Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

Participants on Thursday's Sound of Ideas program discussed the future of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority and shipping issues in Cleveland. The guests, including new port CEO William Friedman, also discussed dredging plans.

In this week's issue of Scene, Michael Roberts revisits the history of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's fruitless lakefront planning efforts. He attributes many of the problems to the machinations of board member John Carney.

Cleveland Housing Court started a pilot project to paint boarded-up windows and doors of vacant houses so that they blend into their neighborhoods.

The Cleveland Rowing Foundation announced two additional gifts for its planned seven-acre Rivergate Park in the Flats. The owners of the former marina lowered the purchase price from $3.2 million to $3 million. A mid-September closing is planned.

Update: Gmail creator Paul Buchheit also made a contribution.

Tuesday's Sound of Ideas program on WCPN featured a spirited debate about municipal revenue sharing and the 16-county Regional Prosperity Initiative. The guests were Medina County Commissioner Stephen Hambley, Aurora Mayor Lynn McGill, and Professor Tom Bier, who recently wrote an op-ed about ideas for improving Northeast Ohio's older cities.

WKSU's Kabir Bhatia spoke with planners and potential users of the planned Towpath Trail extension through Cleveland.

This week's issue of Scene looks at the three competing concepts for a new aquarium in Cleveland.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources awarded $8.29 million in Clean Ohio Trails Fund grants (PDF), including $468,000 to the Cleveland Metroparks for the West Creek Greenway, $350,000 to the City of Euclid for a Lake Erie waterfront trail and $88,524 to ParkWorks for the Lake Link Trail in Cleveland. ODNR also awarded $1.87 million in grants from its Recreational Trails Program, which includes $150,000 (PDF) for the trail in Euclid.

Update: the News-Herald has more information about Euclid's plans.

At yesterday's Cleveland Housing Court hearing, three neighbors of a neglected house in Cleveland filed restitution claims. The City of Cleveland also filed a claim.

This week's issue of Scene looks at the growth of the urban agriculture and local foods movements in Cleveland. The Northeast Ohio Local Food System Assessment is calculating the economic impacts of shifting to local food.

Urban design in Cleveland was the subject of Tuesday's Sound of Ideas program on WCPN. The guests, including CPC director Paul Alsenas, discussed plans for the Innerbelt Bridge, MOCA's new building, and the new convention center.

Update: panelists on Channel 3's Between the Lines also discussed the Innerbelt Bridge and convention center plans.

This morning, NPR's Morning Edition aired a report from Cleveland about Judge Pianka's plans to hold restitution hearings (PDF) for neighbors of neglected houses.

A panel discussion at the City Club (MP3, 53.6 MB) yesterday explored market gardens, urban farms, and economic development. Earlier this year, the City Club hosted a discussion about local food.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority announced that it will proceed with plans to use dredge material from Dike 10B to create the Cuyahoga Valley Industrial Center (PDF) in the Flats. Port authority leaders also announced plans to build a $3.16 million rail loop at the lakefront docks.

Update: Channel 3 has more information about the sediment relocation.

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking a new owner for the historic Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Light (PDF) at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. The lighthouse is available at no cost to government agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions, or community development organizations. Letters of interest are due by August 27.

(via the Cleveland Restoration Society)

Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka intends to order owners of neglected properties to pay neighbors for financial losses caused by the distressed buildings. He plans to hold restitution hearings this month. A Plain Dealer editorial says that "Pianka risks overstepping the bounds of impartiality should he mix advocacy and judicial roles."

Update: Thursday's Sound of Ideas program looked at the restitutions and other strategies for combating neglect.

Ohio Canal Corridor and the Trust for Public Land will purchase 11 acres in the Flats for the planned extension of the Towpath Trail through Cleveland. The $4.8 million purchase will allow the trail to connect to Cleveland's planned Canal Basin Park.

Update: planners anticipate additional acquisitions.

The City of Cleveland lost an appeal in its lawsuit against 21 banks and mortgage companies. The City sued the subprime lenders in 2008, charging that their activities led to the foreclosure crisis and created a public nuisance. A U.S. District Court judge dismissed the suit in 2009. Yesterday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court ruling (PDF), and said that Cleveland failed to prove that the banks were directly responsible for the damage to the neighborhoods. The City plans to appeal.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial encourages the city to continue.

Cleveland hosted a national conference on freshwater wind power earlier this week. The Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. also held its first public meeting, and said that they hope to announce a developer for the Cleveland pilot project within four weeks.

In the first six months of 2010, foreclosure filings in Cuyahoga County increased by more than 12%, compared to the same period last year. Levels in Cleveland remained similar, while levels rose in both inner-ring and outer-ring suburbs.

With the annual Burning River Fest starting tomorrow, Ohio Authority looked at the status of the former Coast Guard station at Whiskey Island and some ideas for its reuse.

The Great Lakes Urban Exchange recently held its third annual conference in Cleveland. More than 80 young leaders from across the region attended to compare notes, network, discuss new ideas, and explore Cleveland. This year's conference focused on rethinking what cities can be. Conference participants shared their reactions, summarized sessions, described site visits, and posted photographs.

Update: Cool Cleveland's Sarah Valek also posted a review.

Update 2: Lorri Meyers of Channelise added her experiences.

As urban agriculture grows in popularity, leaders in Cleveland and other Midwestern cities are considering its role in urban revitalization. An Ohio State University researcher is studying insect populations at community gardens to help inform future land use decisions. Lead contamination can also be an issue in urban soils, but several low-cost techniques can reduce its danger.

"Facing the Foreclosure Crisis in Greater Cleveland" (PDF, 29.7 MB) is a new report from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. It "spells out what happened here, relating the symptoms and progressive stages of the crisis as it played out across the region" and "points to representative examples of programs developed and implemented locally to address particular aspects of the crisis."

Will Friedman, the new CEO of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, spoke about the future of the port on Sunday's Between the Lines program.

Issues with traffic signals have prevented the HealthLine from attaining projected travel time efficiencies. The City of Cleveland continues to adjust the traffic signals, but has disconnected the traffic signal priority system.

Update: the buses will be permitted to travel faster than surrounding traffic on Euclid Avenue. The HealthLine also won an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio.

The Cleveland Rowing Foundation received two major gifts for its planned Rivergate Park on the Columbus Road Peninsula. The Cleveland Foundation donated $300,000 and philanthropist Peter B. Lewis gave a $250,000 matching grant. The Rowing Foundation must raise an additional $700,000 by July 31 to reach its $3.2 million goal and purchase the property.

Update: the Gund Foundation also donated $200,000 to the project.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ended a program that allowed local governments and nonprofits to take control of foreclosed houses. Cleveland officials were surprised and disappointed by its termination, and Dennis Kucinich asked HUD to reverse its decision.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial is critical of HUD's actions.

Mark Salling and Ellen Cyran of the Levin College of Urban Affairs expect that the 2010 Census will report that the City of Cleveland's population remains over 400,000. Lake and Geauga county officials anticipate modest population increases.

Richard Herman believes that Cleveland leaders need to view the local immigrant community as a valuable resource when pursuing foreign direct investment. Meanwhile, a group of foreign investors committed $20 million to the Flats east bank project through the Cleveland International Fund.

Update: A Plain Dealer editorial says that the investment "is good news for Greater Cleveland -- on many fronts."

The U.S. Census Bureau released 2009 municipal population estimates, the final set of estimates to be based on Census 2000 data. The City of Cleveland's population fell to 431,363, with an estimated loss of 2,658 people between July 2008 and July 2009. The 0.61% rate of decrease was lower than the estimated decreases of recent years. While most Cuyahoga County communities lost population, many communities in the surrounding six counties gained population. The City of Avon grew by an estimated 52% between 2000 and 2009.

Judge Pianka of Cleveland Housing Court fined two South Carolina real estate companies more than $13 million for neglecting distressed houses in Cleveland. He fined Interstate Investment Group $11.9 million and Paramount Land Holdings more than $1 million.

Weekend Edition host Scott Simon examined how the foreclosure crisis has unfolded in Cleveland. He visited with Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis and Cleveland City Councilman Tony Brancatelli.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's eighth annual housing policy summit called for "re-examination of that cornerstone of the American Dream: owning a home." It featured panel discussions where experts said that the nation's housing crisis is not over, asserted that new ideas are needed, and discussed methods for preventing a reoccurrence.

Update: the Wall Street Journal's James Hagerty summarized one of the talks.

After spending 20 years leading Neighborhood Progress Inc., Eric Hodderson recently retired. NPI launched a national search for his successor.

The closed Kellstone Quarry on Kelleys Island is being considered as an alternative to building a confined disposal facility for dredge material from the Port of Cleveland and Cuyahoga River. Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority officials estimate that the 200-acre quarry has enough capacity to last 28 years.

Update: the Ohio EPA rejected the proposal and said that the site is unsuitable for storing contaminated sediment.

Update 2: a Plain Dealer editorial said that "the quarry warrants further study."

A Cuyahoga County appeals court overturned a Cleveland Housing Court decision that required Wells Fargo to repair or demolish distressed houses it owns before selling them. The court ruled (PDF) that the plaintiff had improperly taken contradictory positions in two different courts. The implications of the ruling are unclear.

The June issue of Cleveland Magazine includes a profile of ParkWorks Executive Director Ann Zoller, an essay on the breakwall at the East 55th Street Marina, and a map illustrating grant awards in the Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.

The Ohio Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision, and ruled that Cleveland Housing Court cannot conduct trials against negligent landowners in absentia. Judge Raymond Pianka has adopted an alternate strategy.

Update: Next American City examined the implications of the decision.

In a 2½-hour meeting today, Drew Carey and Nick Gillespie of the Reason Foundation discussed their libertarian ideas for Cleveland with members of Cleveland City Council. Some Council members characterized the suggestions as overly-simple solutions to complex problems. Council President Martin Sweeney invited them after the release of a Carey-produced online video series earlier this year. Jim Russell believes that Gillespie's arguments are unhelpful.

The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation will work with General Electric to build five wind turbines in Lake Erie, about six miles north of downtown Cleveland. The $100 million pilot project would be the first first freshwater wind farm in the U.S. and would have a generating capacity of 20 megawatts. LEEDCo plans to have the turbines, the largest in nation, generating power by the end of 2012. By 2020, they hope to have hundreds in place, generating 1,000 megawatts of power.

Outgoing Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority interim CEO Peter Raskind shared his observations about the port in a Plain Dealer op-ed. He wrote about the port's priorities, finances, and said that the "plan to move the port to East 55th Street was ill conceived and built upon layers of questionable assumptions." Cleveland Magazine's Erick Trickey believes that Raskind was "throwing out the old regime's troubled ideas so the new guy can start with a clean desk" and "may also be providing cover for the port board."

Towpath Trail planners continue to examine the options for the stage in Cleveland between Harvard Road and Steelyard Commons. Cleanup of the Harshaw site threatens to delay construction or force the use of a less desirable route.

This week is Cleveland Bicycle Week, and a variety of events are being held across Greater Cleveland. The Plain Dealer reported on the City of Cleveland's bicycle parking requirements and the plans for the downtown Cleveland bicycle station.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that incoming Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority CEO William Friedman has many challenges awaiting him.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concluded that the Harshaw Chemical site in Cleveland presents "no unacceptable risk to current or reasonably anticipated future land uses" and that "no further action is necessary". The findings will allow the Towpath Trail extension to pass through the site. The Harshaw Investigative Area 06 Proposed Plan (PDF) is open to public comment through May 26.

