ReImagining a More Sustainable Cleveland
The City of Cleveland has roughly 20,000 vacant lots, about 5,000 of which are in the land bank. These lots decrease property values and the quality of life for residents. In 2008 NPI led community stakeholders, the City of Cleveland, the Kent State Urban Design Center and 30 other partner organizations in a study on vacant land strategies for sustainable reuse. With funding from the Surdna Foundation, the City of Cleveland NSP funds, NPI and in-kind services from the USEPA and others, NPI and partner organizations LAND Studio (formerly ParkWorks) and the Ohio State University Extension are implementing a pilot land reuse demonstration initiative. The program is providing grants to grassroots neighborhood groups, churches, schools and individuals to carry out vacant land reclamation projects developed in the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland Plan and Pattern Book publications. Projects range from single lot side yard expansions, native plant pocket parks, phytoremediation sites and permeable parking lots to agriculture projects such as community gardens, orchards, vineyards and multi-acre market gardens. Workshops and technical assistance provide education and hands-on help in making these projects successful. Neighborhood Progress is working with Cleveland State University to document the projects, through the Levin College or Urban Affairs and the history department, which will conduct interviews with the participants and post on this website, along with photos, links and other resources.
Stay tuned for more information on Reimagining Cleveland Round 2!
Contact
To get in touch with project staff or participants, please see Contact.
Resources
For a list of press coverage, links, and project partners, see Resources.
Volunteer
To Volunteer for Re-Imagining projects, consult the Projects page where leaders seeking volunteer help provide their contact information.
Would you like to volunteer for a project but no contact information is listed? You can also contact Lilah Zautner at 216-453-1458 or via email at: lzautner@npi-cle.org
