Ohio

Cleveland Leaders Agree to Spend Surplus Cash on Downtown Revitalization

This week, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald unveiled how he and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson would like to spend the nearly $100 million in surplus revenues that had been set aside for a downtown project. Steven Litt likes what he heard.

June 7, 2013 - The Plain Dealer

As Natural Gas Prices Rise, Utilities Turn Toward Coal

An Ohio utility is switching to coal due to the rising price of natural gas, illustrating how sensitive fuel prices are to utilities. However, when it comes to building new plants - natural gas has the advantage due to coal's higher capital costs.

April 26, 2013 - The Columbus Dispatch

Skywalk Plan Threatens Cleveland's Budding Street Life

A downtown Cleveland casino is pushing to build a skywalk to connect to its parking garage located across the street. Recognizing the anti-urban implications of the plan, an unlikely activist has organized opposition to the project.

April 17, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Cincinnati Public Staircases: A Walking History Abandoned but not Forgotten

A disappearing part of Cincinnati’s urban history is the subject of a new book, which portrays urban staircases as reflective of neighborhood histories and the urban experience.

April 16, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

Downtown Cincinnati

People Replace Parking in Downtown Cincinnati

The planned replacement of a parking garage with a $94 million 30-story, mixed-use tower in downtown Cincinnati is a positive sign of the area's comeback. Now about eliminating those parking minimums....

April 9, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

Cleveland's Public Space Revolution

With new bike paths, regional trails, and renovated parks, Cleveland is catering to bikes and pedestrians, says Steven Litt. He explains how this "car town" is "undergoing a revolution in attitudes toward public space, city streets and walkability."

March 11, 2013 - The Plain Dealer

Can Redevelopment Heal Kent's Old Wounds?

A $110 million mixed-use development being built in the center of Kent, Ohio is being touted as the gateway to a new economic era, and is helping the city's major institutions put a four-decade-old tragedy behind them, reports Keith Schneider.

February 12, 2013 - The New York Times

Unique Partnership Crucial to Cincinnati Neighborhood's Renaissance

Craig Chester describes the "unique partnership" between city leaders, local corporations and private developers that has helped transform Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood into "one of America’s greatest smart growth success stories."

February 7, 2013 - Smart Growth America

State Gas Tax Outlook Grim - Or Is It?

Two articles from non-profit organizations - a think tank and an advocacy group, seemingly arrive at the same conclusion: the future of the state gas tax is grim due to lack of political will to raise it. However, some states are bucking the trend.

February 6, 2013 - Stateline

Parking Privatization Efforts Not Spreading Smoothly

In the wake of the problem-plagued privatization of Chicago's parking meters in 2008, two WSJ reporters assess conversions (or attempts) in Indianapolis (2010), Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and New York, as well as what went wrong in Chicago.

January 28, 2013 - The Wall Street Jounal

Ohio Makes it Easier to Fight Blight

Ohio has been one of the hardest hit states by the recent wave of foreclosures, with filings continuing to rise. Susie Cagle looks at the variety of state and local policies and programs arming communities with new tools to fight blight.

December 14, 2012 - Grist

The New Promise of Urban Ecology

Courtney Humphries takes a look at recent federal investment in research on the complex interrelationship between human settlements and the natural environment.

November 26, 2012 - Nature

Fracking Debate Shifts To $

The public is increasingly showing support for hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas - and it's reflected at the ballot box as many pro-drilling candidates were elected. In fact, the debate has shifted from banning to what to do with new tax revenue.

November 24, 2012 - USA Today

School bus with stop sign

Friday Funny: Proper Punishment for an 'Idiot' Driver

A school bus driver in Cleveland is being credited with capturing the naughty behavior of a driver who decided she didn't need to stop for crossing children. Her penalty: wear a sign labeling her as an “idiot".

November 9, 2012 - New York Daily News

Cincinnati Experiences a Renaissance Based on Preservation

Associate professor of design Karen Monzel Hughes, in moving from Cincinnati's much-acclaimed Mariemont to the once-struggling Over-the-Rhine, discovers that rebuilding and preserving are both critical facets of preservation.

October 17, 2012 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments

The American City Makes a Comeback

Architectural Record explores the rebirth of the American city through the lens of three cities reinventing themselves through public initiatives, architecture, and urban design: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City.

October 12, 2012 - Architectural Record

President Obama: 'We Can't Wait' For Expanded Transit In Minneapolis & Cleveland

Determined not to let 'congressional gridlock slow economic growth', Pres. Obama added two major transit projects to his 'We Can't Wait" initiative: the proposed Southwest Light Rail Line and Cleveland's University Circle – Little Italy Rapid Station

October 4, 2012 - Progressive Railroading

Art Competition Brings Urban Vitality and Civic Pride

Mark Stryker writes on Grand Rapids' ArtPrize, a citywide art competition that awards prize money based on public vote, and has been a boon to artists and the local economy. It is now inspiring other cities to host their own such events.

September 18, 2012 - Detroit Free Press

New Plan for Cincinnati Oriented Around A Multi-Centered City

Three years in the making, approval nears for Plan Cincinnati - the city's first comprehensive plan to be completed in the last 32 years. Randy A. Simes shares the details of the plan, which focuses growth around 40 walkable neighborhood centers.

August 30, 2012 - UrbanCincy

Ohio Cities Dust Off the Rust

In a feature for the Architect's Newspaper, Christopher Bentley looks at efforts by Ohio's three largest cities to revitalize their urban cores, and the challenges they face.

August 16, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.