Cleveland is a great city only if it is a city of great neighborhoods.

The neighborhood is the heart and the soul of the city. The neighborhood is home. The neighborhood is the stage upon which the drama of everyday life is performed from generation to generation. It is where our children play and grow into adults. It is where we find the shelter and security that enables us to go out into the world and pursue our goals. It is where we grow old.

What makes a great neighborhood? A great neighborhood is more than a collection of fine homes. A great neighborhood is a place of “connections.” It is a place where neighbors feel connected to one another and sense that they are part of something larger, part of a community. In a great neighborhood, the connections between people and places make daily life easier and more rewarding and more joyful. In a great neighborhood, buildings and people and public spaces are connected in a manner that “completes a circuit” and energizes the thing we call “community.”

A great neighborhood is one where residents are connected to recreational amenities – parks, rivers, lakes, bike trails, recreation centers, etc. A great neighborhood is also a place where residents are connected, conveniently, to shopping, jobs, educational opportunities, cultural institutions, places of worship, health care, and a full range of first-class services. The connections are both physical and social.

As the overriding goal of the Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan is to improve the quality of life for Clevelanders, nothing in the plan is more important than creating neighborhoods that connect people to people and that connect people to facilities and services.

CREATING COMPETITIVE PLACES
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With each passing year, people are becoming more mobile. Gone are the days when parents expect their children to grow up and stay close to home. Even gone are the days when children, as they become adults, expect their parents to remain close to “home.” The automobile, the airplane, the telephone and now the internet have made it easier for people follow their desires to neighborhoods, to cities and to regions of the country that offer what they seek. “Communities of choice” have replaced “communities of necessity.”

For Cleveland to grow and prosper in the 21st century, Cleveland must be competitive in attracting and retaining the mobile individual. Cleveland’s neighborhoods must become communities of choice. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes to create communities of choice through an “asset-based” approach to neighborhood planning.

Each neighborhood has assets or strengths that make it a desirable place to live or can make it a more desirable place to live in the future. Some of these assets are obvious and are already fully realized, while others are somewhat hidden and need to be developed and publicized. Some assets – such as the hospitals, educational institutions and museums of University Circle – have significant citywide and regional impact, and also have the potential to positively impact surrounding neighborhoods. Other assets have impacts that are more localized. Some examples of the diverse assets in Cleveland neighborhoods are:

• the West Side Market in Ohio City,
• Shaker Square in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood,
• Karamu House in Fairfax,
• Cleveland Public Theater in Detroit-Shoreway,
• the Lake Erie shoreline in North Collinwood,
  the Metroparks Zoo and Big Creek Valley in Old Brooklyn,
• the historic architecture of Brooklyn Center,
• the churches on East 105th Street in Glenville,
• the tree-lined streets and well-maintained homes in Lee-Harvard.
  

Every neighborhood has attributes or assets that can give it a competitive advantage as a place to live. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan – following a multi-year participation process that involved thousands of residents and every one of the City’s neighborhood-based development organizations – identifies assets in each neighborhood and proposes strategies to capitalize on those assets as part of a comprehensive revitalization plan. [These recommendations are presented in the chapters of this plan that focus on neighborhoods in each of the six planning districts.]

It is recognized that the most successful revitalization strategy is one that recognizes each neighborhood for what it is and does not attempt to force every neighborhood into the same mold. Just as Cleveland will never be a Disney World in the realm of vacation destinations, not every Cleveland neighborhood will become a “mecca” for young professionals and the “creative class.” Some neighborhoods will succeed as great places to raise a family. Other neighborhoods will succeed as affordable places to live safely and securely. The goal is to create a diversity of competitive neighborhoods that, together, make Cleveland a more competitive city – a great city of great neighborhoods.

CELEBRATING THE URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD
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In the competition for residents, one of the most obvious assets of many Cleveland neighborhoods is that residents can walk to many destinations – restaurants, stores, playgrounds, places of worship, and sometimes even to work. This is made possible by the intricate weaving of residential, commercial and institutional uses into the urban fabric that characterizes most neighborhoods developed before the automobile age. During the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, many residents left these mixed-use urban neighborhoods to live in exclusively residential suburban subdivisions. Although the suburban setting remains competitive, there is a growing portion of the population that prefers the convenience, the vibrancy and the sense of community found in the more densely developed, mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods.

