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.
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.
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.
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.

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....
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."
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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".
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Pagination
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