In the best of cases, getting a book published can take one to three years from start to finish. Or, you can do it the way Richey Piiparinen and Anne Trubek did with Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology. The pair of Cleveland writers managed to compress the entire Sisyphean process into an implausible three-month timeframe.

Thanks to the efforts of numerous neighborhood activists, once-blighted properties in Glenville and throughout Cleveland are being transformed into orchards, gardens and inviting green spaces. These incremental quality-of-life improvements are helping to craft a smaller city of higher quality.

Cleveland's near west side will gain another signature community park when the redeveloped outdoor space at Zone Recreation Center, which is comprised of 22 acres of land south of Lorain Avenue between W. 53rd and W. 65th streets, reopens this Saturday.

A public ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. The celebration will include a farmers market, food trucks, kickball, skateboarding, three-on-three basketball tournament and dog park dedication. Residents and visitors are encouraged to bring their dogs.

The multifaceted park is one of the largest in Cleveland. Features include new tennis courts, resurfaced basketball courts, new water-spray park and playground, new ballfields and a new dog park. The new Zone Rec also includes water-saving features and sustainable landscaping that reaffirm the City's commitment to weaving sustainable design into its community parks.

"The City administration really wants to move forward on low impact development that respects the tag line, 'Green city on a blue lake,'" says Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, whose father fought the State of Ohio's proposal to build a highway here 50 years ago, ultimately leading to the development of the recreation center that bears his name. "We want to build it and design it from not only a functionality standpoint, but also lessening our carbon footprint."

Last year, the City of Cleveland opened the new Collinwood Recreation Center in a former Big Lots store along Lakeshore Boulevard. The building is a creative reuse of an existing space that includes many energy-efficient and sustainable features. The new Zone Recreation Center demonstrates similar outside-the-box thinking.

Zone Recreation Center is located in the Cleveland EcoVillage, an area dedicated to sustainable living within the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The EcoVillage features a green-built rapid station, large community garden, many eco-friendly homes, a new garden store and a slew of gardens and green spaces. Residents here have long struggled with blight along Lorain Avenue, and many hope that the new Zone Rec will help catalyze other, similar improvements to the faded corridor.

The multipurpose pathway that weaves its way through the new Zone Rec green space will eventually connect with the Towpath Trail via Walworth Run, and to Edgewater Park and Lake Erie via bike lanes planned for W. 65th Street.


Source: Matt Zone
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When late summer rolls around, my kids and I are desperate for adventure. From our house in the Heights, that usually means we’re heading down the hill to Cleveland, where over the years we’ve discovered countless family-friendly things to see and do. The options are many and growing, but here is our pick for Top 10.

Stephen Love got involved in helping to clean up Euclid Beach Park when he visited his grandmother in North Collinwood and was shocked by its neglect.

"I visited the state parks and the beaches were terrible," says the Cleveland Heights resident, who works as an Information Specialist at the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "It was a wakeup call to see how I could get more involved."

To capitalize on the artistic energy of the Waterloo Arts District and draw people to Collinwood's diamond-in-the-rough beaches, Love helped organize the first Euclid Beach Blast in 2011. The one-day festival explored the area's relationship with its lakefront parks and challenged visitors to envision a better future.

"The Euclid Beach amusement park defines the past, but this event is really about what you could do in this space," says Love. "We have installations, performance art, murals and pop-up activities. We want people to learn about water quality."

The second annual Euclid Beach Blast takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 4th. Activities include making your own trash art with Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, workshops, games, music, biking and skateboarding. There also will be an after-party with live music at the Beachland Ballroom.

Love and the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team also organize regular monthly cleanups of North Collinwood's beaches. Love says that the long-term solution is for the Cleveland Metroparks to take over management from the State of Ohio, which has deferred maintenance. Recently, the group launched an Urban Beach Ambassador program in partnership with Friends of Edgewater State Park.

"We want to help people take ownership of cleaning up the beach on their own, even if they can't attend the monthly cleanups," says Love.


Source: Stephen Love
Writer: Lee Chilcote

More than 300 volunteers rolled up their shirtsleeves and got their hands dirty during the recent "Summer of Service" event hosted by Business Volunteers Unlimited on Thursday, July 18th. The event engaged young professionals in maintaining urban farms and gardens to support the regional food economy.

Some of the projects included constructing hoop houses and helping to maintain a .4 acre forest garden at Community Greenhouse Partners; working as an "urban farm hand for a day" in Detroit Shoreway by building garden beds and fencing; harvesting blueberries for the Cuyahoga Valley Farmers Market; and building a community garden at the Free Clinic. 