Ironically, interest in the traditional urban neighborhood is now so strong that many new developments in the nation’s suburbs are being designed to recreate the urban neighborhood! In this respect, Cleveland’s older neighborhoods are uniquely competitive. They have what buyers want, and they have always had it. They never lost it. The problem is that the assets of these neighborhoods have sometimes been compromised by neglect and a lack of appreciation for their value.

The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes to celebrate Cleveland’s urban neighborhoods and to enhance the attributes that make them desirable places to live. Specifically, the plan supports neighborhood “place-making” policies that will result in the following:

• a mixed-use and compact pattern of development that permits neighborhoods to be “walkable,”
• high enough densities of development to support both “walkability” and public transit,
• pedestrian-friendly building placement along public sidewalks,
• preservation of architecturally significant buildings and development of new buildings complementary to a neighborhood’s historic character,
• creation and preservation of inviting public spaces and common areas that help build “community” by encouraging people to congregate and interact,
• use of front porches, patios and other building features that encourage interaction among residents and visitors,
• convenient connections to safe and attractive bicycle routes,
• presence of benches and bike racks and other amenities for pedestrians and cyclists, and
• convenient access to public transit.

DIVERSITY
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Possibly the greatest strength of Cleveland’s neighborhoods is the diversity of their populations. People of almost every nationality group, race, age, income level, and occupation are well represented in many Cleveland neighborhoods. Although this diversity has caused some who are less tolerant of differences to leave, for others it creates a richness and a vibrancy that is deeply treasured and that cannot be found in most other local communities. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan celebrates the diversity of Cleveland’s neighborhoods and seeks to make Cleveland’s neighborhoods welcoming to all people and to promote respect, tolerance and harmony between people of different origins and backgrounds.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION
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Historic architecture is a characteristic that sets many Cleveland neighborhoods apart from their competition. Most Cleveland’s neighborhoods were built in the first few decades of the 20th century – with some buildings remaining from the 19th century – when architectural design, both interior and exterior, was much richer and more finely crafted than most architecture of later decades. There is now a growing appreciation of the detail and craftsmanship of this historic architecture.

The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes to capitalize on historic architecture in marketing Cleveland’s neighborhoods as great places to live, work and visit. The principal goals of this strategy are straightforward. They are:

• Rehabilitate older buildings in a manner that respects their original design.
• Prevent the demolition of buildings that contribute to an area’s historic character and make a connection to the city’s past.
• Develop new buildings that complement an area’s design character.

Most of the tools needed to accomplish these goals are already in place. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes to make even greater use of these tools in an intensified effort to preserve Cleveland’s past as a foundation for Cleveland’s future. Specifically, the plan proposes the following:

• Designate additional local and national historic districts and individual landmark buildings, as warranted.
• Strictly and fairly enforce design standards in historic districts, through local regulations administered by the Landmarks Commission and through the federal Section 106 regulations.
• Maximize funding for preservation and for historic preservation research.
• Seek adaptive re-use of significant buildings threatened by neglect.
• Intensify efforts to ensure preventative maintenance of significant buildings.
• Aggressively market the historic assets of Cleveland’s neighborhoods.
• Establish design standards to improve the design review process in each historic district.

URBAN DESIGN
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During Cleveland’s most desperate times, when the exodus from the city was occurring at a record pace, very little attention was paid to the architectural quality of what was being built in the city. Local officials generally were grateful that anything was being built at all, and developers saw no need to offer the architectural amenities that were expected in surrounding suburbs. In the world of architecture and urban design, Cleveland was treated as a second-class city.

In more recent years, as Cleveland has begun to rebound, the City has “raised the bar” in its standards for urban design. This is more than a matter of aesthetics. Neighborhoods composed of attractive, well-designed buildings tend to be the neighborhoods that hold their economic value over time. Just as a real estate agent may refer to an older home as having “good bones,” a neighborhood made up of well-designed buildings is a “neighborhood with good bones” – a neighborhood that can withstand the test of time, remaining strong and viable from generation to generation.

Currently in Cleveland, design approval is required for all new residential development (based on a regulation adopted in 2003) and for development or renovation of buildings located in specially designated districts (“Business Revitalization Districts” and “Landmark Districts”). In addition, most development that is facilitated by financial assistance or land provided by the City undergoes design review to ensure that the community fully benefits from the public expenditure. However, outside of the specially designated districts and the City-assisted projects, development and renovation in Cleveland’s neighborhoods is not currently subject to design review.

