Cleve[landscape]
Conceptualizing Equity + Environmental Justice through Public Space in Cleveland
The Project
Cleve[landscape] aims to highlight the potential opportunities for equity and environmental justice initiatives in Cleveland, Ohio. This project endeavors to inspire bold action - public, private, local, state, and federal - to address environmental injustice and improve the lives of residents living in marginalized communities in Cleveland.
The following Story Map was created by 10 graduate landscape architecture students from Cornell University in Fall 2022. Students first assessed the big picture of Cleveland’s public space and infrastructure network – parks, trails, roads, land use, health impacts, current urban initiatives - and how these serve or do not serve communities in need. The latter part of the semester entailed zooming in on particular sites that held the biggest potential and impact to improve equity and environmental justice through speculative transformation.
“The concept of environmental justice is that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin, have the right to live, work, and recreate in a clean and safe environment. But historically, that hasn’t been the case. Too many citizens, particularly in Cleveland, live in neighborhoods where environmental factors lead to health problems, poor quality of life, or even lack of basic resources” - FreshWater Cleveland, www.freshwater.org
City Overview
Situated in Northeastern Ohio, on the southern shore of Lake Erie, the City of Cleveland was founded around the mouth of the Cuyahoga River.

Pre-development, the land was occupied by indigenous people spread across a fertile plain replete with streams that carried overland flow from broad watersheds to adjacent bodies of water. Many (but not all) of these streams and landscape corridors have been covered since that time.

A port city replete with rich histories of industry, migration, and innovation, Cleveland has experienced the boom and bust of the rust belt with large shifts in demographics throughout a complicated past.

Today, the economic growth of Cleveland is focused on manufacturing, healthcare, biomedical, and finance. With a history of redlining, environmental contamination, and racial inequities, the built form of the city is divided between areas of economic strength and lower-income areas with high vacancies. Cleveland is a city with great potential to be reimagined through urban investment in its marginalized neighborhoods to be more equitable and provide substantive measures of environmental justice.
City History
Indigenous people have resided throughout the Great Lakes Region for thousands of years prior to the European settlement of North America. One of the earliest indigenous tribes to dwell in present-day Cleveland included the Eriehronon or Erielhonan (Erie) people .
Cuyahoga Valley is the home of nearly 500 generations of native people, constituting approximately 13,000 years of Ohio’s Native American history. It is the traditional homeland of the Lenape (Delaware), Shawnee, Wyandot Miami, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and other Great Lakes tribes (Chippewa, Kickapoo, Wea, Pinakahsw, and Kaskaskia). In the mid-1800s, indigenous people were either killed or removed from Cleveland by white settlers. In the 1950s , a relocation program brought around 5,000 individuals representing 33 western North American tribes to the Cleveland area.
As a city whose development was influenced by immigration from Europe in the 1800s and by African Americans from the south in the 1900s, it has a diverse history. Located along the southern shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland is a rust belt city, its main economic growth being manufacturing and trade. Located with access to the Erie Canal, Mississippi River, and major railroads, it has been a major shipping hub.
In 1854, as the city grew, Cleveland annexed many neighboring cities and towns, such as Ohio City across the Cuyahoga River to the west. Waves of Black people immigrated to Cleveland during the Great Migration in the early 20th century, hoping to flee racial policies in the South. Between 1910 and 1930, the population of Black people increased by 400%. Discriminatory housing and mortgage practices took effect in the 1940s. This shaped much of the eastern neighborhoods, resulting in a poverty belt. These marginalized communities faced disinvestment, high poverty, less care, and minimal resources, which is still seen today.
Redlining consisted of a discriminatory practice of withholding loans and other sources of support to people living in areas of the city that were deemed high risk, specifically neighborhoods of color. This racist practice was initiated in the 1930s by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, a federal entity, and affected scores of minority neighborhoods in Cleveland and cities across the nation. As a result neighborhoods on Cleveland's east and southeast sides tended to have high poverty, less public investment, and minimal resources with people unable to build wealth through homeownership.