The City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Metroparks continue to discuss a potential 99-year lease of Seneca Golf Course and adjacent land in Broadview Heights.

Two state legislators from Greater Cleveland intend to introduce legislation that would make it easier for communities to collaborate on municipal services. The changes would allow the City of South Euclid to contract with the City of Cleveland for trash collection. Cleveland may be able provide the service at a lower cost than a private company.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced plans to demolish 25 closed or closing school buildings. The list includes South and East high schools as well as seven buildings that are Cleveland landmarks or have pending landmark applications.

Update: Cleveland Area History looked at each of the schools slated for demolition. A Plain Dealer editorial said that it "smells like a tactic to evade an Ohio law requiring districts that sell vacant schools to let charter schools bid first."

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority named William Friedman (PDF) as its new president and CEO. Previously, he worked at the Port of Seattle from 1990 to 2000 and served as the CEO of the Ports of Indiana from 2000 to 2004. Friedman will succeed interim CEO Peter Raskind when he begins on June 1.

Update: the Plain Dealer approves of the Port Authority's choice.

Marc Lefkowitz describes the Re-Imagining Cleveland process as "a surgical first strike that aims to put vacant properties back into productive use."

About 62% of Cleveland households mailed back their 2010 Census forms, and the statewide return rate was 76%. Both figures were slightly below 2000 levels. The national response rate was 72%. Census takers will start visiting nonrespondents on May 1.

The Cleveland Catholic Diocese will sell more than 50 closed churches, and placed 17 of them on the market. The properties in Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Summit counties have a total asking price of $11.8 million.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority narrowed its list of CEO candidates to three: Diane Downing, William Friedman, and James Weakley (PDFs). The Port Authority's board expects to make a selection by May.

Update: the Plain Dealer is impressed with the finalists.

Cleveland City Planning Commission Chairman Anthony Coyne wrote a defense of Burke Lakefront Airport, listing the reasons why he believes it should be maintained as an active airport.

Marc Lefkowitz described the latest happenings in the Re-Imagining Cleveland process and the growth of a new green movement in Cuyahoga County.

Today is the last day to mail back 2010 Census questionnaires. Census takers will begin visiting households that did not respond on May 1. Participation rates in Greater Cleveland communities vary widely.

A recent trip to Indianapolis prompted Steven Litt to consider lessons that Cleveland could learn from its Midwestern neighbor.

By June, parking lots and garages in Cleveland must offer spaces for bicycle parking. The deadline was specified in the City's 2008 bicycle parking ordinance.

As part of the Fighting Fat coverage, WCPN's Eric Wellman explored Cleveland's food deserts.

Activist and consultant Majora Carter spoke at a City Club in the City event on Tuesday. She told the audience at St. James AME Church about environmental justice and stories of her experiences in the South Bronx. Audio of her talk (MP3, 52.1 MB) is available.

The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation issued a request for proposals from developers interested in constructing an offshore pilot wind farm near downtown Cleveland. LEEDCo hopes to select a company in May and have the wind turbines operating by late 2012. Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland are backing federal and state legislation that would support research and create tax incentives for wind power.

The Cleveland Foundation's latest round of awards includes grants to WIRE-Net, Neighborhood Progress Inc., the Cleveland Housing Network, and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance.

Update: the Plain Dealer offers more information.

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Interim CEO Peter Raskind and Vice Chairman Robert Smith were the guests on Monday's Sound of Ideas program.

Author Richard Herman asserted that "immigration provides the only way for cities like Cleveland to generate the kind of numbers needed to make up for decades of mass out-migration." NEOtropolis explored some of the concepts of his book, and this week's issue of Scene made similar points. A recent Plain Dealer editorial urged local leaders to open an international welcome center.

The March issue of Cleveland Magazine describes the extent of the challenges posed by abandoned houses in Cuyahoga County.

The City of Cleveland's Vacant Property Initiative supplies funding to help property owners redevelop vacant or underutilized buildings and lots. Since 2008, the City has awarded more than $21 million in loans through the program.

At its meeting on Wednesday, the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority reappointed Chairman Steven Williams, but did not reappoint Vice Chairman Richard Knoth. Robert Smith was selected to replace him. Much of the meeting was conducted in private, and a Plain Dealer editorial again urges the board to be less secretive.

Part three of the libertarian Reason Foundation's series on Cleveland urges privatization of municipal resources. Part four is about the City's business climate, while part five covers big-ticket developments and land use policy, and part six is about attracting residents. In a companion piece, Samuel Staley of the Reason Foundation called for reducing land use controls, while libertarian pundit John Stossel echoed many of the pronouncements of the series. Scene editor Frank Lewis did not accept its conclusions, and referred to the series as "elaborate campaign commercials, selling an ideology instead of a candidate."

The Cleveland Rowing Foundation, with assistance from the Trust for Public Land, is nearing an agreement to purchase the former Commodore's Club Marina on the Columbus Road Peninsula for its proposed Rivergate Park. The group has raised $1.9 million of the $3.2 million needed to buy the seven-acre property, and the deadline has been extended to July 31. Mayor Jackson wants the City of Cleveland to offer a $300,000 low-interest loan for the acquisition.

Reason.tv posted the first two segments of its Reason Saves Cleveland series today. Produced by Drew Carey, the online series presents libertarian approaches to solving urban ills. The first part is an introduction, and the second part focuses on urban schools. The four remaining parts will be released over the course of the week.

As the U.S. Census Bureau prepares to start mailing 2010 Census forms, the Plain Dealer highlighted the importance of obtaining an accurate count in Northeast Ohio. A recent Sound of Ideas program was also devoted to a discussion of the subject.

Update: the Census Bureau is encouraging households to complete and mail back their census forms, and a Plain Dealer editorial says that "a failure to tabulate everyone will ripple negative effects."

In a companion piece to its story on vacant land in Cleveland, Next American City looked at the City's "chicken and bees" law. The City is considering expanding the rules to include more varieties of livestock. In Communities & Banking, the magazine of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Matt Martin and Zachariah Starnik of the Stockyard Redevelopment Organization described residents' efforts to reclaim their neighborhood through urban gardening (PDF).

At an open house on Tuesday, planners presented two alternate routes for stage three of the Towpath Trail extension in Cleveland. Construction of the leg between Steelyard Commons and Literary Road in Tremont could begin in 2012. Meanwhile, the cover story of this week's Scene is about allegations of impropriety in the process of awarding Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program grants. In a controversial decision last year, the Natural Resources Assistance Council recommended funding the acquisition of two properties in the Flats for the Towpath Trail.

Update: Scene followed up with additional details about the appraisal process.

A Plain Dealer editorial challenges the leaders of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to be less secretive.

In a Plain Dealer op-ed, Dominic LoGalbo criticizes the disarray at the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, and encourages local leaders to reconsider the agency's roles.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson delivered his fifth State of the City address on Thursday. He announced that a Chinese LED manufacturer will locate its American headquarters in Cleveland, talked about the City's sustainability initiatives, and proposed the creation of a countywide education authority. A Plain Dealer editorial called it "the kind of big thinking this region needs." The speech is available as text (PDF) and as audio.

The spring 2010 issue of Next American City includes an article by Marc Lefkowitz about vacant land reuse policies and practices in Cleveland. He explored the reasons behind the problems and the variety of innovative initiatives currently underway. Terry Schwarz also spoke about urban regeneration at the recent TEDxCLE event.

The Plain Dealer again called for reform of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's board, this time saying that its size should be reduced by one-third.

The Gund Foundation made a $3.6 million, three-year grant to Neighborhood Progress, Inc. The foundation also awarded grants to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, the GreenCityBlueLake Institute, and the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy.

Today's Plain Dealer looked at some of Cleveland's overlooked architectural treasures, including the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Meanwhile, Cleveland Area History is working on a list of the 100 most significant landmarks in Cleveland.

The Plain Dealer looked at the U.S. EPA study of PFC discharges in the wastewater of electroplating companies in Cleveland and Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reported on the subject last month.

Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek introduced legislation that calls for transferring control of lakefront parks in Cleveland to the Cleveland Metroparks. The parks are currently operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cuyahoga County, and the port authority. Cleveland Lakefront State Park is owned by the City but leased to the state until 2028. Probate Judge Anthony Russo has also advocated for more involvement by the Metroparks.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial supports the proposal.

Attorney Richard Knoth, the vice chair of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority board, wrote a memo (PDF) that calls for closing Burke Lakefront Airport and relocating the port facilities to the site. Frank Jackson said Burke will remain open and that he remains committed to the East 55th Street port relocation plan. A Plain Dealer editorial says that "Cleveland needs all options on the table".

The Plain Dealer highlighted claims that the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority leadership needs more representation from maritime interests.

In the wake of last month's West 83rd Street house explosion, a Plain Dealer editorial says that Cleveland's abandoned houses need more attention.

The City of Cleveland may give the 470-acre Seneca Golf Course and 125 acres of neighboring greenspace to the Cleveland Metroparks. An agreement on the site in Brecksville and Broadview Heights would have to be approved by Cleveland City Council and the Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners.

While many communities are using their federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants to rehabilitate foreclosed homes, the majority of the local $40.8 million award will be used to demolish abandoned houses.

(via Community Research Partners)

HiVelocity interviewed Andrew Watterson, the City of Cleveland's Chief of Sustainability.

The U.S. Census Bureau classified much of Cleveland as a "hard to count" (PDF) area for the 2010 Census. One of the Bureau's Portrait of America Road Tour vehicles is visiting locations in Northeast Ohio.

The Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force will count migrating birds and bats around the area of the planned offshore wind farm pilot project north of downtown Cleveland. The group also wants to establish a partnership with a turbine manufacturer.

Frank Jackson named Paul Hoogenboom (PDF) of RPM International in Medina to fill one of the two vacant seats on the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. A Plain Dealer editorial says that Mayor "Jackson needs to find someone with extensive maritime experience" to fill the remaining vacancy.

Lillian Kuri spoke at the Foundation Center about her planning work with the Cleveland Foundation and Cleveland Public Art.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority laid off two more employees: Sustainability Manager Pam Davis and Human Resources Director Nancy Spelman.

A U.S. EPA study of electroplating facilities (PDF) in Cleveland and Chicago found that they were discharging high levels of PFCs in their wastewater. The emissions are permitted under a 2007 Bush administration exemption for the factories.

(via Great Lakes Echo)

Mayor Jackson reappointed Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Chairman Steven Williams to another four-year term, but board member Rose Rodriguez-Bardwell chose not to seek reappointment. Board member Brian Hall is also stepping down (PDF).

A report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that the former Harshaw Chemical site in Cleveland remains contaminated by radiation, but not at levels that would prevent passive recreation. The site had been considered for a potential leg of the Towpath Trail extension. Cleanup could take as many as five years.

The Cleveland Landmarks Commission recommended designating six additional Catholic churches as Cleveland landmarks. Four of the six are slated to close as part of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese's consolidation program. Diocesan officials are not pleased.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $2 billion in the second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants. Ohio governments received $175 million, and $40.8 million of that went to a consortium (PDF) led by the Cuyahoga County Land Revitalization Corporation. The land bank will invest the funds in 15 Cleveland neighborhoods and parts of five inner-ring suburbs.