The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan proposes excellence in architecture and urban design as the minimum standard for development in every city neighborhood. Just as Cleveland no longer accepts its former status as a second-class city in the design of new buildings, every neighborhood in Cleveland deserves first-class urban design. To achieve this goal, the plan proposes the following specific actions (in addition to those stated above in the discussion of historic preservation):

• Require design approval for all new development in retail zoning districts, as staffing permits.
• Continue to require design approval for all new residential development.
• Establish additional neighborhood-based design review districts, as warranted, working in partnership with neighborhood organizations.
• Establish and disseminate citywide and district-specific design standards.
• Expand technical assistance to developers and property owners in the design review process.

HOUSING
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Just as the neighborhood is the heart and soul of the city, houses are the heart and soul of the neighborhood. More than any other single factor, it is the desirability of housing that determines the desirability of a neighborhood as a place to live. Therefore, if Cleveland’s neighborhoods are to be fully competitive as places to live, they must offer housing choices that appeal to a wide diversity of prospective residents.

Urban Lifestyles. In the regional housing market, Cleveland is now most competitive in attracting those households who seek a uniquely urban lifestyle. This group includes young professionals, empty nesters, artists and gays – individuals who can bring much-needed energy and ideas, as well as spending power, to older city neighborhoods. Townhouses, condominiums, live-work spaces, and converted industrial and commercial buildings are among the housing types most sought by these individuals. Historically, however, these housing types have been under-represented in Cleveland, where the housing stock has been dominated by single-family houses and medium-size rental apartment buildings.

The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes that Cleveland capitalize on its emergent strength in the urban housing market by making a conscious effort to create the types of housing that have special appeal to households seeking an urban lifestyle. In addition to the development of new townhouses and condominiums, this includes the preservation and conversion of architecturally significant buildings originally designed for uses other than housing. Furthermore, it is recommended that this initiative be targeted to neighborhoods that have the other qualities most valued by urban households – including walkability, diversity, and architectural quality. Finally, it is recommended that programs be instituted to close the affordability gap for those who have the desire but not the full resources to make the move to one of Cleveland’s urban lifestyle neighborhoods.

Senior Housing. Another segment of the housing market in which the city of Cleveland has clear competitive advantages is the senior citizen housing market. Cleveland neighborhoods offer what many seniors want – “connections” – connections to shopping, social services, places of worship, and medical facilities, many located within a short walk or a short bus ride. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes that Cleveland capitalize on its strength in the growing market for senior citizen housing by identifying strategic locations that best meet the needs of seniors and then by supporting the creation of housing at those locations, including the adaptive re-use of landmark buildings, such as former school buildings. This strategy offers multiple benefits, including meeting the housing needs of seniors, stemming population loss, increasing the customer base for neighborhood retailers, and giving new uses to valued old buildings.

Land Assembly. Regardless of the type of housing to be built – whether it is oriented to families, young professionals or seniors – the difficulty of assembling land has been a persistent obstacle to increased housing production in Cleveland’s neighborhoods. Although thousands of acres of vacant land have been created as a result of the city’s decades-long population loss and job loss, much of this land is encumbered by the costly complexities of multiple ownership, scattered remaining buildings, and excessive site preparation requirements. As Cleveland has succeeded during the past decade in facilitating the development of thousands of new houses, the more challenging sites constitute a greater and greater proportion of those remaining available for housing development.

In order to maintain and increase the momentum that has been achieved in replenishing the city’s housing supply, the Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan proposes that additional staffing and financial resources be devoted to the assembly of land for housing development. The City has taken steps in this direction in the past two years, as well as steps to reduce the time it takes to make property in the City’s Land Bank available for housing development.

Housing Maintenance. Cleveland is a city of older homes, with 49% of the housing units having been built before 1940. As the city’s housing stock aged, the incomes of its residents declined, with a resulting decline in the condition of many houses as financially strapped families were unable to keep pace with mounting repair needs. In some neighborhoods, the decline in housing condition was widespread; while in others, the decline was limited to isolated houses that became the neighborhood eyesores. In addressing this issue, the Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan advocates continued expansion of the city’s targeted code enforcement efforts and continued provision of financial assistance for home repair and rehabilitation. It is recognized, however, that strict code enforcement works best in areas where household incomes and housing values permit repairs to be made without undue hardship on families and without the risk of housing abandonment.

Housing Affordability and Special Needs. The provision of decent housing affordable to low-income individuals and families continues to be the most critical housing issue in Cleveland. Closely related is the provision of appropriate housing for individuals who are homeless and individuals in need of special residential services. So significant are these issues to the welfare of the city that they are addressed in a separate chapter of this plan entitled “Opportunity and Equity,” which focuses on the needs of Cleveland’s lower-income and disadvantaged residents.