The post-war economic boom made Cleveland one of the most livable cities in the nation; however, high industrial pollution paired with an industrial shift away from railroad and steel jobs led the city to its swift economic downturn. Our approach to conceptualizing equity in Cleveland focuses on mitigating disproportionate environmental justice issues entrenched in its history.
Redlining Map & Current Socio-Economic Attributes
City Analysis
The City of Cleveland has nearly 2,000 acres of City Parkland and nearly 24,000 acres of MetroPark land. While the MetroPark system is extensive and beloved by many residents, it remains inaccessible to inner-city residents on the southeast side. This is due to MetroPark facilities being primarily located beyond the city boundaries. Throughout the city, there are 87 neighborhood parks, 17 recreation centers, and approximately 180 urban gardens that amount to 7% of land use allocated to open spaces, in comparison to the national average of 15%. Within the city boundaries of Cleveland lies a great potential for expanding the city park system and creating a broader, more accessible open space network for inner city residents. ( Cleveland City Planning Commission )
The current network system map provides an overview of the transportation network in Cleveland, Ohio. Much work is being done to “fill in the gaps” of this network for pedestrians and cyclists but the network generally lacks west-to-east connections for residents and has challenges inadequately serving the greater metro area.
Towpath Trail, Redline Greenway, Shared Bus Bike Lane on Euclid Avenue, Opportunity Corridor
The future network system map provides the location of future trail and transit development projects. These aim to provide more substantial intercity connection routes and connect residents to Metro Parks outside of the city boundaries.
The combined sewer system map indicates the locations of wastewater treatment plants and sewer outfalls, both monitored and unmonitored ones, within the purview of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). Combined sewers carry wastewater from houses, factories, etc., and stormwater runoff. During heavy rain situations, the amount of sewage will be beyond the capacity of treatment plants and contaminate nearby water bodies. As of February 2022, a total of 14 outfalls, or discharge locations, have been reduced to zero, 69 have met the Environmental Protection Agency’s acceptable level of compliance, and 43 outfall locations have not met the minimum requirement.
Due to inadequate infrastructure, Cleveland faces serious health risks when sewage mixes with stormwater runoff and overflows into surrounding watersheds each time there is heavy rainfall. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) is legally bound by the Consent Decree, commonly known as Project Clean Water to address, mitigate, and reduce the volume of raw sewage contamination that flows into Lake Erie from 4.5 billion gallons to 494 gallons in 25 years, starting in 2011. The main components of the project are seven large, new storage tunnels and treatment plant improvements. In addition, the project is required to dedicate at least $42 million in green infrastructure projects. NEORSD is working with the City of Cleveland in exploring ways to utilize the masses of vacant lots for these types of projects and create economic opportunities in historically underserved areas.
Sewage overflows in Edgewater Park Beach, NEORSD Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, Euclid Creek Storage Tunnel, Renovation of Public Square as green infrastructure
Cleveland is one of the top urban heat islands in the country, ranking 15th out of 158. Research shows that Cleveland is up to seven times warmer than the average temperature in the state of Ohio, despite its northern location and direct proximity to Lake Erie.
The urban heat island (UHI) effect shows an inverse relationship with tree canopy covering. Several clusters of higher surface temperature overlap with redlined communities which tend to have higher temperatures. Higher temperatures lead to higher utility bills and contribute to the hardship these disadvantaged communities already face. More tree canopy coverage lowers surface and air temperature.
The current tree canopy coverage in Cleveland is 18%, losing 97 acres of coverage every year. According to the Cleveland Tree Plan, the City of Cleveland has lost half of its tree canopy since 1950, and the losses continue to mount. With no intervention, Cleveland will have 14.8% of tree canopy coverage by 2040.
