With nearly $5 million dedicated to regional planning initiatives, Angie Schmitt questions whether public officials in greater Cleveland are willing to make the hard decisions and compromises necessary to make the area competitive once again.
Winning nearly $5 million from federal and local funding sources to create a plan for regional sustainability was the easiest part of establishing a coordinated plan to address the rapid abandonment of Cleveland's urban areas for unplanned, exurban development, observes Schmitt.
"Of course, winning a grant and mustering the political will to do some actual transformative planning are two different things. Right now there is a fierce internal struggle going on within Northeast Ohio's Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC), and the outcome could determine whether the region puts the $5 million grant to good use or wastes a rare opportunity."
More than a year after NEOSCC began the planning process, little progress has been made and an internal reorganization has exposed conflicts over the desired magnitude and focus of the plan, writes Schmitt.
"NEOSCC is made up of a broad cross-section of regional interests - rural, suburban and urban officials; representatives from communities of color; highway proponents; bike advocates; environmentalists; business leaders. Younger, more progressive factions want to discuss planning tools that seem daring in Cleveland, like urban growth boundaries, while others - namely those with a long history of government service in Northeast Ohio - say it's not even worth discussing."
"Regions around the country are adopting a new 'technology' - land use planning - to make their cities cleaner, more efficient, healthier and more equitable. Will greater Cleveland reject this new technology – like the Aborigines of Northeast Australia rejected bows and arrows - and further resign itself to becoming a once-great but fallen empire?"
FULL STORY: Will Greater Cleveland Squander Its Chance to Be Competitive Again?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie