AKRON — Next to an underused Akron highway sits a temporary forest with dozens of plants, a walking trail and a play area for students.
The forest's mission? To grow ideas on what the future looks like for the adjacent decommissioned Akron Innerbelt.
READ MORE I New life for underused Akron highway
The decades-old highway was built on about 35-acres. It was put in place with the capacity to carry about 120,000 cars, but at just 10 percent of its full capacity, the Innerbelt took up more space than it needed.
The city of Akron has taken steps to remove the Innerbelt, rerouting traffic and freeing more than 30 acres for future development or public space.
That generated ideas for the future free space, including an idea from artist Hunter Franks to host a meal on the highway about three years ago. Franks brought together 500 people for one shared meal on a 500-foot long table on the Innerbelt in October 2015.
His latest project with the League of Creative Interventionists was to create a temporary forest to promote and encourage ideas on the highway's future use and the possibility of a permanent green space to connect neighboring communities to downtown Akron.
The forest has also hosted its "Music in the Forest" series aimed at bringing people together to experience the green space and reimagine how the area will be utilized in the future. The next event is scheduled for Sept. 14 with Floco Torres.