In the past four years, the City and Cuyahoga County have each allocated $1 million per year for tree planting to bring back the dwindling tree canopy. Although the achievements are impressive, there is still a significant decrease in canopy coverage in this region. The city must plant 28,400 trees each year to reach a goal of 30% coverage by 2040. ( Lefkowitz, Oct. 2022 )
Moreover, how the city and county will equitably distribute resources to bring back the region’s tree canopy is another concern. Systemic racism such as redlining and discriminatory lending of banks also led to disinvestment in the urban tree canopy in the city of Cleveland. ( Lefkowitz, Oct. 2022 )
Due to higher industrial land use, Central Cleveland has poorer air quality compared to the rest of the city. The air quality of the city fails to meet EPA standards for ozone and PM2.5, which positions the city as one of the most polluted cities in the United States ( IQAir ). According to a study from t he American Thoracic Society , air pollution in Cleveland has caused 196 deaths and 487 health issues from 2011-2013, putting Cleveland in the top 10 cities having the most air pollution-related health problems in the country.
The eastern areas of Cleveland show a higher rate of asthma. This can be attributed to the northwesterly wind shifting particulate matter to the east. Historically redlined neighborhoods like Hough and Slavic Village suffered the most from asthma, suggesting a relationship between poor environmental quality and racism. ( Rood, Sep. 2022 )
In 2019, Cleveland was ranked as the 5th Most Challenging Place to Live With Asthma by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and in 2022, Cleveland became the 2nd in this ranking. The intersecting areas of high air pollution and asthma rates illustrate disproportionate impacts of pollution, which coincide with neighborhoods impacted by redlining.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Cleveland. In the United States, 610,000 individuals die from heart disease every year. Ohio had the 13th highest rate of deaths from heart disease in the nation. After the age-adjusted rate of deaths from heart disease (196.7 per 100,000), Ohio was 12 percent higher than the rate for the United States. ( ODH, 2020 ) The neighborhoods in dark violet have a higher heart disease rate than the city average. Surprisingly, University Circle has the highest heart disease rate (19.10). The main risk factors for heart disease are influenced by physical conditions, such as high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and diabetes; heart disease is also affected by smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption. The majority of these factors are controllable.
There are currently 356 hazardous sites in Cleveland. Classified by the EPA as Brownfield Properties, Superfund NPL, and Superfund non-NPL sites, these hazardous sites are the remnants of an industrial, rust belt city, as well as a signature of the active industry that exists today. By definition, the EPA defines a brownfield site as “a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Such contaminants can be, but are not limited to, high levels of lead, asbestos, PFAs, petroleum, and other industrial chemicals. These sites pose a variety of health and environmental risks to residents living among them. ( EPA )
Hazardous Sites in Cleveland
Lead levels in Cleveland are some of the highest in the country, with roughly 14.2% of children testing positive for lead poisoning each year. In some neighborhoods, such as St. Clair-Superior, that number jumps to 40%. About 20% of lead exposure comes from drinking water and the remainder comes from lead paint, which is most commonly found in buildings built before 1978. Lead poisoning can lead to devastating long-term effects in children such as stunted intellectual growth, changes to hormones, and compromised cardiovascular and immune systems. ( Reuters , NYTimes )
In the City of Cleveland, there are almost 30,000 vacant lots , with a high density of vacant clusters in the eastern neighborhoods. A majority of these lots are owned either by the City of Cleveland Land Bank or by the county’s Cuyahoga Land Bank. Ongoing research, programs and policy are attempting to address the enormous land area and extensive neighborhood gaps represented by vacant parcels and their potential to add back a host of benefits to communities in need.
Stanard Avenue (Goodrich - Kirtland Park), 7020 Saint Clair Avenue (St. Clair - Superior), 7510 Quincy Avenue (Fairfax), 2169 E 36th St (Central)
The vacant parcels in Cleveland are often used as illegal dumping grounds, which poses an immense health, financial and psychological burden to those living in these neighborhoods.