In the context of a discussion of Cleveland’s neighborhoods, what must be stated clearly and unambiguously is that the welfare of low-income and disadvantaged residents is every bit as important to the health of Cleveland’s neighborhoods as is the attraction of residents who have more choices in their place of residence. During the decades of the 1970’s and 1980’s, Cleveland increasingly became a city of the poor. As Cleveland’s neighborhoods have now begun to re-establish themselves as communities of choice, they must continue to be places that welcome and meet the needs of those residents who have few if any choices.

NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING
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In many newer suburban communities, shopping is not a part of the neighborhood. In fact, shopping areas were purposely separated from residential areas in these communities, necessi-tating use of the automobile for even the smallest shopping trip. In Cleveland, retail stores are typically an integral part of the neighborhood. In most cases, this is a product of history, with retail districts dating from the time before automobile use was as nearly universal as it is today. In other cases, the integration of shopping into the neighborhood is the result of a planning policy that places a value on the creation and preservation of walkable, bikeable neighborhoods.

The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan proposes that convenience-oriented retail stores be integrated into neighborhoods in a manner that facilitates access by walking, biking and public transit. While it is recognized that many larger stores offering “comparison shopping items” will be located in shopping centers, the plan proposes that such shopping centers be served by bus or transit lines and that they be designed in a manner that is welcoming to the pedestrian and the bicyclist.

The Civic Vision 2000 Citywide Plan proposed that retail shopping areas in Cleveland be consolidated and concentrated in keeping with the city’s long-term population loss and consistent with the goal of creating and strengthening economically viable “neighborhood town centers.” The new Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan continues to advocate that policy of retail consolidation, but supplements the policy with recognition that there is a value to the presence of individual retail stores or small groupings of retail stores if appropriately located and constituted to serve daily shopping and dining needs of a walkable urban neighborhood.

Finally, the Civic Vision 2000 Citywide Plan recommended that Clevelanders be served by a full range of retail shopping, from local convenience stores to comparison-shopping stores offering everything from clothing to electronics. Cleveland neighborhoods are fairly well served by convenience stores (small grocery stores, drug stores, barber shops, etc.) but many Clevelanders need to travel outside the city for the less frequently purchased, more costly merchandise. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan continues to advocate the policy of providing a full range of retailing in Cleveland neighborhoods, and adds the following related issue and recommendation.

Toady, even when a fairly broad range of retailing is offered in a Cleveland neighborhood, the quality of the goods and services often is not on a par with that found in nearby suburban shopping areas. Although part of this can be attributed to the lower income levels in some neighborhoods, it appears that many national and local retailers simply underestimate the buying power in Cleveland’s neighborhoods. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Plan responds with a two-part recommendation, as follows:

• provide data to retailers on the hidden buying power in Cleveland neighborhoods, and
• demand provision of the highest quality retail products and services, commensurate with the true buying power in Cleveland neighborhoods.

NEIGHBORHOOD POLICIES SUMMARY
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The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan seeks to strengthen Cleveland’s neighborhoods as competitive places to live, shop and visit. The following is a summary of policies recommended to achieve that goal.

• Identify key assets in every city neighborhood and build on those assets as the foundation for revitalization and development.
• Create mixed-use, high-density neighborhoods that support public transit and promote pedestrian activity.
• Make Cleveland’s neighborhoods welcoming to a diversity of people and promote respect, tolerance and harmony between people of different backgrounds and origins.
• Safeguard the historic and architectural character of Cleveland’s neighborhoods through programs to promote respectful rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of significant buildings.
• Demand excellence in urban design as the minimum standard for development and renovation in every city neighborhood.
• Attract residents seeking an urban lifestyle by offering alternative housing types, including townhouses, condominiums, live-work spaces, and converted commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.
• Develop housing for senior citizens in proximity to shopping, medical facilities, social services, and public transportation.
• Expand staffing and financial resources to assemble sites for housing development.
• Target residential code enforcement in a manner that helps stabilize neighborhoods without causing undue hardships for low-income households.
• Recognize the provision of decent housing affordable to low-income households as the most critical housing issue confronting the city of Cleveland.
• Continue the process of consolidating scattered retail stores while preserving opportunities for small-scale retail clusters serving walkable neighborhoods.
• Tap the hidden buying power in Cleveland neighborhoods to provide the highest-quality retail goods and services.