“Forty five of our interns volunteered at Schady Road Farm in Olmsted Township for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities,” said Lisa Johnson, Corporate Responsibility Manager with Hyland Software, in a news release. “BVU’s ‘Done in a Day’ program is a great example of how our employees get out there and flex their muscles to help our community. They love it.”

“BVU works with employers year-round to engage their employees in meaningful volunteer service,” added Brian Broadbent, BVU’s president and CEO. “Our annual Summer of Service event is specifically targeted as an opportunity for employers to connect their interns and young professionals to community service.”

The tally at the end of a long day of volunteering was quite impressive: A collective 1,200 hours of service valued at more than $26,000, says BVU.


Source: Business Volunteers Unlimited
Writer: Lee Chilcote

A new development of luxury, green-built townhomes in Lakewood overlooking the Rocky River have beat the housing bust, selling 12 of 17 units before the curtains have even been hung in the model suite.

Abode Living, the developer of Clifton Pointe, held a groundbreaking ceremony last month and expects to complete construction on the spoken-for townhomes this winter. Buyers will be living in their new townhomes in time to take advantage of the Rocky River Reservation Metroparks amenities next year.

Developer Andrew Brickman of Abode Living attributes the success of Clifton Pointe to offering a high-quality product that attracts urban-oriented buyers.

"This is how people want to live today," says Brickman, who is also developing 11 River in Rocky River and 27 Coltman in Little Italy. "They're tired of urban sprawl and living in places like Strongsville and Avon Lake and Twinsburg. If you look around the country, there's a strong trend of people moving back to cities."

You can think of Clifton Pointe as an un-gated luxury community, Brickman says. The eco-friendly units will offer a communal kayak, onsite recycling program and sustainable landscaping that is low-maintenance and doesn't need extra watering.

For buyers who think they can't afford riverfront living, Brickman has a message: Do the math. With prices starting at $340,000, a 10-year tax abatement, and interest rates below four percent, purchasers end up with a monthly payment of about $1,300 per month -- less than the cost of a swank two-bedroom apartment, he quips.

"We're trying to open it up," he says. "This is what new urbanism is all about. We tore down three old houses and are creating a $10 million-plus new project."


Source: Andrew Brickman
Writer: Lee Chilcote

However momentous they might be, groundbreaking ceremonies typically are not very interactive affairs. Project leaders and public officials give speeches and take advantage of photo opportunities before they pose gripping the symbolic, all-too-clean shovels.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the first publicly funded leg of the Towpath Trail to be built in Cleveland promises to be different. Community members have been clamoring for this project to be completed for years, and trail backers want to give them a chance to participate in the grand occasion. So after the project leaders and public officials take their turn, it's a B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Shovel) event, and everyone is invited to join in.

The event is scheduled for Monday, July 30th at 11 a.m. at 1871 Scranton Road.

"We wanted to figure out a way to involve the many people who have anxiously awaited the project," says Tim Donovan, Executive Director of Ohio Canal Corridor, the nonprofit spearheading the effort with the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga County. "I don't sit on a boatload of shovels, but if you bring your own, then we can capture it. If you can't be there, send us a photo of you with your shovel, and we'll print them up and have them on site."

So far, Donovan has received photos of supporters with shovels from as far away as New Mexico. Those bringing a shovel will be eligible to have their names entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift certificate from Lockkeepers restaurant.

The .6 mile trail will follow Scranton Road from Carter Road south to University Road along the Scranton Peninsula. A portion of the $9.1 million total price tag will be used to restore 11 acres of polluted industrial land. The project will also replace a portion of decrepit river bulkhead with a more natural stone and plant terrace.

The project was funded by the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the State of Ohio, among other funding sources.


Source: Tim Donovan
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Market Square Park, which recently received a $1.5 million makeover from the City of Cleveland, was always intended to serve as a community hub where Ohio City residents and visitors could gather. Now, thanks to the Cleveland Public Library, there is another reason to do so.

In recent years, Cleveland Public Library has expanded its community outreach efforts. One example is the library's new Tech Central at its main branch, which offers card holders the ability to use the latest digital devices, such as tablets and e-readers.

Now the BookBox, a mobile unit of the Cleveland Public Library that connects with users in the community, brings CPL's outreach efforts to Market Square Park. The unit, which is stationed at Market Square Park and will open this month, offers reading materials, access to electronic books and programming in the park.