Public work is equipped with 10 debris crews working daily, 7 crews equipped with dumping trucks, and 3 crews equipped with grapple trucks. The crew is also responsible for cutting weeds in order to eliminate health and safety hazards in vacant lots. Moreover, the city has deployed 15 moveable cameras to dumping hot spots in order to capture illegal dumpers who can face fines of up to $25,000 and a jail sentence of 2 to 4 years. Despite these precautions, the rate of illegal dumping is increasing. ( News 5 Cleveland )
Illegal dumping grounds in Union Miles, Kinsman, South Collinwood, and Cuyahoga Valley
District Analysis
This project divided the city into five districts based on the connections between the neighborhoods and their geographical locations.
District 1 Cleveland West Park neighborhoods
District 2 Neighborhoods along the Cuyahoga River
District 3 CLEVLOT focus areas
District 4 Downtown & University Circle
District 5 Cleveland Northeast neighborhoods
District 1
Cleveland West Park neighborhoods
Edgewater Park in Edgewater, Cleveland Clinic in Kamm's Corners, Tamir Rice Memorial in Cudell, Purita Wetland in Bellaire-Puritas
District 1 Neighborhoods
Located on the western side of Cleveland, District 1 consists of nine neighborhoods: Detroit-Shoreway, Edgewater, Cudell, Stockyard, West Boulevard, Jefferson, Kamm’s Corners, Bellaire-Puritas, and Hopkins. Compared to other districts, District 1 is less densely populated with much fewer initiatives or investments. Edgewater park offers access to the Erie lakefront, while its adjacent neighborhood Cudell is one of the poorest neighborhoods of Cleveland.
Opportunity
Vacant parcels concentrate in the eastern part of district 1 including Cudell, Detroit-Shoreway, and Stockyards, where there is also a large area of high-priority needs parks. The area with a high-priority of parks in Bellaire-Puritas' also overlaps with Purita wetlands which are inaccessible to the public.
Initiatives
- a. Cleveland Business Park (2020)
- b. Old Lorain Road - Rocky River Reservation Access (2021)
- c. Kmart Site Redevelopment (2021)
- d. Puritas Wetland Stormwater Detention Basin (2017)
- e. Bellaire Road Bioremediation (2020)
- f. Abrams Site Industrial Redevelopment (2020)
- g. Lorain/Westown Streetscape Improvement (2020)
- h. Lorain/West 98th Streetscape Improvement (2020)
- i. Tamir Rice Memorial Park (2020)
- j. West 117th Redevelopment (2020)
- k. West 112th Street Site Development (2020)
- l. Detroit Avenue Site Recreation Development (2020)
- m. Edgewater Park Expansion (2020)
- n. Ridge Road-Denison-West67th-Barberton Redevelopment (2020)
- o. West Stockyards Redevelopment (2020)
- p. Stockyards Neighborhood Park (2020)
Exsiting Conditions
New initiatives are mostly linked by future trails. However, most initiatives do not overlap with areas with high-priority needs for parks or with areas where most vacant parcels are located.
District 2
Neighborhoods along the Cuyahoga River
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Industrial Valley, West Side Market, MetroHealth Campus
Located in the middle of the City of Cleveland, District 2 consists of seven neighborhoods. These include Cuyahoga Valley (Industrial Valley), Tremont, Clark-Fulton, Old Brooklyn, Brooklyn Center, Broadway/Slavic village, and Ohio City. These neighborhoods are adjacent to the Cuyahoga River, which flows north-northwest into Lake Erie and bisects the city. While the Cuyahoga River has been a nationally-renowned transportation route for factories, it has suffered from severe industrial pollution. Lining the river are oil refineries and various factories. Also, present along the river are rubber and modern steel industries, built in the Industrial Valley neighborhood which leverages the proximity to the waterway for shipping and trade. Despite all neighborhoods being located directly along the river, most have limited access to the water. In addition, there is much segregation present in those that are further away from Lake Erie. Parks and developed green spaces are a common need within the district.