The Cleveland Landmarks Commission today approved designs for the hotel and office tower that is part of the Flats east bank development. Renderings and floor plans are available at the meeting agenda.

The Plain Dealer asked if Cleveland still needs a port authority. It looked at the arguments for retaining the port authority and the arguments for dismantling it.

Officials in Lakewood and in several Cleveland neighborhoods are working with RTA to identify potential routes for its new Weekly Shopper Service.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eugene Sanders unveiled the district's transformation plan yesterday. Among other recommendations, it calls for closing 18 schools due to declining enrollment, including East and South high schools. The district will hold a series of community meetings (PDF) this month, and its board is scheduled to vote on the plan on February 23.

A Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority committee recommended approval of $34.8 million in bonds for the Flats east bank project. The full board will consider the matter at its January 20th meeting.

Richard Moe, the outgoing president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, encourages shrinking cities to act carefully when approaching the issues associated with population loss. He says that the process "should be carried out in the context of a carefully conceived master plan -- one that encourages input from all stakeholders and takes into account a range of considerations, including the historic value of the housing stock, in determining what stays and what must go."

A Plain Dealer editorial looks at the next steps in building the Lake Link Trail in Cleveland.

In a purchase facilitated by the Trust for Public Land, ParkWorks acquired 3.23 acres of a former rail corridor on the west bank of the Flats for the planned Lake Link Trail and Greenway. They secured a trail easement for another 1.75 acres, protecting 1.3 miles of the route that will connect the Towpath Trail with Lake Erie. Funding for the $1.2 million purchase came from a Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grant.

The Plain Dealer concluded its Year of the River series with a look at the Cuyahoga River valley as a living laboratory. Industrial design students at the Cleveland Institute of Art used biomimicry to develop proposals for creating fish habitats in the river's shipping channel.

The Cleveland Foundation awarded $15 million in fourth-quarter grants. One of the largest awards was a $1 million grant to Team NEO. The foundation substantially reduced its commitment to the Fund for Our Economic Future, awarding $300,000 for its third phase. The Fund had requested $10 million for the three-year phase. The Gund Foundation gave $4.9 million in grants, including awards to Entrepreneurs for Sustainability and ParkWorks. The two foundations distributed fewer dollars in 2009 than in 2008.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial expressed concern about the Cleveland Foundation's decision to give less to the Fund for Our Economic Future.

The inaugural issue of Forefront, a new magazine from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, includes an interview with UCLA economist Matthew Kahn that touches on green cities, urban growth, and environmental externalities.

In the first five months after the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated municipal residency requirements, 296 Cleveland employees moved to other communities.

The Cleveland Rowing Foundation has an opportunity to purchase the former Commodore's Club Marina property on the Columbus Road Peninsula for a new boathouse and Rivergate Park. The organization has a March 31 deadline to raise $3.2 million for the seven-acre site.

The Plain Dealer's Christopher Evans described three of the 58 projects that received grants through the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland program.

A Plain Dealer investigation concluded that Cleveland's efforts to increase home ownership inadvertently exacerbated the foreclosure crisis.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial says that "officials need to explain such an appalling lack of accountability."

The annual Emerging Cleveland tours show the best of the City to students and young professionals. This year's tours will highlight developments built over the past five years. They will be held on December 26 and December 27.

The recession has slowed, but not stopped plans for the District of Design in Cleveland.

The City of Cleveland issued the final report (PDF) from its Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit. GreenCityBlueLake has a summary.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology launched the BUILT in Ohio program, a partnership with Governor Strickland's office and the cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus. It's intended "to help Ohio's cities target emerging sources of federal investment and leverage them towards a new pattern of urban growth."

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority continues to undergo changes. The Port Authority's board laid off four employees and named former National City CEO (PDF) Peter Raskind (PDF) as the port's interim CEO. He expects to serve for three to six months and will be paid $1.00. Raskind spoke with WCPN's Rick Jackson and WKSU's Kevin Niedermier. The Port Authority's board will not see changes, as Mayor Jackson intends to reappoint board Chairman Steven Williams and board member Rose Rodriguez-Bardwell when their terms expire in January. A Plain Dealer editorial said that "Jackson is passing up the chance to help restore public confidence in the port authority board by introducing fresh faces and new ideas."

The City of Cleveland applied for $219 million in federal funds to resolve the slope instability issues along the Cuyahoga River at Irishtown Bend.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial backs the application.

In the year since the Euclid Corridor project was completed and the HealthLine began operations, the improvements have helped to spur developments downtown, in Midtown, and in University Circle, despite the recession. Steven Litt assessed the project's effectiveness to date.

The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority is using the $69 million it received in federal stimulus grants to improve conditions at its Garden Valley Estates, Woodhill Homes, and other public housing estates.

Local officials remain disenchanted with the way HUD manages its inventory of vacant houses. Earlier this month, HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Mercedes Marquez defended the department's practices in a Plain Dealer op-ed.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial says that "the problems could be resolved if HUD had open and frequent communication with cities and housing groups".

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center may help to advance and focus the outcomes of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit. A representative of the BCLC, which is conducting a sustainable communities competition, attended an Entrepreneurs for Sustainability event yesterday.

Update: GreenCityBlueLake has more information about the SC2019 Outcome Showcase.

The Cleveland edition of GLUE's "I Will Stay If..." campaign will take place on Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Speakeasy in Ohio City. The evening will feature opportunities for networking and idea-sharing, plus presentations from Lillian Kuri, Randell McShepard, and Matt Zone.

In the wake of Adam Wasserman's departure from the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, a Plain Dealer editorial said that "the port has to change, and it will change if it wants its trajectory to be up, not down and out." Brent Larkin thinks that more dramatic changes are necessary.

Materials from the recent All You Can Eat event are now available online, including a project gallery and video of the panel discussion.

The board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority is being criticized for its silence about the departure of CEO Adam Wasserman and his $300,000 buyout. A Plain Dealer editorial says that "Wasserman's exit puts the onus for more transparency and accountability on the nine-member Port Authority board to which he supposedly answered."

Update: Channel 3's Tom Beres spoke with Cuyahoga County Commissioners Hagan and Jones.

The discussion on The Sound of Ideas this morning was about sustainable development and lessons that Cleveland can learn from other cities.

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority President and CEO Adam Waserman stepped down today. The Port Authority board spent hours in closed-door meetings over the past week. Wasserman had held the post since 2007. Maritime Director Patrick Coyle resigned last month after only three months on the job. CFO Brent Leslie will oversee the Port until a new president is named.

Election recap

Broadview Heights
Issue 12 (commercial rezoning): passed

Cleveland
Issue 17 (Planning Commission alternates): passed

Solon
Issue 83 (retail rezoning): passed

The proposed Olmsted Falls-Olmsted Township Merger Study Commission passed in Olmsted Falls (Issue 58), but failed in Olmsted Township (Issue 103).

For complete results, visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

The City of Cleveland awarded $449,405 in Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland grants to 58 neighborhood projects (PDF). The awards were classified as greening, urban agriculture, and phytoremediation projects.

An industrial design class at the Cleveland Institute of Art is using a biomimicry approach for devising improvements to fish habitats in the lower Cuyahoga River.

A Plain Dealer editorial about the recent PolicyBridge report on Cleveland's neighborhoods concludes that "this as a time to build, not a time to mourn -- precisely the attitude Clevelanders must adopt."

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration agreed to review the feasibility of adding a connection between Cleveland and Pittsburgh to the list of designated high-speed passenger rail corridors.

The Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine today announced the establishment of the Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control, the new center will "address common health issues faced in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods in and around Greater Cleveland."

Philadelphia's Community Design Collaborative spoke with Terry Schwarz about the Pop-Up City initiative.

(via ClevelandDesignCity)

As the U.S. Conference of Mayors marked the 1,000th local leader to sign its Climate Protection Agreement, it published profiles of 16 mayors who are pursuing innovative strategies (PDF) to reduce pollution. Frank Jackson was one of those profiled.

(via Streetsblog Capitol Hill)

Mandy Metcalf disagrees with the conclusions of the report released by PolicyBridge last week. She says that Cleveland needs to "to invest in all neighborhoods and all communities" and that "all of our neighborhoods should not only survive but thrive."

Update: Mansfield Frazier supports the report's findings, but says that they could be difficult to implement.

(via GreenCityBlueLake)

Officials in Cleveland, Euclid, and Lakewood have expressed interest in RTA's proposed new Weekly Shopper Service, a once-weekly shuttle that would succeed its discontinued community circulator routes. RTA will organize a series of community meetings.

Upcoming events:

• On October 29, President Obama's Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force will hold its Great Lakes Regional Meeting at the downtown Cleveland Marriott.
• On November 10, IBM will host the Cleveland Smarter Cities Forum at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
• On November 13, Professor Timothy Beatley will give a lecture titled "Green Urbanism: The Global Shift Towards Sustainable and Resilient Cities" as part of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Explorer Lecture Series.
• On November 19, Dwell Editor Sarah Rich will speak at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Local leaders and Census Bureau officials have begun efforts to build awareness of the 2010 Census.

A new report from PolicyBridge (PDF) recommends that Cleveland should carefully target investments in its neighborhoods. It says that "Cleveland must make strategic choices about rebuilding its neighborhoods, making tough decisions about investing aggressively in some while scaling back investments in others."

Greater Ohio, building on input provided at June's Restoring Prosperity to Cleveland Mini-Summit, has prepared a draft of its Restoring Prosperity to Cleveland Policy Platform and is gathering comments and suggestions. The document will serve as a model for platforms for other Ohio cities.

The Gund Foundation announced $5.6 million in grants yesterday. The largest award was a $4 million grant to the Fund for Our Economic Future, a 30% increase in the foundation's support for the effort. The Cleveland Foundation awarded $14.8 million in grants, including $250,000 for two ParkWorks programs.

On Tuesday, Frank Jackson made three announcements about sustainability in Cleveland. He promoted Office of Sustainability Director Andrew Watterson to Chief of Sustainability, a new cabinet-level position. He unveiled the 25-member Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Council, which will be responsible for guiding the City's 10-year sustainability strategy. He also revealed the 63-member steering committee for the second sustainability summit, to be held next year.

American Public Media's Marketplace reported from Cleveland on two foreclosure-related topics. The first story followed up on a report issued earlier this year comparing foreclosures in Collinwood and Braddock, Pennsylvania. The second focused on the potential pitfalls of online real estate purchases.

GreenCityBlueLake posted a list of 28 initiatives (PDF) that were developed at the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit and compiled by the City of Cleveland.

Update: the Plain Dealer published more details.

In a Plain Dealer op-ed, David Cooperrider of the Weatherhead School of Management wrote about sustainability in Cleveland and the recent summit. He believes that Northeast Ohio is poised to become a leading sustainable economy, and that the summit was the end of the quiet crisis.

Marc Lefkowitz looked at food deserts in Cleveland and their connection to chronic health issues. Author Michael Pollan also has been making connections between food policy changes and health-care reform.

A panel will award funding to 40–50 of the 103 projects submitted for Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland grants. A Plain Dealer editorial says that the "lots in Cleveland are about to get amazing makeovers."