The BookBox was developed by architect Cristian Smitt of Santiago, Chile, who spent six months in Cleveland developing his idea for a portable, changeable retail unit. Smitt traveled to Northeast Ohio as part of the Cleveland Foundation's Creative Fusion program. Eventually, his ShopBox gave birth to the BookBox, too.

The BookBox will be staffed by Cleveland Public Library on Saturdays during the summer and fall. In the future, CPL could expand staffing to days that the West Side Market is open (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) based upon demand. The library also offers free wireless when the BookBox is open.

"This is an experiment and pilot project to bring the library to people in places where they already gather," says Greg Peckham, Managing Director of LAND Studio, a nonprofit organization that participated in the project. "Instead of bringing people to the library, how do you bring the library to people?"

The BookBox was made possible by a grant from the Creative Fusion program, which supports international artist-in-residence programs. CLEVELANDtm (teach and make), comprised of PlayhouseSquare, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Kent State University Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, and LAND studio, secured the Creative Fusion grant. CLEVELANDtm's goal is to "bridge diverse cultures, expand the collective imagination, and promote global perspectives in the local community through the lens of design," according to LAND Studio's website.


Source: LAND Studio
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The Tremont Farmers Market, which takes place on Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. in Lincoln Park, has quietly grown into one of the largest in Cleveland, attracting more than 1,500 people on a recent Tuesday.

"People come from all over," says Jim Votava of the Tremont West Development Corporation, who organizes the weekly market. "We've tried to create a weekly destination event that embraces good food."

This season, the market's lineup has included demonstrations from local chefs, an art yard sponsored by the annual Tremont Trek benefit, live music and booths from local businesses. The addition of more prepared foods is also a change. Presenting sponsor MetroHealth provides information on healthy living.

Modeled after the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square, Votava says the market demonstrates growing consumer interest in local, sustainable foods.

The Tremont Farmers Market runs all summer long and continues into the fall. During the winter, the market takes a holiday break and then continues at Holy Ghost Greek (Byzantine) Catholic Church and Cultural Center on West 14th.


Source: Jim Votava
Writer: Lee Chilcote

What if we viewed Cleveland as a startup? "The ingredients for a successful startup and a successful city are remarkably similar," argues tech blogger Jon Bischke. You need to build stuff that people want. You need to attract talent. And you need capital to get your fledgling ideas to a point of sustainability.

Dogs in public parks have a positive impact on safety, says Kerri Whitehouse, a Cleveland Heights resident who wants to see a citywide ban on dogs in parks overturned. Dog walkers are active park users who enhance the safety of public spaces, she argues.

The Cleveland Heights Dog Project sprung from the efforts of the Cain Park Neighborhood Association, a grassroots group of neighborhood residents. Whitehouse says the association formed last year to address crime in the neighborhoods bordering Cain Park, a growing problem in recent years.

Instead of merely complaining, Whitehouse and a group of other residents decided to take action. "We wanted to do something productive that would make the park more of a destination and community hub," she says. "We were looking at ways to increase foot traffic. The presence of dogs has been found to reduce crime."

Whitehouse says that the city, which implemented the ban decades ago to address safety, nuisance and liability concerns, has been receptive to their suggestions so far. Dog Project organizers hope to implement a pilot project in Cain Park that will eventually allow dogs to be safely reintroduced to parks throughout the city.

Over the long term, Whitehouse says, the vibrancy of Cleveland Heights may depend in part upon the city's friendliness towards its four-legged friends.

To garner feedback and ideas and test community support for its efforts, the Dog Project has released a community survey regarding its proposal to lift the ban.


Source: Kerri Whitehouse
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Recent media reports have highlighted neglect of Cleveland's lakefront park system by the State of Ohio, yet less attention has been paid to the dedicated volunteers and local heroes who have worked tirelessly to clean up our waterfront parks and offer free programming to the local community.

One such group is Friends of Edgewater State Park, which recently received a grant from the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition to support a cell phone tour of the park, and a grant from the Cleveland Colectivo to support a summer concert series.

This Thursday, July 12th beginning at 7 p.m, Cleveland artist Nate Jones will perform a free concert in the Lower Pavilion at Edgewater State Park. The event is the first of a four-part concert series to be held in the park.

"We wanted to connect back to the history of music in the park," says Mandy Metcalf, President of Friends of Edgewater State Park, noting that there was originally a dance hall and music pavilion when Edgewater Park was created. "We also want people to experience the park in a way they haven't before."

