Making the Most of Cleveland's 'Opportunity Corridor'

Officials planning the divisive Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland are working to catch land use considerations up with transportation considerations for a proposed road connection to cut through the city's East Side.

1 minute read

October 5, 2014, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Steven Litt provides the latest details of the conversation regarding Cleveland's planned Opportunity Corridor, a five-lane, 3.5-mile boulevard between University Circle and I-490 on the city's East Side. Specifically, Litt's coverage addresses the need for good planning to make the most of the new route.

"Without excellent new planning, zoning and urban design guidelines and special design review procedures for the hundreds of acres of land on either side of the new road, Cleveland could be in danger of getting lowest common denominator development."

Namely: "If the worst comes to pass, the new boulevard – literally a $100 million-a-mile infrastructure investment - could be lined with gas stations, and lube joints, sprinkled among used car lots and payday loan stores. In other words, it could become another Carnegie Avenue."

Litt notes that the land use planning for the area along the corridor has lagged behind the roadway planning for the Opportunity Corridor. He also notes that Angie Schmitt from Streetsblog USA, among others, has "excoriated Opportunity Corridor as a foolish exercise in 1950s-style highway planning."

Thursday, October 2, 2014 in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

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.