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.
While cities like Minneapolis bemoan the deadening effect of skyways on the city's street life, and Baltimore and Cincinnati tear theirs out, Cleveland seems to be headed in the opposite direction, with the support of the Cleveland Planning Commission and the mayor.
Sarah Goodyear looks at plans put forth by the owners of the year-old Horseshoe Casino to build a brand-new skywalk, and the group that has emerged to fight the plan. "For many of the young people moving to Cleveland in search of a 21st-century urban experience – pedestrian-friendly, with lots of people out and about – it seems like a step backward in time."
"'I’m not typically the activist type,' says Joe Baur, a 26-year-old writer who moved downtown two years ago and has now started a group called OurCLE to fight the skywalks."
"Baur and other opponents of the skywalk have started a petition drive to stop the construction, saying it would deaden the neighborhood, make residents more vulnerable to crime, and block sightlines of other historic buildings in the neighborhood," reports Goodyear. "A new skywalk, he says, will stall the city’s momentum just as it’s beginning to pick up, making downtown streets less inviting by reinforcing old stereotypes. 'It adds to the perception that the city is dangerous,' says Baur."
FULL STORY: If Other Cities Are Demolishing Skywalks, Why Does Cleveland Want a New One?
Cleveland To Build First Protected Downtown Bike Lane
The city is taking steps to build out a more comprehensive bike lane network to connect downtown destinations.
Defunct Streetcar Bridge Could Become Cleveland’s ‘Low Line’
The city will develop a plan to transform an unused streetcar deck on the Veterans Memorial Bridge into a connector for bikes and pedestrians as well as a welcoming public space.
Proposed Bill Would Outlaw Nearly Half of Cleveland's Airbnbs
The proposed new ordinance aims to help combat the Cleveland's housing crunch and eliminate nuisance complaints related to short-term rental properties.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service