Oppotunity
The greatest opportunity in District 2 is in close proximity to the water. It could be reimagined through different kinds of redevelopment that could take place within the Industrial Valley as in Irishtown Bend and recommendations provided through the Vision for the Valley project. One new initiative, 25 Connects, has the potential to connect these neighborhoods by improving connections and walkability, as well as introducing a series of economic chain effects to support the investment of transit-oriented development (TOD) for the creation of compact and mixed-use communities. Moreover, there are numerous vacant lots present in Broadway/Slavic village which provide sites for potential developments and neighborhood revitalization.
Initiatives
- Vision for the valley (02/26/2020)
- a1. Old River Channel
- a2. Irish Town Bend
- a3. Collision Bend
- a4. Zaclon Turnaround
- a5. Big Creek Junction
- 25 connects (08/03/2021)
- b1. Franklin Station
- b2. Clark Station
- b3. Metrohealth Station
- b4. Denison Station
- b5. Broadview Station
- Clark Fulton Together (10/08/2021)
- c1. Makers & Artists Avenue
- c2. Neighborhood Center
- c3. Life & Entertainment Center
- c4. Fulton Gateway
- c5. Metrohealth Park
- Old Brooklyn Current Project (12/01/2020)
- d1. Brighton Park
- d2. Metro Health Campus Improvement
- Slavic Village/Broadway Avenue Priority Bus Corridor (02/2017)
- e1. St. Alexis and Velodrome
- e2. Opportunity Corridor Slavic Village TOD
- f. Commerce Park 77 (11/05/2021)
Exsiting Conditions
This map highlights connections, new initiatives, areas in need of open space, and locations of vacant lots which could be sites for potential development. However, currently planned new initiatives only cover a small part of the district. More new developments could be slated in the Industrial Valley, Old Brooklyn, and Broadway/Slavic village.
District 3
CLEVLOT focus areas
Abandoned Westinghouse Factory in Central, Abandoned Masonic Temple in Union-Miles, Opportunity Corridor, Shaker Square in Buckeye-Shaker
Stretching from the southeastern corner towards downtown, this project’s third district includes the neighborhoods of Lee-Harvard, Lee-Seville, Union-Miles, Mt. Pleasant, Buckeye-Shaker, Buckeye-Woodhill, Kinsman, and Central. This district contains some of the highest poverty rates in the country due to redlining, and some of the highest vacant lot concentrations in the region. Lee-Harvard and Lee-Seville differ from the other neighborhoods in the district in that they contain minimal redlined areas and significantly less poverty and vacant lots. The neighborhoods are bordered by suburbs to the south and east, and by other city neighborhoods to the north and west. Access to water bodies is minimal, with Mill Creek to the southeast of Union miles and Lee-Seville. The neighborhoods are mainly housing, with a few schools, stores, public facilities, and numerous vacant small housing parcels. Environment justice initiatives underway are highest in the remainder of the district within the City of Cleveland.
Opportunity
Vacant parcels are densely incorporated within the Central, Kinsman, Buckeye-Woodhill, Buckeye-Shaker, Mt. Pleasant, and Union Miles neighborhoods. These vacancies provide ripe ground for opportunities, such as green spaces, redevelopment, community gardens, parks, civic engagement, and affordable housing.
Initiatives
a. East 55th Street & Woodland - Create a neighborhood shopping center, streetscape improvements, and historic site restoration
b. Opportunity Corridor Focus area - Care Job Zone, Agricyltural Zone
c. Opportunity Corridor Focus area -Care Job Zone, Agricyltural Zone
e. Elevate the East - Streetscape Improvements
f. Buckeye-Woodhill Transformation Plan - Streetscape
g. Larchmere - Maintain real estate mix and improve deteriorated conditions in adjacent neighborhoods
h. Shaker Square - Maintain real estate mix and improve deteriorated conditions in adjacent neighborhoods
i. Buckeye Road - Establish Pedestrian Retail Overlay District east of 116th Street, streetscape, consolidate retail for developing housing and offices at east end
j. Union Miles Master Plan - Murals
k. Union Miles Master Plan - Park
l. Union Miles Master Plan - Restoration and Murals
m. Union Miles Master Plan - Streetscape and Murals
n. Kinsman Road - Retail, architectural restoration, and streetscape improvements
p. Bike Trail Network Expansion along Mill Creek
Exsiting Conditions
This map brings to light the numerous vacant parcels and open spaces for green space, streetscape, housing, and retail (re)developments. Most of the initiatives are concentrated in larger areas, such as near railroads, or in old industrial lots, as well as at major road junctions. Much more exists within the vacant parcels embedded in the communities themselves.
