In July, a local nonprofit closed down an entire street in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland for a placemaking experiment that had to be partially dismantled before the three-month duration of the program was complete.
"The city may be having second thoughts about the temporary closure of Market Avenue in Ohio City, which has enabled the one-block street to function over the past month as a popular, tree-shaded park filled with colorful café tables and chairs," reports Steven Litt.
Safety concerns, however, led the city to remove the street furniture earlier this month. The nonprofit Ohio City Inc. had been granted a permit to close the street for three months. Apparently however, some city officials say that the street furniture was not part of the permit. "The city has asked Ohio City to present a safety plan showing how the furniture would be handled in case of an emergency," according to Litt.
"Ohio City pursued the street closure as a way to provide a new outdoor amenity for a rapidly growing neighborhood attracting new residents around bustling restaurants and shops near the West Side Market, the area’s traditional anchor," explains Litt, who also references a similar effort in the nearby city of Euclid, launched in 2018.
FULL STORY: Ohio City’s Market Avenue street furniture removed as Cleveland rethinks park plan
Los Angeles to Test Road Closure Through Scenic Griffith Park
After a driver killed a cyclist on Griffith Park Drive in April, the city of Los Angeles is studying safety upgrades on streets in its famous park. The L.A. Times says the changes are part of a growing movement.
Cars Retake Their Place on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach
Ocean Drive in South Beach is the site of an ongoing pilot project in making space for pedestrians and businesses in space previously devoted to cars. Advocates and some local politicians don't like the direction that the experiment is headed.
Tampa Closes Streets to Open Outdoor Space to Restaurants
A pilot project in Tampa is closing select streets to cars to allow more space for dine-in restaurant service.
How Sharrows Became Cycling’s Most Hated Symbol
Originally designed as a low-cost way to encourage safer road sharing between bikes and cars, the sharrow has become a symbol of the lack of commitment to protected bike infrastructure in many cities.
Keanu Reeves Set to Play Daniel Burnham in ‘The Devil in the White City’
Planning is going to get a new level of star power as a limited series adaptation of The Devil in the White City gets ready for television screens in 2024.
Marrying Urban Identity and Economic Prosperity
A new book posits that truly successful communities have a strong economic base and a firmly rooted sense of place.
Sports Stadiums Bring Few Economic Benefits
While their developers often tout jobs and local economic development as benefits of major stadium projects, research shows these venues often make little impact on local economies.
A How-To for ‘Freeway Fighters’
Ten recommendations for effective freeway removal advocacy.
Miami Rapid Transit Project Moves Forward
The county completed the draft environmental impact study for a monorail and people mover planned as part of its rapid transit system.
McKenna
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
Kinexus Group
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Rail~Volution
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
