Cleveland's 15-Minute City Planning Introduction
Walkable neighborhoods and development in Cleveland
A planning framework and model based on an ideal geography where "human needs and desires" are accessible in a 15 minute walk, bike ride, or transit trip.
The 15-minute city planning framework aggregates many of the city's past and current goals such as climate action, equitable land use policies, and healthy neighborhoods for all into a comprehensive and understandable strategy to provide quality neighborhoods for Clevelanders.
"The 15-minute framework" refers to the overall concept and goal of building a 15-minute city & creating 15-minute neighborhoods, and is a general approach we can use to make decisions on land use policy, funding requests from developers and organizations, and other choices related to city action and investment.
"The 15-minute index" specifically refers to the data model below, and all of the constituent assumptions and data points. It is the map of our current, and perhaps our future ideal, city.
We built a data-driven GIS model that maps the City’s current conditions and access to a general basket of needs and desires that support a high quality of life.
The result highlights current nodes of access to services & amenities in the database.
Higher-scoring areas have more needs/amenities accessible within a 15 minute walk.
Overall, the goal of this analysis is to inform strategies that build off existing high-scoring nodes, shrink low-scoring nodes, and improve walkability in each area.
High-scoring areas are generally areas of greater opportunity and human interaction , while low-scoring areas (that aren't industrial or transportation corridors like rail/highways) require more investment.
The city needs to focus public and private investment to increase access to opportunity where it exists, in the city and across our region, and foster opportunities in areas that continue to lack investment.
Use the toggles below to see examples of how the model analyzes assets across our region. The index is built using the location of regional assets.
Continue scrolling to see some examples of policy areas we can develop using this model, and the 15-minute framework in general.
Example: Modernize our Zoning
15-minute neighborhoods should have a variety of housing options, serving all Clevelanders.
There are many areas of opportunity in Cleveland, but our current zoning map severely limits the provision of "missing middle" and other urban, transit supportive housing types. This is known as "Exclusionary Zoning" , and by and large it has been our land use policy for almost 100 years. Use the toggle below to see how this looks in Cleveland.
The 15-minute city framework can inform were we should test and implement reforms to the city's zoning code to achieve a variety of goals, such as:
- Permitting accessory dwelling units as recommended in Cleveland's 10-Year Housing Plan.
- Permitting housing near RTA stations, then actively developing it, to support our transit system and put infrastructure to use
- Addressing displacement pressure in high-opportunity areas by focusing and permitting new construction on vacant land/buildings .
- Identifying areas and sites for permanently affordable/social housing developments.
- Exploring vehicular parking code revisions to support more housing types and achieve our climate goals.
- New Form-Based Code
There are many benefits to reap by replacing Exclusionary Zoning with more equitable policies better aligned with our goals and vision for Cleveland. The 15-minute city framework can help guide the city towards implementing a fairer system for land use.
Example: Tree Canopy Restoration & Connectivity
Understanding the availability and quality of access to 15-minute city amenities can inform land use decisions and improve walking connections for kids and families.
In partnership with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy , we are using the 15-minute city model to guide tree plantings that support existing and desired connections to key neighborhood destinations, like schools.
The model helps us pick land bank parcels to priortize for tree plantings that adjoin designated Safe Routes to School, and are not necessarily immediate priorities for development. Trees make neighborhoods nicer and help address the Urban Heat Island Effect .
Example: Transportation & Safety
Currently, a high score doesn't mean a high-quality built environment.
Increasing the safety and walkability of Cleveland's neighborhoods is essential to maintaining vibrant spaces, and regenerating former ones.
The 15-minute city framework must be paired with other initiatives to make Cleveland's streets safer and greener. Work done under the city's Vision Zero Action Plan and changes made in the revised Complete and Green Streets ordinance can all compliment the goal of a 15-minute city.
Traffic safety and mobility does not end at the curb, and this model can help us understand where supporting the built environment could also help us achieve Vision Zero.
Example: Transportation & Safety
Lee Road is a timely opportunity.
Lee Road, from Throckley to Miles, is a High Crash Segment identified as particularly unsafe by the city's Vision Zero taskforce. Lee Road and Harvard Avenue is also a priority safety intersection.
The city of Shaker Heights also plans to renovate Lee Road in its boundaries , so the time is right to reimagine this street and how it can meet the city's goal to provide safe, walkable neighborhoods for all ages and abilities.
Lee Rd near Harvard, looking North. While this area has many amenities, it is not conducive to walking, biking, or riding transit.
What's next
Integrating data and refining our tools
Fundamentally, the 15-minute city framework is an approach that starts in data analysis and planning principles, is enriched with and shaped by community engagement and conversation, and results in policies and decisions that make mesasurable impacts in Cleveland's neighborhoods.
Over the next several months, we plan to refine the model and the data that drives it. For example, while Clevelanders are generally well connected to city parks, the quality and relatability of those assets are not yet reflected in this work. We want that process to be paired with engagement and input from residents all over the city.
The framework also connects in to related work such as transit policy, capital investments, and economic development. We plan to publish more stories on how the 15-minute framework and data model are informing innovation in those areas as well.
Please stay tuned for more updates on our website: https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/ , and If you have any questions or comments about this story please reach out at cityplanning@clevelandohio.gov