The Edgewater Park cell phone tour is now available, with six recorded messages on such topics as water quality, the Shoreway project and a history of the park.

Finally, Friends of Edgewater State Park, Euclid Adopt-a-Beach and Drink Local Drink Tap are launching a new Urban Beach Amassador program. It's a super-friends program that aims to give Cleveland's lakefront parks some much needed lovin'. Ambassadors are people who regularly tend to and look after their local parks. An initial training is scheduled for July 26th at Euclid Beach Park.


Source: Friends of Edgewater State Park
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Lake Erie is a whole lot cleaner than it was decades ago, yet in the past 10 years, toxic algae has sprouted up en masse here, forcing state officials to post warning signs at popular area beaches.

The Healthy Lake Erie Fund, which was recently passed by the Ohio State Legislature and signed into law by Governor John Kasich, aims to address this problem by directing three state agencies -- the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency -- to work with farmers to help keep fertilizers and manures out of watersheds.

The $3 million fund could also help support projects such as enhanced education, soil testing, water quality monitoring and pilot efforts to reduce algae blooms.

"While we are all able to observe the harmful algal bloom problem, without effective research and monitoring programs, scientists and managers struggle to identify the causes and recommend, implement, and evaluate the most effective solutions," said Dr. Jeff Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab in a news release.

"Our $1 million annual monitoring budget of the 1970s and early 1980s was eliminated in the mid-1980s when people felt our work was done and the Lake had recovered from the 'Dead Lake Years' of the 1960s," he added. "I hope we have all learned that Lake Erie is simply too valuable to ever neglect again."


Source: Ohio Environmental Council
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The National Park Service is proposing over $6 million of improvements to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including up to 10 miles of mountain bike trails, the addition of boat launch sites, and several new bike-in and paddle-in campsites.

The ambitious plan "aims to develop a blueprint that will guide the expansion, restoration, management, operations and use of the trail system and its associated amenities over the next 15 years, while keeping with the purpose, mission and significance of Cuyahoga Valley National Park," according to the NPS website.

The proposal would also add up to 46 miles of new trails, remove 12 miles of existing trails and add 30-plus miles of bike lanes on public roads within the park.

Park officials are holding public meetings to garner feedback this month, and the public comment period lasts until mid-August. The plan requires buy-in from several neighboring communities and park authorities, since only 19,000 of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's 33,000 acres are actually federally owned.

NPS officials hope to adopt a new plan by the end of the year.


Source: National Park Service
Writer: Lee Chilcote

In this Fresh Water video, John Copic, a Collinwood native and publisher of the Collinwood Observer, takes viewers on a walking tour of his neighborhood. Stops along the way include Raddell's butcher shop, Chili Peppers Mexican Grill, Star Pop, Beachland Ballroom, Blue Arrow Records and Boutique, and the Slovenian Workmen's Home.

Jim Russell, a geographer studying modern migration patterns, writes frequently on the topic of "Rust Belt Chic." The phrase, which refers to the increasing appeal of Rust Belt cities, has been popping up like mad in the national media. Recently, Russell put boots on the ground in C-Town.

Westleigh Harper, Brian Bernstein and Michael Horton like to share their view of Cleveland through their designs. The three -- Horton and Harper are project designers and Bernstein is a landscape architect -- often work 16-hour days at their day jobs, yet they repeatedly find themselves working on public art projects in their spare time.
 
So the three formed Maker, a multi-disciplinary design studio to create projects that have a positive impact on the city.

“Basically, we’re just an entity to enter design competitions,” says Harper. “It’s something that the three of us get together and look at the city a little differently.”
 
Their perspective has made an impact of various sites within Cleveland. Harper lists their recent projects: “Over the past several years the three of us have collaborated on small projects that pique our interest, including a four-level live/work space on Prospect Avenue, an installation for the June 2012 Made in the 216 event, and a proposal for re-conceptualizing the Euclid Arcade as an emerging design-based incubator.”
 
Maker is currently working on a small public art project along W. 25th Street for MetroHealth Hospital's 175th anniversary. The project was the result of a conversation the three had with LAND Studio in March.
 
“The three of us expressed a desire to get involved with local community organizations that we felt aligned with our motivations to positively impact our city,” explains Harper. “We've found that there are a lot of other people out there that want to maintain the sense of urgency to keep the momentum going in Cleveland, so we proactively seek out those opportunities and hope we can add to it.”

 
Source: Westleigh Harper
Writer: Karin Connelly