From the ‘‘Former Rubber Capital of the World’’ to Space of Hope? Refugees and Urban Transformations in Akron, Ohio

The US city of Akron, Ohio, has long struggled with the effects of urban decline. Once the ‟Rubber Capital of the World,” the city has experienced significant downscaling during the twenty-first century, marked by an economic downturn and declining population numbers. However, the city has become an important site for refugee resettlement in Ohio, and its North Hill neighborhood has emerged as what one could call a ‟laboratory” for urban revitalization led by the refugees. The paper analyzes refugee arrival in Akron through the lens of hope, both for the newcomers and their arrival city. It shows that Akron’s North Hill neighborhood has become a fragile space of hope for a city administration seeking means for urban revitalization, and for refugee groups who shape it through everyday citizenship and place-making.