At a boat tour on Wednesday, Mayor Jackson explained how he intends to implement the Cleveland lakefront plan that he inherited from the Campbell administration. He also described a number of related initiatives, including the planned port relocation and decision to retain Burke Lakefront Airport. In addition, Jackson said that he wants the City to loan $2 million for the proposed aquarium at the Powerhouse in the Flats.

All You Can Eat: A Buffet of Architectural Ideas for Cleveland will present "a collective exhibition of architectural ideas for vacant sites in Cleveland, Ohio" on October 30 and 31 at the Sculpture Center. Proposals are due by September 30.

The U.S. EPA and a group of local partners are conducting the Cleveland Multiple Air Pollutant Study, a two-part air quality study of Cleveland and the surrounding area. The program is a national model intended to help identify the sources (PDF) of a variety of specific pollutants.

The Fund for Our Economic Future adopted the new Fund for Sustainability, an outgrowth of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit. When it is more fully funded and gains guidelines, it will provide loans to sustainable businesses.

The new Cuyahoga County Land Bank may acquire its first properties this week, and about 250 parcels by the end of the year. Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis thinks that it also can help prevent abandoned houses. The Land Bank's board adopted a new six-month business plan on Friday.

Richard Stuebi compared the recent sustainability summit in Cleveland to a meeting of climate change skeptics in Springfield, Missouri. Meanwhile, participants from BrownFlynn reported on their involvement and followup activities, and a waste to profit group is gathering support.

Marc Lefkowitz continued his analysis of Living Cities' involvement in Cleveland and attempted to assess its impacts over the last eight months. He found that "it's impressive by Cleveland standards, but whether Living Cities can pull off broad transformative change in the way we understand community development to work is still far from clear."

Stakeholders from the recent Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit have been meeting in small groups, both in person and online, to refine the ideas generated at the event. They will compile the recommendations in a written report later this year.

At Good, Anne Trubek of Oberlin College contemplates growth in the Rust Belt and the emerging ideas for "neighborhoods that no longer need to fulfill their original purposes."

Participants in the recent Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit continue to share ideas and reactions about the event. Marianne Eppig, Wendy Feinn, Gregg LaBar, Marc Lefkowitz, and Mike McNutt provide more perspectives. The summit was also briefly discussed on The Sound of Ideas on Thursday. In a Plain Dealer op-ed, Mayor Jackson said that "now is the time to take action" to make Cleveland the first city to attain sustainability.

In a Plain Dealer op-ed, Dominic LoGalbo asserts that Cleveland has a legacy of failed planning initiatives due to a lack of effective leadership.

2009 City Park Facts, a new report from the Trust for Public Land, compares the park systems of 77 American cities. The City of Cleveland has 7.1 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, and parks make up 6.3% of the City's total area. Cleveland Lakefront State Park was the 11th-most visited urban park in the United States. The National Park Service also announced that national park visitation rose in the first half of 2009.

Even before last week's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit, local businesses were profiting by adopting sustainable business models. A Plain Dealer editorial says that Cleveland now must advance the summit's final goals.

Reuters summarized the housing issues facing Cleveland and the innovative responses being developed.

On Thursday, the second day of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit, the appreciative inquiry process continued as participants brainstormed and refined creative ideas for advancing a sustainable Cleveland. Ray Anderson of Interface was the morning's featured speaker. Attendees Carole Cohen, Chris Gammmell, and Marc Lefkowitz shared their experiences.

The summit concluded today with teams working to distill their concepts into tangible recommendations and to prepare written reports. The results will be compiled into a 10-year action plan. The City intents to maintain the summit's momentum by working with a post-summit committee. Joe Koncelik, Marc Lefkowitz, and Carin Rockind provided recaps of the day and entire event, while the Cleveland Public Library posted a Sustainable Cleveland Reading List.

Update: you can also read reactions by Marianne Eppig, Chris Gammell, Ed Morrison, and Robert Stockham.

At the first day of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit, Van Jones of the White House Council on Environmental Quality offered his support and Frank Jackson outlined his vision for a sustainable economy. Participants also heard from other speakers and took part in an ongoing appreciative inquiry process developed by David Cooperrider. Lynette Young of Sustainable Atlanta was very impressed. Attendees Carole Cohen, Chris Gammell, Gregg LaBar, and Robert Stockham shared their thoughts, too.

Update: Marc Lefkowitz and Annabel Khouri also provided day one summaries.

Marc Lefkowitz began his exploration of Living Cities' involvement in Cleveland with a look at how it is supporting systematic change.

More than 600 people are expected to attend the three-day sustainability summit in Cleveland this week. GreenCityBlueLake posted the pre-summit briefing paper, and a Plain Dealer editorial described the opportunities the summit should create. Meanwhile, Brent Larkin stressed the urgency of building a water-based economy in Greater Cleveland.

Cleveland leaders remain frustrated by the erosion of home rule powers in Ohio.

Next American City summarized the current state of the lawsuit by the Cleveland Housing Renewal Project (a Neighborhood Progress, Inc. subsidiary) against Wells Fargo.

Michigan Radio looked at lessons that Detroit could learn from the Opportunity Homes program in Cleveland and from ESOP's foreclosure prevention actions.

(via Rust Wire)

Panelists Lindsay Baxter, Roger Chang, and Andrew Watterson discussed the state of sustainability in older industrial cities (MP3, 51.7 MB) at the City Club on Thursday. On Friday, author Storm Cunningham spoke about "what it takes to achieve rapid, resilient renewal" (MP3, 51.4 MB) in urban areas.

Plain Dealer columnist Margaret Bernstein shared more details about the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland grant program. Neighborhood Progress, Inc. scheduled an additional workshop for applicants, to be held at Trinity Commons on July 20. The application deadline remains July 31.

Some Cleveland City Council members are closely watching the activities of the new Cuyahoga County Land Bank.

Family Homelessness in Cuyahoga County, a new paper from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, examined data on families at risk of becoming homeless and on those using residential homeless services. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also released a pair of reports about changes in homelessness at the national level. The 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (PDF) found increasing rates of family homelessness in suburban and rural areas. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County were one of nine areas studied in the agency's first Homeless Pulse Project (PDF) report.

Judge Pianka of Cleveland Housing Court lifted his injunction against Wells Fargo Bank, and ordered it to post a $1 million bond if it wants to begin selling distressed houses it owns in Cleveland.

The U.S. Census Bureau's annual subcounty population estimates state that Cleveland's population was 433,748 in July 2008, which is 4,265 people below the 2007 estimate. The figures reflect similar changes at the county level and in other urban areas. Population losses slowed in urban cores and growth slowed in exurban areas. Cleveland lost 0.97% of its population, an improvement over last year's loss of 1.11%. The Plain Dealer chose to highlight a more negative angle, focusing on the estimated population decrease of 43,724 between 2000 and 2008.

Update: CSU's Mark Salling talked about the estimates on WCPN. Dr. Salling was also among the guests on the station's Sound of Ideas program devoted to the subject. Demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution examined the trends on a national level.

The July issue of Cleveland Magazine features a set of articles about the 40th anniversary of the the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire.

Congressman Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania wants a Pittsburgh to Cleveland route added to the federal list of high-speed rail corridors. It would connect the Chicago Hub Network with the Keystone Corridor. Pennsylvania officials are concerned that their planning for high-speed rail lags behind other states.

The City Club of Cleveland will host a panel discussion titled "Building Sustainability in our City" on July 16. The event is part of the Downtown Quarterly Series.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that Mayor Jackson "is right to be skeptical" about the the Ohio Department of Transportation's promises to replace diverted federal transportation stimulus dollars. The projects funded by the shifted funds are not in the Cleveland area, which the editorial says "reveals the depth of the state's neglect of its urban economic engines in favor of spreading political peanut butter for votes."

On Thursday, Judge Pianka of Cleveland Housing Court issued a preliminary injunction against Wells Fargo Bank, ordering the bank to repair or demolish distressed houses it owns before it sells them. Wells Fargo is considering an appeal.

Of the $220 million in federal stimulus funds awarded to Cleveland transportation projects, the Ohio Department of Transportation has diverted $135 million to projects elsewhere in the state. While ODOT has pledged to replace the shifted funds with other state and federal highway dollars, Mayor Jackson is worried that the State will be unable to fulfill its commitment. On Tuesday, he outlined his concerns in a letter to Governor Strickland.

Update: an ODOT spokesperson said that the agency remains committed to the projects.

The Plain Dealer looked at the combination of innovative tactics employed by Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka to maintain the quality of the City's housing stock.

Neighborhood Progress, Inc. will hold six public workshops about the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland initiative in June and July. The City of Cleveland set aside $500,000 of its Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds for the Re-Imagining Cleveland Grant Program, and applications are due by July 31 (PDF). Meanwhile, the Downtown Cleveland Special Improvement District, established in 2006, is up for renewal next year. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance is holding a series of forums and conducting a survey to gather feedback.

In a 5-2 ruling on Wednesday, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld a 2006 state law that eliminated residency requirements for local governments in the state. In his majority opinion, Justice Pfeifer cited Section 34 of the Ohio Constitution, which says that the General Assembly may enact laws for the general welfare of employees. The City of Cleveland and 137 other Ohio cities and villages had instituted residency rules for employees. Other states have also banned residency requirements.

Members of Cleveland's safety forces celebrated the ruling, but City officials were not pleased. Mayor Jackson said he was disappointed, but would abide by the decision. Cleveland City Council called the ruling flawed and was critical of state legislators who supported the law. A Plain Dealer editorial said that the decision was "horrendous" and that it "undermines home rule" and "sets a pernicious precedent." Local real estate experts do not expect to see a rapid exit of City employees, but a gradual migration is possible.

A Texas economic consulting firm is conducting an analysis of the Euclid corridor between downtown Cleveland and University Circle to determine whether it could support a biomedical industry cluster.

The City of Cleveland quietly initiated repairs of the historic Coast Guard station at Whiskey Island. Workers have begun replacing its deteriorated roof. At the same time, a group of Coast Guard veterans is bringing a retired Coast Guard cutter to Cleveland. They hope to restore it as a maritime museum at the station.

Update: the Apalachee arrived in Cleveland on Sunday.

Judge Pianka of Cleveland Housing Court issued a temporary restraining order against Wells Fargo Bank, ordering it to stop selling foreclosed houses in the City. It could prevent the bank from selling as many as 183 properties for up to 28 days. Cleveland Housing Renewal Project sued Wells Fargo in December, charging that the bank was dumping distressed properties that it owned in Cleveland.

Update: attorneys for Wells Fargo appeared in court to fight the restraining order.

The City of Cleveland wants to use 500,000 cubic yards of fill from a confined disposal facility north of Burke Lakefront Airport to create an industrial park in the Cuyahoga River valley. Moving the dirt would also create more capacity for dredge material at the dike, which is running out of space.

Earlier in the decade, Philadelphia was listed alongside Cleveland as a former gateway for immigration, but it recently has re-emerged as a destination for immigrants. The Plain Dealer looked at the turnaround in Philadelphia and compared the situations in Cleveland and Philadelphia. Anne O'Callaghan, founder of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, led a discussion about immigration at the City Club today.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial says that Cleveland "needs a talent-attraction strategy that sees immigration as one of its cornerstones." Audio of O'Callaghan's talk (MP3, 58.0 MB) is now available.

