A 1.5-acre park in Cleveland should be ready in time for the 2016 Republican National Convention. The small park is just the first step, however, toward a much grander vision for a corner of Cleveland with deep connections to the city's past.
The first step toward a grand vision for the Canal Basin Park is underway in Cleveland. Steven Litt reports about the current planning for a park project on 1.5 acres of what will eventually become 20 acres of ambitiously designed park space.
The 1.5-acre park currently underway with planning will be "located near the intersection of Center Street and Merwin Avenue on the east bank of the Flats," reports Litt. For now, Cleveland Metroparks will use $300,000 in tax increment financing to "install grass, walking paths and trees on the 1.5-acre parcel, connecting Columbus Road and Center Street down to Heritage Park on Cuyahoga River." A parking lot will also be removed.
Litt notes that the park's location "may be obscure geography to some Clevelanders, but it wasn't in the past and won't be in the future." And the future, signified by the plans for Canal Basin Park, could be on its way much faster now. The city's Planning Commission scheduled to review the park's framework plan later in November.
The name Canal Basin indicates the site's importance in Cleveland history. As Litt notes, the "larger park will mark the northern terminus of the 110-mile Towpath Trail, and focus fresh attention on the original northern end of the Ohio & Erie Canal, completed in 1832."
FULL STORY: Metroparks plans "greening" for 1.5-acres of the future 20-acre Canal Basin Park (photos)
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.