District 4
Downtown & University Circle Areas
Cleveland Downtown, Voinovich Bicentennial Park, Public Square, University Circle
District 4 consists of five neighborhoods: Downtown, Goodrich-Kirtland Park (Asiaown), Hough, University, and Fairfax. Roughly bounded between the Cuyahoga Valley to the west, Lake Erie to the north, and E. 55th Street to the east. Downtown is the central business district and principal employment center of Cleveland and the symbolic center of the city. University Circle is one of America’s densest concentrations of cultural attractions and performing arts venues.
Goodrich-Kirtland Park, Hough, and Fairfax form a corridor between Downtown and University Circle. These neighborhoods were historically redlined and have been underserved. Due to their proximity between two cultural hubs, they are becoming a prime location for redevelopment. These neighborhoods face a tension between gaining wealth and preserving identity in a battle against gentrification.
Opportunity
Opportunity mapping identifies pockets of space that have the potential for new open-space projects. In District 4, most vacant parcels are located in the Hough and Fairfax neighborhoods. According to ParkServe data, blue areas are priority areas that are over 10 minutes away from a park. However, this metric does not necessarily mean there are no open spaces within a 10-minute walk. For instance, a school field or cemetery may be located nearby.
Initiatives
- a. Airport Park (2020)
- b. Greenway Trail (2022)
- c. East Trail (2022)
- d. League Park Commercial Area (Cleveland Public Library - Hough Branch) (2022)
- e. Superior Ave. Business Node (2021)
- f. Midtown Corridor (Cleveland Foundation) (2021)
- g. MLK Plaza (2022)
- h. New Apartment Complexes (2021)
- i. E. 83rd St and Cedar Ave Commercial Center (2019)
- j. Fairfax Recreation Center Expansion (2022)
- k. Arts & Culture District (2022)
- l. Opportunity Corridor (2022)
- m. Innovation Square and New Economy Neighborhood (2021)
Exsiting Conditions
This map shows the relationship between opportunity areas and current redevelopment. The map highlights which opportunity zones are receiving attention and where there are still gaps with potential for new open space initiatives.
District 5
Cleveland Northeast neighborhoods
St. Vitus Church in St. Clair Superior, Cultural Garden in Glenville, Euclid Beach Park in Northshore Collinwood, Euclid-Green
With Lake Erie towards the north and downtown to the west, the Northeast district of Cleveland comprises five distinct neighborhoods: St. Clair-Superior, Glenville, Northshore-Collinwood (North Collinwood), Collinwood-Nottingham (South Collinwood), and Euclid-Green. Euclid Beach Park and Gordon Park offer residents access to the lakefront, while Rockefeller Park snakes its way along the border between St. Clair-Superior and Glenville, and Euclid-Green has access to Euclid Creek Reservation. Today, there are substantial opportunities for growth and development, to further the connection of metro and city parks to residents in these neighborhoods but also to reconsider and develop a large number of vacant lots.
Opportunity
Most vacant parcels are located in Glenville, South Collinwood, and south St. Clair-Superior neighborhoods, which offer many opportunities to design public spaces for surrounding communities. There are clusters of hazardous sites across the neighborhoods.