A U.S. District Court judge dismissed the City of Cleveland's lawsuit against 21 large investment banks. The City sued the banks in January 2008, charging that the banks created a public nuisance through their subprime mortgage lending activities. Cleveland has appealed the ruling.

GreenCityBlueLake and Cleveland Real Estate News have recaps of the "Beyond Foreclosure" event on Monday that featured author Alex Kotlowitz.

Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville recently made three stops in Northeast Ohio as part of his trip across the country. He visited and wrote about how the public library in Hudson has become a community hub, the flexibility and diversity of Shaker Heights, and the strategies identified in the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland initiative. Map of the Week also reposted several images from the Re-Imagining Cleveland guidelines.

Alex Kotlowitz, author of a recent New York Times article about the foreclosure crisis in Cleveland, will appear at the second event in the Levin College Forum's "Building Our Future Beyond Foreclosure" series on May 11. Registration for the event is free.

University Circle Incorporated President Chris Ronayne wrote a Plain Dealer op-ed in which he calls on local leaders to adopt a smart growth strategy that includes city-county consolidation, regional tax sharing, and changes to state policies that enable urban sprawl.

Local bloggers provided recaps of several recent events:

• Dru McKeown shared some pictures and his thoughts about the recent tours of two historic Cleveland churches.
• Jeffrey Sugalski posted his notes from yesterday's Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation community meeting.
• Rust Wire has a summary of the "Building our Future Beyond Foreclosure" event held at Cleveland State University yesterday.
• Robert Stockham wrote about this afternoon's ribbon cutting ceremony for the Green Cottages in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

The Urbanophile used personal observations and commentary from other bloggers to compile an outsider's view of Cleveland's problems. The post engendered a thoughtful conversation, which the Urbanophile highlighted and replied to in a second post.

(via Brewed Fresh Daily)

With the first event in the Levin College Forum's "Building our Future Beyond Foreclosure" series approaching, Kurt Karakul of the Third Federal Foundation and the Forum's Kathryn Hexter wrote a Plain Dealer op-ed about recovering from the foreclosure crisis. They noted that "we have an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how this historic community and, indeed, Cleveland itself, can reshape its future and once again become a progressive and dynamic community."

Yesterday, President Obama unveiled his strategic plan for high-speed rail in the United States. It includes two connections to Cleveland as part of the Chicago Hub Network: the 3-Corridor that would link Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, and a line between Cleveland and Chicago that would stop in Toledo. Governor Strickland said that Ohio will compete for federal stimulus dollars that have been allocated for high-speed rail.

Fast Company named Cleveland as one of its 12 Fast Cities of 2009, and called the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland program one of the nation's "loveliest urban initiatives." Seattle was the magazine's city of the year.

(via Cleveland Design City)

Cleveland City Council is reviewing legislation intended to address aesthetic and safety concerns of wind turbine installation. The rules are meant to regulate their construction in the City's neighborhoods, not the proposed offshore wind farm. Steven Litt believes that there is a need to institute design standards in order to take full advantage of anticipated investments in wind energy.

The road to Whiskey Island in Cleveland will be named Ed Hauser Way in memory of the late activist. A dedication ceremony will be held on May 2.

The Plain Dealer's recognition of the Year of the River continues with a look at how the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire helped to advance the environmental movement at a national level and the myths that surround it. The resulting 1972 Clean Water Act has played a large role in the improvement of the River's water quality.

In this week's Scene, Michael Gill considers the future of the churches that the Cleveland Catholic Diocese will close in 2010. Because the church buildings will lose their property tax exemptions once they are no longer used by the Diocese, the Diocese may demolish the churches to reduce its tax obligations.

Update: the Plain Dealer's Steven Litt also examined the challenges of preserving historic church buildings. The Ohio & Erie Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America will lead a tour of St. Colman and St. Stephen (PDF) churches on April 18.

The Cleveland Play House has entered into talks to join Cleveland State University's drama program in a move to the Allen Theater (PDF) at Playhouse Square. Reconfiguring and expanding the Allen Theater would cost an estimated $30 million, and the Play House's longtime home in Midtown is for sale. The Cleveland Clinic is believed to be interested in the 12-acre site, which abuts its main campus. Steven Litt notes that the future of the existing Play House complex is now uncertain. The complex includes two historic 1926 theaters and a notable 1983 postmodern addition designed by Philip Johnson, and is not protected by any landmark ordinances.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial enthusiastically supports the concept.

Rust Wire has a story and pictures from a recent visit to Cleveland's Slavic Village. Bridget Callahan posted pictures from the first of the two Hidden Cleveland Tours (PDF).

Pop Up City (PDF, 20.2 MB), the second volume of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative's Urban Infill imprint, explores temporary urban land use in Cleveland and around the world.

Recent Plain Dealer editorials support the foreclosure prevention legislation under discussion in the Ohio House, cheer for reinvestment along the rebuilt Euclid Avenue, and object to the dearth of funding for public transit in the new state transportation budget.

The Levin College Forum at CSU will host "a discussion about the unprecedented opportunity for economic transformation on Cleveland's lakefront" on April 30. "Transforming Cleveland by Building a World Class Waterfront" will include an overview from City of Cleveland and Port Authority leaders, followed by a panel discussion.

The span of the Columbus Road Lift Bridge over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats will be replaced, and the two lift towers will be repaired and upgraded. The $49 million project is scheduled to begin in November 2011, and construction will last about a year.

The federal stimulus bill passed in February includes $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The grants are available to fund projects that reduce energy use or improve energy efficiency. Ohio's share of the allocations is $84 million. Cuyahoga County will receive $5.8 million and the City of Cleveland will receive $4.5 million.

Ohio officials today announced that 149 transportation infrastructure projects in 87 Ohio counties will receive a total of $774 million in federal stimulus funds. The largest single investment was for the Innerbelt Bridge project in Cleveland, which will receive $200 million. The other major project in Cuyahoga County to be funded is the Opportunity Corridor, which is slated to receive $20 million.

Leaders in North Olmsted and Westlake are ready to enter the second phase of a study on creating a water district. The cties are contemplating a switch in water providers, from Cleveland to Avon Lake. Mayor Clough says the cost to buy water would be 75% less.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial says that attempting to obtain "federal money to get out from under the Cleveland water system smacks of a political ploy."

The Cleveland Catholic Diocese released the full list of parishes that will close or merge over the next 15 months. In the eight-county Diocese, 29 churches will close and 41 others will merge to form 18 new parishes. In Cuyahoga County, 38 churches will close or merge. Most are in the City of Cleveland. The Plain Dealer mapped the downsizing plans, while WKSU and WCPN looked at the adaptive reuse of former church buildings. WCPN also devoted Monday's Sound of Ideas program to a discussion of the Diocese's plans.

In this month's issue of Next American City, Ariella Cohen writes about the recession's impacts on American cities, and uses Cleveland as an example of the challenges and opportunities facing municipal officials.

The New York Times Magazine focused national attention on Cleveland with a feature about how the foreclosure crisis has disrupted life in Slavic Village. National and international media outlets have used the neighborhood to highlight the weight of the problem, and many expect that the repercussions experienced in Cleveland will soon be felt in cities across the country. The Plain Dealer, meanwhile, posted maps and databases of the more than 45,000 foreclosures in Cuyahoga County since January 2006, and published a story about the implications of low housing prices. While Cleveland neighborhoods no longer have the nation's highest foreclosure rate, Cuyahoga County remains in the top 35. Rust Wire has a photo essay of the impacts on Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood.

Update: Charles Buki says that the New York Times article illustrates the need to rethink community development processes and reimagine cities.

On Thursday, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson made his fourth annual State of the City Address, titled "It's Our Time (PDF): Bucking National Trends and Building for Tomorrow". He spoke optimistically about the budget, quality of life issues, economic development, and the regional economy. He also called for a more regional approach to education. WKYC has video of the speech, and WTAM posted the audio. Cleveland Magazine's Erick Trickey liveblogged the event.

The outdoor advertising industry is using a pair of 2007 studies conducted in the Cleveland area in their efforts to gain authorization to install digital billboards elsewhere in the nation. A study of Cuyahoga County statistics (PDF) by Tantala Associates says that "digital billboards have no statistical relationship with the occurrence of accidents." A study of Cleveland drivers (PDF) by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute says that "digital billboards seem to attract more attention than the conventional billboards" but that "no conclusions can be drawn regarding the ultimate safety of digital billboards."

A coalition of local environmental and community organizations will hold the Northeast Ohio Environmental Justice Town Hall Meeting on March 7 at Cleveland State's Levin College of Urban Affairs.

Some members of Cleveland City Council are pursing landmark designations for churches that the Cleveland Catholic Diocese intends to close as part of its restructuring. The designation would disrupt the Church's plans to remove stained glass windows and other architectural details from the buildings.

Update: City Council may expand its landmark law to cover the interiors of historic buildings. City Council will also consider legislation intended to slow down the potential destruction of closed churches.

Cleveland City Council members want the Ohio Department of Transportation to prioritize investments in urban centers.

The City of Cleveland may place a moratorium on the installation of digital billboards so that municipal officials can develop new rules. Earlier billboard legislation was tabled this month. Executives at Clear Channel Outdoor are angry at Cleveland Councilman Brian Cummins, who has been active in the deliberations.

Terry Schwartz of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative was one of the guests on this week's Smart City Radio show. She discussed the strategies for re-imagining shrinking cities that are being employed in Cleveland.

Prompted by a request from Councilman Brancatelli of Cleveland, George Voinovich asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to "demolish its condemned and distressed properties that it owns in Cleveland's Slavic Village and throughout the city." Carole Cohen has many questions about the suggestion.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers shared findings about the Cuyahoga River slope instability problem above Irishtown Bend in Cleveland. This summer, the Corps will offer several plans for addressing the problem.

Partners in the Opportunity Homes pilot project are going door-to-door in six Cleveland neighborhoods to help homeowners in high-risk mortgages. They intend to visit nearly 500 homes and hope to prevent 100 foreclosures per year.

In a pair of posts at Newgeography.com, Ed Morrison lays out the challenges facing Greater Cleveland and offers suggestions for strengthening the region's economic development strategies.

Yesterday, Cleveland City Council passed legislation covering urban farming and the allocation of the City's Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds. The farming law, which passed by a vote of 18-3, will allow more residents to raise chickens, ducks, rabbits, and bees on their properties. City Council adopted Mayor Jackson's proposal for allocating the $25.5 million dollars from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program by a vote of 20-1.

Update: Cleveland City Council issued a press release about the allocation of Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds.

Ned Hill and Fran Stewart of Cleveland State University call for a "New City Beautiful - a model of development that emphasizes urban design and the importance of public spaces as a way of creating and holding value in private places."

In a new survey, the Pew Research Center asked Americans if they were happy with the city in which they live, where they would like to live, and why. Almost half of the respondents said they would like to live somewhere else. The top 10 cities were all in the South or the West, while the bottom five were in the Midwest. Cleveland finished second to last in the list of most popular cities.

