County.

But this is a metropolitan area between 500,000 and 1,000,000 population. So there is a lot more to say.

Another "Dayton" that's not heard much from is points north. At best readers may have a vague impression of this area as a set of soundwalls along I-75 bleeding into an edge city and a big interstate interchange on the way to or from the airport. And, maybe, that dramatic Cargill plant off Needmore Road may be a landmark for some.

Daytonology aims to exit the interstate and explore beyond the off-ramps and soundwalls in an ongoing inquiry into points north, mainly the area shown here, inside the red line:

...which would be the communities of Vandalia, Butler Township and "Northridge", which is a mix of Harrison Township and areas within Dayton city limits.

Historical growth: By the start of the 1970s the area had grown around some early pre-war development (shaded in red)...

And between the 1970s and today more filling in....

....yet topography and landscape defined limits to growth, or guided development somewhat.

Daytonology will be weaving in occasional posts about various features "north". This graphic shows a few points of interest:


(you can click on the image to enlarge)

Some themes or topics that may or may not be investigated:

• The National Road
• Country Villages
• Interurban Suburbia
• Highways
• Suburbanization of Industry
• Vintage Trailer Parks
  
• Development of an Edge City
• The Airport
• The Valleys (now you see them/now you don't)
  
• Deweese Parkway
  
• Conservancy District Terraforming and Greenbelts
• Interurban Suburbia
• Life in the Dollhouse: California Style in Dayton
• The Postwar Boom in Vandalia
  
• The Strip
• The Ridge
• Motels & Road Culture
• The Ranchettes of Marianne Country Estates
  
• Gentlemens Clubs & Flea Markets
  
• Local Eats
• Miller Lane's World of Signs
• Suburban Poverty & Transit Dependence
  

Daytonology will experiment in using Landscape Urbanism as an interpretive framework, seeing "North" whole, but then zooming for a microgeographical analyses to find the figures in the carpet. Pop culture and postwar suburban vernaculars might (heck, will) feature in occasional posts.

And, just for kicks, here's the Landscape Urbanism BS Generator(beta)

So stay tuned for more suburban studies.