"We're taking boarded-up schools in Cleveland's neighborhoods and bringing them back to life," says Alan Rosskamm, CEO of Breakthrough Schools. "This is about keeping families in the city." With a lofty goal of opening 20 new charter schools by 2020, Breakthrough is on a mission to provide quality education to Cleveland students regardless of zip code. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that charters create a two-tiered education system that siphons off the best students.

Call it poetic justice: Through an innovative partnership with the Cuyahoga Land Bank, some of the lenders whose lax lending practices helped spur the national foreclosure crisis are now helping to address problems of abandonment that are rife in Cuyahoga County.

The Cuyahoga Land Bank, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reduce urban blight and improve property values by acquiring foreclosed properties and either returning them to productive use or tearing them... Read more >

From University Circle to Slavic Village to Buckeye and beyond, art abounds in and around Cleveland. In this pictorial essay, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski trains his lens on the stunning, stirring and thought-provoking works that can be found inside Cleveland's finest repositories of art to some of Cleveland's most overlooked urban enclaves. Art, both classical and modern, architecture and design fill this city with beauty, imbue its citizens with hope, and bright... Read more >

Kate Dupuis moved from Bay Village to a condemned Queen Anne Victorian in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood of Cleveland nearly 20 years ago. Now she's fighting to save her adopted community from the ravages of neglect, disinvestment and the foreclosure crisis.

The near-west side neighborhood has been hard hit by the economic downturn and is littered with boarded-up, vacant properties. Yet Dupuis insists that it's worth salvaging -- and it can happen if residents are organiz... Read more >

If community renewal can be spoken of as planting seeds for change, then count the Cudell neighborhood of Cleveland as a change-maker. The community recently won a free orchard from the Edy's Fruit Bars Communities Take Root program.

On August 30th, dozens of new fruit trees will be planted near W. 85th and Franklin Boulevard on vacant land that was recently home to dilapidated row houses.

According to Jeanette Toms, Special Programs Coordinator with the non... Read more >

Over the past year, more than $48,000 has been invested in energy audits and "green" retrofits for merchants along Buckeye Road on Cleveland's East Side.

According to Deepa Vedavyas, Associate Director for Development at Buckeye Area Development Corporation (BADC), this is just the beginning. She hopes to see Buckeye Road merchants become the first "green-certified retail district" in Cleveland.

"We're using this as a learning opportunity, and encouraging them no... Read more >

The renewal of an urban core usually involves, at some point, a grand, sweeping plan that calls for huge development projects costing millions, or billions, of dollars: a new convention center, a mass transit system, a comprehensive waterfront plan. But as cities realize the importance of attracting and retaining talent, it's the smaller development projects and neighborhood investment that are driving real and sustainable change.

The apartment buildings that line East Boulevard in Glenville boast stunning architectural details such as ornate columns, artisan brickwork and broad balconies that overlook Rockefeller Park. They attest to the wealth that once existed on this grand old street.

Yet for decades, East Boulevard has deteriorated as owners struggled with a soft market, much-needed repairs and soaring energy costs. Despite its proximity to University Circle and Rockefeller Park, the area was... Read more >

Since Veronica Walton created an urban farm on Ansel Road several years ago, she's been asked countless times about her lush, bountiful plots: "I'm looking for a job," some would say. "Can I work here?"

When asked such questions, Walton, who is the Director of the nonprofit NEO Restoration Alliance, would extol the virtues of urban farming. She explained the difference between community gardens and urban farmers, who sell their crops to customers via local farmers markets... Read more >

Old Brooklyn has long been considered a hidden gem by its residents. Minutes from downtown and within walking distance of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the neighborhood boasts quiet, tree-lined streets and a bevy of independent shops and friendly taverns.

Yet neighborhood advocates are hoping it won't be a well-kept secret much longer. That's why they've organized Pop Up Pearl, a one day block party that will fill the empty storefronts on Pearl Avenue with shops, entertai... Read more >

Pedal for Prizes is a two-wheeled treasure hunt through Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood that will offer participants a chance to win more than $2,000 worth of prizes simply by visiting neighborhood businesses. The event takes place this Saturday, May 21st at Loew Park.

Here's how it will work: Upon check-in, bicyclists receive a map of 20 destinations and points of interest in Old Brooklyn. While exploring the neighborhood, riders make pit-stops at local landmarks l... Read more >

Sharie Renee finds the beauty in what most people would deem garbage. As founder and CEO of Cosmic Bobbins in the St. Clair-Superior District, she takes old paper materials -- such as magazines or brochures -- and transforms them into fashionable accessories.

Cosmic Bobbins puts an emphasis on social awareness. As the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of funeral directors, Renee would contemplate on the meaning of life and the importance of giving back.

"Whe... Read more >