Mayor Jackson proposed using $14.5 million of the $25.5 million that the City of Cleveland received in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds to demolish 1,700 structures. He also wants to allocate $1 million for a program to convert vacant properties into community gardens and other uses. On February 12, the City will hold a public hearing (PDF) about uses for the funding.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that the hillside subsidence problem above Irishtown Bend in Cleveland needs to be addressed now.

Ken Silliman, Frank Jackson's chief of staff, told a Cleveland City Council committee that closing the Innerbelt Bridge for a year would be unacceptable, and called on ODOT to build the two-bridge configuration from earlier plans. City officials also announced that they will meet next week with state and federal officials about the planned Opportunity Corridor. A Plain Dealer editorial says that Cleveland must demand promised funding from ODOT.

On February 4, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will present preliminary findings about the slope instability problems along the Cuyahoga River at Irishtown Bend. Mayor Jackson listed the area as one of his priorities for obtaining federal infrastructure dollars.

Update: WKSU has more details.

In a letter to Senator Voinovich, Cleveland City Councilman Tony Brancatelli asked area congresspersons to petition the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish distressed properties that it owns in the City.

Steven Litt critiqued the plans for the Towpath Trail through Cleveland, and was displeased with the design of the section at Steelyard Commons. He also commented on the way that bureaucracy is deterring creative solutions and the challenges in designing the stage 1 extension of the trail.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson unveiled an updated urban agenda (PDF) today. It identified four priority projects for which he hopes to obtain federal and state infrastructure stimulus dollars. In letters President-elect Obama and Governor Strickland, he requested $730 million for the Innerbelt Bridge, Riverbed Road, Opportunity Corridor, and West Shoreway projects. His entire list includes $1.56 billion in infrastructure investments.

Update: Henry Gomez posted Mayor Jackson's entire list and his letters.

The Washington Independent has more details about the Cleveland Housing Renewal Project's lawsuit against Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo. The banks had the case moved to federal court, but the Housing Renewal Project is seeking to have the case sent back to Cleveland Housing Court.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that the Cleveland's new vacant land redevelopment guidelines could be a national model for urban sustainability.

The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture followed up its May summit with a new paper titled "From Rust Belt to Artist Belt: Challenges and Opportunities in Rust Belt Cites." It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of rust belt cities, what they can offer to artists, and what artists have to offer to cities. The full white paper (PDF, 13.5 MB) is available, as is an executive summary (PDF, 3.4 MB).

The Ohio Department of Development will distribute more than $83 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds to communities across the state. Cuyahoga County will receive $1.3 million, the City of Cleveland will receive $9.4 million, and Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Lakewood, and Parma will also receive awards. The dollars are in addition to the appropriations directly awarded to cities and counties in September. The Ohio Department of Development also announced that Cuyahoga County will receive a $2.15 million Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant. It will be used to remediate property along the Cuyahoga River's Old Channel and prepare it for Great Lakes Towing Company's $23 million ship building project.

Update: Cuyahoga County and the Great Lakes Towing Company will supply local matches for the Clean Ohio grant.

The Plain Dealer examined how Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Adam Wasserman has transformed the agency's staff in an effort to make it a more powerful economic driver for the region.

On Friday, the Cleveland City Planning Commission adopted guidelines for "Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland" (PDF, 9.1 MB). The guidelines were developed over the past year by the City of Cleveland, Neighborhood Progress Inc., and Kent State's Urban Design Collaborative, with funding from the Surdna Foundation. They summarized "the goals, principles and strategies for returning vacant properties to productive use at the city-wide scale" and identified "policy changes that will enable the city to better make use of this growing resource."

Last week, the Cleveland Foundation awarded $18.8 million in grants and loans for the fourth quarter of 2008. The grants include $4 million to the Fund for Our Economic Future, $272,500 to Cuyahoga County for the Great Lakes Wind Energy Center, and $225,000 to ParkWorks.

A subsidiary of Neighborhood Progress Incorporated is suing two banks in an attempt to prevent them from selling foreclosed houses at deflated prices. On Monday, Judge Pianka of Cleveland Housing Court issued a restraining order blocking the sale of 36 houses for at least 14 days.

This week's Scene includes a look at the increasing popularity of urban farming in Cleveland. Early next month, City Council may vote on legislation relaxing the rules for raising chickens and bees. At the state level, the Ohio Food Policy Council is promoting the advancement of local food systems.

Beyond REO, a new report from Case's Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, tracked property transfers of Cuyahoga County houses following sheriff's sales. In 2005, 3.62% of these houses sold at extremely depressed prices. By June 2008, the proportion had grown to 42.26%. Many of these properties are in Cleveland's east side neighborhoods. The report identified the proposed countywide land banks as a potential method of returning distressed properties to productive use.

Meanwhile, a new policy discussion paper (PDF) from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland describes the countywide land bank legislation. In addition, University of Missouri - St. Louis Professor Todd Swanstrom compared the ways that Cleveland and St. Louis have responded to the foreclosure crisis (PDF).

Frank Jackson did not reappoint attorney Michael Wager to the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, and instead nominated attorney Marc Krantz. Wager, who has been serving as the board's chairmain, recently spoke about the future of the port at the City Club. Audio of his talk (MP3, 20.7 MB) is now available.

Maryland Delegate Alfred Carr, a Cleveland native, took a trip on the new HealthLine and considered whether a similar bus rapid transit system could be implemented in Maryland.

A group of Greater Clevelanders traveled to Columbus yesterday to advocate for Senate Bill 353, the countywide land bank bill. Supporters hope that the Ohio legislature will approve the bill in this month's lame duck session.

Update: WCPN has more details.

Editorials in the Plain Dealer express optimism about the movement in the Medical Mart talks and about the continued reinvestment in University Circle. Another editorial follows up on the newspaper's recent feature on Pittsburgh, and says that Cleveland's leaders can learn much from Pittsburgh. However, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Colin McNickle feels that "the Plain Dealer story might go down in history as the most uninformed look at Pittsburgh ever written."

(via Callahan's Cleveland Diary and Blog 5)

A Plain Dealer feature examined the ways that Pittsburgh influences Cleveland and explored redevelopment and economic development strategies employed by Pittsburgh that could be applied in Cleveland. Meanwhile, a New Orleans Times-Picayune series on the shrinking cities movement looked to Cleveland and other Midwestern cities as positive models. At Cleveburgh Diaspora, Jim Russell submits that "the fate of Pittsburgh and Cleveland are increasingly intertwined."

Legislation for countywide land banks was the subject of discussion on this morning's Sound of Ideas program. Hearings on the proposal are expected to begin soon in the Ohio legislature. The program also examined the topic in November 2007.

As a tribute to the late Ed Hauser, WVIZ will re-air the 2006 documentary Citizen Hauser twice this week, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and on Wednesday at 11:00 p.m.

In a Plain Dealer op-ed, Tom Bier says that Cleveland will need the support of the region if it is to succeed, and that "it could be essentially gone" if regional leaders fail to cooperate. In a second Plain Dealer op-ed, law student Christopher Thomas explains why Cleveland can be an attractive destination for young professionals.

The Cleveland Public Library's Fine Arts Department shared information about their local architectural history resources.

With the foreclosure crisis increasing the supply of abandoned homes in Cleveland and East Cleveland, more of the area's homeless are squatting in the vacant houses. Advocates for the homeless are working to establish a program that would allow the skilled homeless to take possession of abandoned homes in exchange for repairing them.

The West Side Sun News describes the Cuyahoga Valley Industrial Center, the largest redevelopment project undertaken by the City of Cleveland's Industrial-Commercial Land Bank program. The site in the industrial valley was recently awarded a $5 million Ohio Job Ready Sites grant.

The Chatter column in this week's issue of Scene includes an update on the proposed revisions of Cleveland's billboard rules.

On Friday, the Cleveland City Planning Commission unanimously approved an ordinance that would allow more residents to raise livestock and bees near their homes. City Council committees are expected to begin discussing the proposal later this month, and community meetings will be held on November 25 and December 3.

A public meeting about stage 3 construction of the Towpath Trail will take place on November 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sokolowski's University Inn in Tremont. This leg of the trail will connect Steelyard Commons to Literary Road.

Calling it "Greater Cleveland's last, best chance to end the foreclosure feeding frenzy that is consuming neighborhoods and eviscerating property values," a Plain Dealer editorial urges state and local officials to support countywide land bank legislation.

Update: Becky Gaylord feels that Cleveland needs "bold, strong action, such as creating a regional land bank."

The Ohio Department of Development awarded 12 Job Ready Sites program grants, two of which were for projects in Cuyahoga County. The City of Cleveland received $5 million for the Cuyahoga Valley Industrial Center, a planned redevelopment of a 57-acre brownfield site near the Cuyahoga River. Ray Fogg Building Methods received $4.3 million to assist in the development of an industrial park on the 80-acre PMX site in Euclid.

The Cleveland City Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on Friday to discuss a proposal that would allow more residents to raise livestock and bees on their properties. The Planning Commission will also review electronic billboard regulations at the meeting.

Steven Litt says that the recently-completed Euclid Corridor project "shows how smart investments in mass transit and public space can help struggling cities turn themselves around." He also calls it a reminder "that America still has the ability to tackle high-quality, large-scale infrastructure projects with style."

Update: Rob Pitingolo feels that the project also represents missed opportunities.

Regional groups of parishes in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese submitted plans for consolidating churches to the Vibrant Parish Life Committee. The greatest reduction in parishes will be in the City of Cleveland, where recommendations call for closing up to 26 of the 61 parishes. Bishop Lennon will make the final decision on closings next March.

Homebuilder Rysar Properties is struggling in the poor housing market. The company has lost $4 million and is shifting its focus from construction to renovation.

The credit crunch has pushed back the debut of the Cleveland District of Design. Cleveland State's Ned Hill said that its launch is probably a year away.

Cleveland Ward 15 Councilman Brian Cummins is concerned that the Jackson administration is allowing stable neighborhoods to decline by focusing too much on demolishing abandoned houses in already blighted areas.

The grand opening of RTA's HeathLine attracted crowds over the weekend, and its Monday debut experienced only minor glitches. A Plain Dealer editorial says that the corridor's real payoff will be in the surrounding development it encourages.

The credit crunch threatens to further slow the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's construction program. In addition, the Ohio School Facilities Commission has suggested enlarging an existing school instead of building a proposed west side reliever high school.

The Euclid Corridor was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the HealthLine this afternoon. Construction of the $200 million, 7.1-mile project took three years, and it was the subject of Thursday's Sound of Ideas on WCPN. RTA will hold opening celebrations all weekend.

A protracted credit crunch could force delays or cancellations of proposed commercial developments in and around Cleveland, including downtown office towers, suburban retail developments, and mixed-use projects.

The Plain Dealer looked around the United States for new economic revitalization strategies that could be utilized in Greater Cleveland.

Opportunity Homes is a new $20 million public-private partnership designed to counter the effects of foreclosures in six Cleveland neighborhoods over the next three years. In its first year, the program aims to help 100 families avoid foreclosure, demolish 100 blighted houses, and rehabilitate 121 vacant homes.

The Ohio Department of Development announced the recipients in the second round of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program today. Of the 48 projects selected, 14 are in Cleveland. The Terminal Tower, St. Luke's Hospital, and the East Ohio Gas Building on East 6th Street each received credits valued at an estimated $5 million.

