First Public Sector Planning Blog

Kevin Leeson, Special Projects Coordinator and Chris Alvarado, Associate Senior Planner, setup and run the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog. As far as I know, this is the first public-sector planning blog in existence. The purpose of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog primarily is to act as a news gathering and dissemination resource for the Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County planning community, which includes 59 communities, cities, villages and townships.

1 minute read

June 9, 2004, 4:24 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Kevin Leeson, Special Projects Coordinator and Chris Alvarado, Associate Senior Planner, setup and run the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog. As far as I know, this is the first public-sector planning blog in existence.



The purpose of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog primarily is to act as a news gathering and dissemination resource for the Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County planning community, which includes 59 communities, cities, villages and townships.



Kevin and Chris make daily updates to the blog, which takes them each about 30 minutes per day. Just launched With 100-200 visitors per day, the blog is the second-most visited section of the Commission's website, right after the home page. They use Blogger to publish the blog, and have found it to be a great tool for their tag-team blogging.



I'll be profiling the Blog, as well as some of the challenges Kevin and Chris faced in setting up the blog in my next e-government column for the American Planning Association.


Chris Steins

Chris Stines is Planetizen's former Editor and the founder of Urban Insight, a leading digital agency. Chris has 25 years of experience in technology consulting and urban planning and has served as a consultant to public sector state, county, and local agencies, Fortune 500 private firms, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up of smartphone with USDOT website pulled up and screen with USDOT logo in background.

DOT Memo Directs Transportation Funding to Communities With Higher Marriage and Birth Rates, Compliance with Immigration Officials and No Mask Mandates

The memo ties immigration enforcement to federal funding and prohibits mask or vaccine mandates.

February 5, 2025 - Huffpost

Red 1972 Ford Pinto with black racing stripes on display with man sitting in driver's seat.

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto

The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

February 11, 2025 - Mother Jones

Aerial view of Kapi'olani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Community Colleges: A Pathway for Native Hawaiian Achievement and Growth

The University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges provide Native Hawaiian students with transformative educational experiences, integrating academic success, cultural identity, and strong community support to help them find purpose and thrive.

February 14 - University of Hawai'i News

Los Angeles, California skyline against mountains at sunset.

Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit

The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.

February 14 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Green Flixbus bus parked on street in Los Angeles, California with palm trees and Hollywood buildings in background on sunny day.

Intercity Bus Ridership Grows Despite Service Cuts

Passengers continue to rely on intercity bus lines, even as cities shutter bus terminals and bus companies restructure to avoid financial failure.

February 14 - Smart Cities Dive

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.

Write for Planetizen