Initiatives
- a. Residential Project at E. 55 & South Marginal (2020)
- b. ArkiTainer (2020)
- c. CHEERS shoreline redevelopment
- d. Cinema City (2021)
- e. Music Industry Academy (potentially)
- f. Going Places Initiative Vision for Circle North (proposed 2009-present)
- g. Gold Coast Lofts (2022)
- h. Churchill Gateway (May 2022)
- i. Glenville Circle North (2019)
- j. MyGlenville Neighborhood Initiatives (2017)
- k. Exceedingly Well market garden (2022)
Exsiting Conditions
The majority of the new initiatives are located in St. Clair-Superior and Glenville neighborhoods while most high-priority needs for parks are located in the eastern and central areas of the district.
Design Proposals
ECO East
ECO East in Cleveland, Ohio aims to bring environmental justice to marginalized areas through equitable changes. The goal is to activate a circular relationship between ecology, economy, and community. This project addresses equity through creation of forested and open spaces, urban agriculture operations and initiatives, sustainable energy practices, and local programming and engagement. ECO East fuels job opportunity and business through hydroponics, provides connections and partnerships to local organizations and residents through urban agriculture, and remediates, recharges and reclaims the land for the East Cleveland community, all while keeping energy and water excess to a minimum through green energy production and rainwater collection strategies.
To see the proposal, follow this link
Central HUB
The central HUB is located in the abandoned industrial area at the junction of Central Ave and the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad. The design proposal is to use this site as a test site to explore whether and how a new, mixed-use urban space could attract institutional interest, or partnership, investment, young students, and research into Cleveland’s post-industrial neighborhood. Connected by the East Side Trail, the different parts of the project will work together to accomplish the goals of increasing vegetation coverage, regenerating the community, increasing employment, attracting investment, and exploring synergy with local institutions.
To see the proposal, follow this link
REVIBE THE EDGE
Revibe the Edge seeks conceptualized equity in marginalized communities in Central, Cleveland by providing 73.5 acres of multi-use space on previous Westing House factories and nearby vacant lots along the railroad with various programs in response to the urgent needs of the community. The proposed programs include affordable housing, renovated abandoned factories into food hubs and workstations, vocational school campuses, urban farms, recreational parks, and urban forests of phytoremediation.
To see the proposal, follow this link
REmediating, REstoring, REimagining
On a river replete with natural and human history, remediation, restoration, and reimagining of an industrial site along the Cuyahoga River is of increasing importance. With high heavy metal contamination from steel industries present for decades, the Cuyahoga river catching fire many times from chemicals, and the enactment of the Clean Water Act as a result in 1972, the dwindling industries and job reduction are leaving behind a rust belt city site with much remediation and redevelopment potential. Strategies to repair and repurpose the site include: capping, removing soil, restoring wetlands, phytomining heavy metals, connecting trail networks and neighborhoods, repurposing and rebuilding structures, providing recreation opportunities, and developing an environmental hub for education and green energy and environmental organizations. Cleaning the air, soil, and water, and shifting towards greener industries will be ambitious, but consider the long term equally as important as the immediate term, and lead to equity and environmental justice, advancing the area for the next generation.
To see the proposal, follow this link
Slavic Village Lifeline
Slavic Village, landlocked by the industrial zone of Cleveland, is compacting many urban problems like a high unemployment rate, high crime rate, high poverty rate, unmanaged vacant parcels, etc. New initiatives are trying to connect Morgana Run Trail – the only trail that runs through the Slavic Village–to the trail network of Downtown Cleveland. Morgana Run Trail is the lifeline of Slavic Village and has great potential to bring vibrancy and vitality to Slavic Village again. Thus, this project intends to replan the Morgana Run Trail and its surrounding available parcels by promoting its accessibility and permeability to surrounding neighborhoods, maximizing the impact of existing neighborhood pride legacy such as Morgana Bluffs, proposing a mixed-use district catering to the livelihood needs of Slavic Village dwellers, and envisioning a new landmark connection hub for the Downtown Connector all the way to Downtown Cleveland.
To see the proposal, follow this link