While black churches are facing pressure to follow their congregants to the suburbs, many of them remain committed to their Cleveland neighborhoods. The Plain Dealer used a multimedia presentation to illustrate the role of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Fairfax.

On Friday, October 17, Western Reserve PBS (formerly PBS 45 & 49) will air Living Cities, a one hour special report on the well-being of Canton, Cleveland, and Youngstown and a response to their inclusion in the Forbes.com list of dying cities.

Update: the program can now be viewed online.

Several cities and villages in northern Summit County have rejected the City of Cleveland's water main maintenance and no poaching proposal.

The Cleveland Foundation and Gund Foundation gave $18.1 million million to local projects last month. The Cleveland Foundation's awards included a $4 million loan for the Uptown development in University Circle, $550,000 to Living Cities, $1.5 million for the second phase of the Cleveland Museum of Art expansion, and $200,000 for research on proposed Lake Erie wind turbines. The Gund Foundation gave $3 million in grants and loans for the Uptown project, $300,000 for support for Greater Ohio, and $75,000 for the relocation of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative offices to Playhouse Square.

The first of three reports revealed "no major hurdles" in the feasibility of building a demonstration wind turbine project in Lake Erie. The entire study should be completed by next April. Meanwhile, Case Western Reserve University hired Dianne Anderson as the first executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Energy Innovation.

The New York Times Magazine reports on the fledgling field of building deconstruction, focusing on the efforts of Brad Guy of the Building Materials Reuse Association and his work in Slavic Village.

Steven Litt is not impressed by the exterior architecture of the Cleveland Clinic's new Miller Family Pavilion and Glickman Tower, but is more pleased with their interiors and the work of landscape architect Peter Walker. He also writes about the work of Justin Glanville at Building Cleveland by Design.

Ohio received more than $258 million of the $3.92 billion allocated by HUD for foreclosure relief. Cleveland's share was $16.1 million, and Cuyahoga County's was $11.2 million. The cities of Akron, Elyria, Euclid, and Lorain also received funds, as did Lake and Summit counties.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority hired Pam Davis to fill its new environmental/sustainability manager position.

Cleveland City Council will soon consider legislation that would permit more residents to raise chickens in their yards.

The second piece in WKSU's NEO Development series examines the work being undertaken by the partners participating in the Cuyahoga Valley Initiative.

This morning, the U.S. Census Bureau released American Community Survey data covering 2007 social, economic, and housing characteristics. The data was interpreted in a variety of fashions:

• The Akron Beacon Journal examined the falling rate of home ownership, especially among African-Americans.
• The Columbus Dispatch reported on concerns about Ohio's loss of young professionals.
• Forbes used the figures to rank cities by homeownership affordability, rental affordability, and percentage of foreign-born residents.
• An analysis by Mark Salling of NODIS indicates that more people in the eight-county Cleveland CSA are pursuing and attaining a college education (PDF).

Cleveland was ranked as the nation's 16th most sustainable city in SustainLane's 2008 US City Rankings, an improvement over its 28th place ranking in 2006. The City received high marks in the water supply, metro street congestion, local food & agriculture, natural disaster risk, and green economy categories, but scored poorly in the areas of planning & land use, solid waste diversion, and energy & climate change policy

WKSU is airing NEO Development: Rebuilding Northeast Ohio, a week-long series that explores the future of development in the region. The first story in the series looks at the Cleveland District of Design.

Cleveland's neighborhoods may soon start to realize the impacts of community reinvestments. Several community development efforts are underway in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood, including a plan to redevelop the shuttered St. Luke's Hospital. In Central, the Weed & Seed initiative is combating blight, and public improvements are being made across the city. In addition, the three neighborhoods participating in the pilot LEED for Neighborhood Development program could have their plans certified in December.

Update: the Plain Dealer published additional information about the neighborhood improvements.

House flippers are turning to eBay in attempts to make quick profits.

A report prepared for the City of Cleveland says that over the first five months of this year, City prosecutors rejected over a quarter of the cases prepared by building and housing inspectors against property owners.

Crain's Cleveland Business reports on the green bulkheads project and the installation (PDF) of CHUBs in the Cuyahoga River navigation channel. The coverage includes a story and a video report.

Mayor Jackson's Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee summarized the City of Cleveland's progress over the last year.

Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released annual income, poverty, and health insurance coverage statistics from the 2007 American Community Survey. In Cuyahoga County, the median household income grew from $41,522 in 2006 to $44,358 in 2007 (a 6.8% increase), while the poverty rate rose from 14.8% to 15.5% (a 4.7% increase). The City of Cleveland's poverty rate also rose, from 27.0% in 2006 to 29.5% in 2007, the nation's second-highest figure among big cities. Detroit had the highest poverty rate for the second consecutive year.

Local government agencies are collaborating to address the slope instability problems along the Cuyahoga River at Irishtown Bend in Cleveland.

Developer profiled the efforts of five cities, including Cleveland, to revive neighborhoods damaged by foreclosures and abandonment. Some signs indicate that the housing market may be improving, as Greater Cleveland led the nation for home price gains in April and May.

(via Planetizen)

The green bulkheads project will proceed this week with the installation of up to 400 plant pockets in the Cuyahoga River navigation channel.

In this week's Scene, Michael Gill explores the controversy over the proposed changes to Cleveland's billboard rules and relates the struggle of an Old Brooklyn restaurant owner to remove one billboard.

Officials in Toledo are among those looking at the Euclid Corridor project as an example of how to implement a bus rapid transit line.

The City of Cleveland's 2010 Active Transportation Plan calls for creating a 180 mile network of bicycle routes, including a City Trail Loop connecting the City's large parks.

Some community leaders in Cleveland are upset about a proposal to modify the City's billboard regulations, and the City Planning Commission today tabled the issue until August 15 to allow more time to review and discuss the subject.

The housing bill signed by President Bush yesterday will eventually bring $26.6 million to Cuyahoga County communities for acquisition and rehabilitation or demolition of abandoned houses. The City of Cleveland is expected to receive the majority of the money.

Update: the Plain Dealer analyzed the legislation and clarified that the $26.6 million figure is only an estimate. The Christian Science Monitor also interviewed local officials about its likely implications.

The National Resources Defense Council rated the water quality at Ohio's beaches as the second worst in the nation, an improvement over last year's last place ranking. The annual Testing the Waters report placed the beaches (PDF) at Villa Angela State Park and Euclid Beach State Park among the worst ten for exceeding public health standards.

At a real estate meeting yesterday, MRN Ltd. announced plans to convert the landmark Tudor Arms on Carnegie Avenue to a hotel. The University Circle building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in February.

Participants in a May planning charrette generated ideas for revitalizing vacant land in Cleveland.

On Friday, Bill Moyers Journal recounted the story of the foreclosure crisis in Cleveland, focusing on the problems in Slavic Village. Video, audio (MP3, 17.9 MB), and a transcript of the PBS broadcast are all available.

Walk Score has been updated with new walkability rankings by city and neighborhood. Of the nation's 40 largest cities, the City of Cleveland was ranked as the 14th most walkable. The only Cleveland neighborhood to make the top 100 was downtown, at number 73.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that Cleveland and Northeast Ohio "need something new: An aggressive repopulation strategy that emphasizes immigration" in order to reverse the region's negative population trends.

The U.S. Census Bureau's annual subcounty population estimates indicate that Cleveland and its inner-ring suburbs continued to lose population. Between July 2006 and July 2007, Cleveland's population dropped by an estimated 5,067 people, about 1.1% of its total. While it was the largest numerical drop in the nation, it was a smaller annual decrease than in the last several estimates. Cleveland officials believe that the City is poised to start reversing the trends, and downtown Cleveland has been gaining population. Population tables are available for download from NODIS.

Officials from the Chicago Transit Authority are studying the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project as they prepare to launch their own bus rapid transit line next year.

GreenCityBlueLake provides an update on bicycle planning in Cleveland. The City received an honorable mention as a Bicycle Friendly Community in May, and the League of American Bicyclists provided suggestions (PDF) for earning a full designation. A complete streets resolution has been prepared (PDF) for consideration by Cleveland City Council. The City also applied to participate (PDF) in the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program if Congress reauthorizes it in the 2010 transportation bill.

Cleveland State's Ned Hill appeared on this week's episode of Smart City Radio to talk about the Cleveland District of Design. He described economic development as "the art of connecting the dots that nobody else sees."

The Free Times examines the potential for the blockage of the Cuyahoga River Federal Navigation Channel and critiques local and federal efforts to address slope subsidence and bulkhead failure issues that threaten the shoreline.

Channel 3 aired stories about the increasing popularity of community gardening in Cleveland (video) and about the Farmland Center's FarmLink (video) program.

The City of Cleveland announced $4.6 million in Housing Trust Fund allocations for ten residential developments. All employ green building techniques. The projects are evenly divided between renovations and new construction.

Update: Crib Notes provides more details.

In the fourth and final part of the Lake Erie: Beyond the Surface series of specials, WKYC looked to the future. The show examined lakefront plans, legislative initiatives, economic opportunities, and our drinking water. All four shows are available online.

Brad Masi of the New Agrarian Center describes how community gardening can be used to combat food deserts, using a new community garden at Huron Hospital in East Cleveland as an example.

Plans for the extension of the Towpath Trail from Harvard Road to Steelyard Commons include the construction of a tunnel and two new bridges. Consultant DLZ has posted materials from this week's public meeting, and is accepting public comments.

The General Environmental Management plant in the Flats will close rather than make fire safety improvements to the facility. The plant had been cited for potential violations of clean air laws and suffered an explosion and fire in 2006.

The Living Cities Consortium gave a $500,000 grant to Neighborhood Progress Inc. The funds will be used to demolish 100 houses in Cleveland and to renovate 50 others. NPI also expects to receive a $1 million low-interest loan.

The majority of people at the Ohio 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force meeting on Tuesday expressed a desire for better public transit service, and many said that Ohio needs to become less dependent on highways. The final regional Task Force meeting will be held on Monday in Akron.

Yesterday, the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services held a field hearing in Cleveland about the foreclosure crisis. Committee chairwoman Maxine Waters led the nearly five hour meeting, which was also attended by five members of Ohio's congressional delegation. Recent stories about Cleveland in the national media have drawn attention to the issue, and the Plain Dealer used East 144th Street in Mount Pleasant as an example of the impacts of foreclosures.

Update: an Akron Beacon Journal editorial says that the subcommittee's Cleveland appearance "reflects the severe financial and social repercussions across the country."

Arsonists have burned 98 vacant homes in Cleveland this year. Last year, there were fires at 231 vacant homes in the City. Investigators believe that some of the blazes are tied to mortgage or insurance fraud.

A column by Becky Gaylord of the Plain Dealer says that, "Too often, Cleveland ignores owners of abandoned or neglected houses that lure crime and kill nearby home values." She feels that the City focuses too much on demolitions, and does not employ other tools, like receivership, enforcement crackdowns, and property registration.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will present the port relocation plan at a second public meeting on June 16 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Cleveland.

The Plain Dealer explored the interest in and potential for cohousing in Cleveland in anticipation of today's cohousing forum at CSU.

Update: audio of the session (MP3, 167.2 MB) is now available.

ODOT's Ohio 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force will hold one of its seven statewide transportation conversations at Cleveland State University on June 17. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting, complete an online survey, and provide ideas and opinions.

Yesterday, participants in the Look Up To Cleveland program presented ideas for improving three Cleveland neighborhoods. The 51 local high school students worked in teams to generate proposals for the Lee-Harvard, Old Brooklyn, and University Circle neighborhoods.

Many questions surround the siting of a proposed new psychiatric hospital in Cuyahoga County.

Update: Cleveland Councilman Roosevelt Coates proposed building the facility in Collinwood.

Tuesday's Sound of Ideas program on WCPN was devoted to a discussion of urban gardening in Cleveland and the innovative programs offered through the Ohio State University Extension. Community gardening is also gaining popularity in Lakewood, and this week's Cool Cleveland looked at some techniques for turning waste streams into sustainable local agriculture.

The Plain Dealer looked into the status of the two remaining disassembled Hulett ore unloaders at Whiskey Island.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that the biggest challenge facing the construction of a new psychiatric hospital in Cuyahoga County "will be making sure local officials don't get bogged down in a long, drawn-out fight over its location. "

WCPN concluded its series on the foreclosure crisis with reports on the roles of Fannie Mae and HUD in the crisis and possible solutions to the problem.

The Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals upheld the City of Cleveland's residency requirement for municipal employees, reversing a 2007 ruling by the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. The Ohio Supreme Court recently agreed to hear an appeal of related cases in Akron and Lima, and the Cleveland case is also likely to reach the Supreme Court.

Living Cities, a consortium of major philanthropic foundations and financial firms, will launch a new initiative in Cleveland. The first step in the process will be for Cleveland officials to set specific goals for the program.

Update: a Plain Dealer editorial calls the announcement "good news for this city."

WCPN continued its foreclosure crisis coverage with a report on the problems it has created in Cuyahoga County's outer ring suburbs and a discussion of the issues on this morning's Sound of Ideas program. In the Plain Dealer, Cleveland Chief of Regional Development Chris Warren wrote about the Jackson administration's approach to dealing with the foreclosure crisis and abandoned houses.

Michael Gill of the Free Times also wrote about last week's "From Rust Belt to Artist Belt" conference: "The bottom line is that neighborhoods that want to benefit from the arts have to be about helping artists - not the other way around. Succeed at that, and the benefits to the neighborhood will follow."

This week, WCPN is airing a series of reports about the foreclosure crisis. Yesterday's piece was an examination of the practice of purchasing Cleveland homes in bulk, and today's was a look at the impact of foreclosures in inner-ring suburbs.

A capital budget bill introduced in the Ohio legislature yesterday includes $83.7 million for a new psychiatric hospital in Cuyahoga County. The new 300 room hospital would replace the Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare facility on West 25th Street. The bill also includes funding for the Cleveland Museum of Art expansion, the Gordon Square Art Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Institute of Art, University Hospitals, and Cleveland State University.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District's revised building program still includes plans for a west side reliever high school and a new John Marshall High School. The plans do not call for any school closings, but leave the future of over 30 schools to be determined later.

Recent Plain Dealer editorials praise the regionalism agenda of the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association and the Cleveland District of Design collaboration. An editorial in the Akron Beacon Journal says that "the Republican majority in the Ohio Senate stands strikingly alone" in its opposition to the Great Lakes Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, while an editorial in the Plain Dealer says that the opposition may be breaking down.

Update: an editorial in the Beacon Journal is also positive about the regionalism initiative.

Grist highlighted sustainability efforts in Cleveland today as part of its week-long Smart(ish) Cities series, noting that "Cleveland is one of a handful of cities in the Rust Belt -- including Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Columbus -- that are reinventing the region as a sort of Green Belt."

Both property owners and consumer product companies are showing interest in the proposed Cleveland District of Design. Leaders of the effort say they need commitments from six companies in order to launch.

GreenCityBlueLake is liveblogging today's "From Rust Belt to Artist Belt" summit.

Update: Even*Cleveland posted a recap of the event, and Steven Litt provided more details.

While Cleveland officials are struggling to deal with the increase in abandoned homes, they have been able to raise the number of houses that have been boarded up, condemned, and demolished. However, a Plain Dealer editorial says that the City needs to do more. In addition to the other problems caused by abandonment, Cleveland has seen a rise in arson this year.

The planned Melford International Terminal, a $300 million container cargo port in Nova Scotia, has the potential to bring increased containerized shipping to ports in Cleveland and Toledo.

The Great Lakes Urban Exchange Cleveland chapter held its second monthly meeting yesterday. The group will hold its first of four community web launches on June 21 in Buffalo.

I.D. Magazine interviewed Ned Hill and Daniel Cuffaro about the Cleveland District of Design. "The District of Design is a way to streamline, so that instead of buyers driving all over Northeast Ohio planning a product line, Cleveland would be a one-stop shop."

(via CEOs for Cities)

The From Rust Belt to Artist Belt symposium will be held next Wednesday. WCPN reported on the event and discussed it on yesterday's Around Noon show.

Case's Western Reserve Studies Symposium began its second year of Regionally Speaking conversations with a session on "how to move the region forward through economic and community development." The guests were Ronn Richard of the Cleveland Foundation, Chris Warren of the City of Cleveland, and Bobbi Reichtell of Neighborhood Progress Inc.

Cleveland's new economic development director described plans for six new or expanded programs at a City Council Community and Economic Development Committee meeting this morning.

The Cleveland City Planning Commission approved a proposal to require one bicycle parking space for every 20 car parking spaces. The proposal also calls for reducing the number of required car spaces by one when six bicycle spaces are provided.

Yesterday, Case Western Reserve University, the City of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Clinic pledged to support and advance the principles of the United Nations Global Compact.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency awarded $2.5 million in loans to nonprofit organizations working in six Cleveland neighborhoods. The funds will be used to revitalize model blocks in Buckeye, Detroit-Shoreway, Fairfax, Glenville-Wade Park, Slavic Village, and Tremont. The Jennings Center for Older Adults in Garfield Heights and North Ridge Commons (an EDEN project in Cleveland) were also awarded loans.

Although sales have been slow and the company may be experiencing financial difficulties, Gordon Priemer of Heartland Developers says that plans for the Avalon Station condominiums in Shaker Heights are moving ahead at "full force".

The project managers of Cleveland's LEED-ND program have proposed creating a green overlay district for the City's three pilot projects.

A board committee of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority recommended reopening the Dike 12 confined disposal facility located northeast of Burke Lakefront Airport. The facility has not accepted new dredge material since it was closed in the mid-1970s, but settling of the fill has created more space.

The U.S. EPA awarded $74 million in brownfields grants to projects in 43 states. The City of Cleveland received $200,000 for the cleanup of the nine acre Chemical and Minerals Reclamation site on Crescent Avenue. Cuyahoga County received $400,000 to perform Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments at sites across the county and $1 million for its revolving loan fund.

Update: the Cuyahoga County Department of Development has more information.

James Darr, administrator of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Bond Accountability Commission, urges Cleveland residents to attend community forums (PDF) on Thursday about the District's school construction plans.

Harvard economics professor Ed Glaeser was the keynote speaker yesterday at a conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. He said that local leaders need to attract skilled residents to the urban core.

The Akron Beacon Journal examined the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's aspirations to begin handling containerized cargo. It notes that "Cleveland and Toledo are uniquely positioned to be spokes on such a hub system because they are as far as a ship can get into the United States without beginning a time-consuming loop up and around the Michigan peninsula to reach other Great Lakes ports."

Moreland Hills City Council has begun discussing the water main maintenance and no poaching proposal offered by the City of Cleveland.

A Plain Dealer editorial says that air quality concerns in the neighborhoods surrounding the ArcelorMittal steel mill are "too big of a public health issue to ignore," and that the U.S. EPA, the Ohio EPA, and the City of Cleveland have a duty to investigate.

Nine more properties in Cleveland received awards through the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. Locally, the largest credits went to the Higbee Building ($7.8 million), the Cleveland Institute of Art's McCullough Center ($5.7 million), the Hanna Building ($4.6 million), and the Union Gospel Press building ($4.4 million). It was the third and final announcement in round one of the awards. MyHometownOhio reports that there will not be a second round because the program reached its $120 million limit. The Plain Dealer listed the status of all local applicants.

The Maltz Family Foundation gave $2 million to endow a chair at the new Great Lakes Institute for Energy Innovation at Case Western Reserve University. It will aid its "efforts to recruit a prominent, internationally-recognized leader from key energy-related disciplines to the institute". The gift is in addition to a $3.6 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation in December.

The U.S. EPA has been investigating air pollution from the ArcelorMittal steel mill in Cleveland. Local activists want the company to reduce its emissions.

Case's Baker Nord Center for the Humanities continues its explorations of the cityscapes theme at this year's Humanities Week, which runs March 24-29. It includes a film series at the Cinematheque, lectures, and a National Cityscapes Conference on March 27-29.

The Greater Cleveland Partnership published its 2008-2011 Strategic Plan (PDF). Among its suggestions is lobbying for funding of three major projects: the Port of Cleveland's relocation, the Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland, and a new runway for NASA's Plum Brook Station in Erie County. It also calls for closer ties with Akron.

This week's Free Times looks at the pending legislative reauthorization of the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway and the progress on the extension of the Towpath Trail through Cleveland.

Several large foundations are considering programs to address the foreclosure crisis, and may fund projects in Cleveland.

In his third annual State of the City address last week, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson highlighted a revenue sharing opportunity with the City of Youngstown and his plans to strengthen the city's transportation infrastructure. The speech did not impress some Cleveland councilmen, while a Plain Dealer editorial said it was "remarkable, in part, for what he didn't say." The address, titled "Confronting our Reality Head On: Turning Challenges into Opportunities," is available as video, audio, and text (PDF).

Representatives of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama attended Cleveland City Council's Fighting Foreclosure Forum yesterday. Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland also announced that it received $600,000 to advertise and to hire more counselors.

Over a dozen out-of-state investment companies that specialize in reselling foreclosed homes are operating in Cleveland. They purchase properties in bulk from banks and then sell the houses without making improvements. The proposed countywide land bank is intended to keep homes out of the hands of speculators.

The Economist examined how major hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic have become economic drivers, and also looked at their relationships with their surrounding communities.

(via Smart Communities)

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District will hold community meetings today and tomorrow about the remaining stages of the district's school construction program. The meetings (PDF) tonight will be held at all high schools, and the meeting tomorrow evening will be at prekindergarten-8 schools.

$60 Million and Counting (executive summary, 0.6 MB PDF; complete report, 20.2 MB PDF), a new report from ReBuild Ohio and Community Research Partners, says that abandoned homes cost eight diverse Ohio cities $64 million per year and cost Cleveland $35.5 million per year. The total statewide cost may be ten times greater.

Yesterday, Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment about brownfields redevelopment funding. H.R. 5336, a reauthorization of the the U.S. EPA's brownfields program, was introduced on Tuesday.

Roldo Bartimole objects to the public subsidization of private downtown developments, using the incentives earmarked for the rehabilitation the 668 Euclid complex as an example.

Adam Wasserman will celebrate his first year at the helm of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority on Tuesday. He has received good reviews from area political and business leaders.

On Friday, Wells Fargo Bank asked a federal judge to dismiss the City of Cleveland's lawsuit against 21 major investment banks.