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From ReinventingTheCity
In this seminar, teams of students will generate policy proposals that address key issues in Cleveland's economic and community development. Each team will examine aspects of the city's past, drawing on primary sources from local archives and historical societies. They will evaluate current ideas for Cleveland's revitalization and, as part of their final presentations, create 30-second "spots" selling their proposals. Led by an urban historian and by the President of Cuyahoga Community College's Metro Campus, the seminar will bring students from Case to Tri-C into informed dialogue with city planners, private developers, public officials, and leaders from the nonprofit sector. For the first seven weeks, the seminar will meet at Tri-C and other downtown locations, such as City Hall and Playhouse Square (transportation provided). For the second seven weeks, it will meet at Case.
Profiles of people in the class
Notes from Thursday, November 15
Summary
The key recommendations from Restoring Prosperity emphasized the need for innovation, human capital, infrastructure investment, and creating a sense of place--all ideas that parallel the principles of economic development we reviewed earlier in the semester.
Two excellent presentations on the two class projects, Voter Voice and the Cleveland Awareness Campaign occasioned a number of good questions. The project is to provide a regional-wide system for politicians to hear the concerns of the people and to reinforce the shared identity of the region. The Voters Voice group faces the challenges of soliciting and distributing opinions about issues about which voter may not be informed. Their valid concern about avoiding the appearance of bias has led them to avoid providing information about issues directly. The group has also begu to think about how to "ride the coattails" using the momentum of an existing project, Voices & Choices, that has had broad public participation.
The Cleveland Awareness Campaign defined its clients as small businesses in the entertainment industry in Cuyahoga County. The group wants to promote those businesses to an audience of "hipsters" and "yuppies." The main goals are support existing and attract new businesses by creating an entrepreneur-friendly environment, create an exciting cultural identity for greater Cleveland, and diversify the economy. Questions were raise about the target audience. We wondered whether "John" (Joe's cousin) who lives in Willoughby and works at National City, cares about theatre (except when his wife makes him go once a year). The recommendation was to consider a focus on a family strategy that would begin with the pre-teen netgeneration--use the soccer kids to get the soccer moms, and the soccer Johns.
Notes from Tuesday, November 13
Summary
The class reviewed some of the main points from a Brookings Institution report, Restoring Prosperity: as we tried to answer questions about how Cleveland compares to other "Rust Belt" cities and whether the main barrier to progress are unemployment or lack of attractions. Compared to the other 300 cities studied in the Brookings report, the Cleveland metor area ranked 288 on the well-being index adn 264 on the economic index. Both indexes are a measure of the performance of metropolitan area over the decade between 1990 and 2000. Yet as a November 6 Plain Dealer article [1] noted, northeast Ohio accounts for nearly 1/3 of the state productivity and is the 19th largest metropolitan economy in the world. The report and other sources cultural assets in Cleveland are relatively well-recognized, but other infrastructure issues, such as sustainable housing and easy public transportation are less evident. And the problem with employment is not so much a lack of jobs as a mismatch between the skills of labor market and the available work.
The full report is available at Media:RestoringProsperity_Vey.pdf
Notes from Tuesday, November 6
Summary
We began our conversation with a brief discussion about projects on the Civic Innovation Lab that are similar to that of the two groups in class. Next we addressed the question of "what happens to Joe's education" over the last 35 years in the context of the migration of people and jobs out to the suburbs that began earlier in the century, the increasing overcrowding, poverty, and deterioration of the central city, and the programs like urban renewal and the interstate highways that served as catalyts for these trends. On Thursday, each group will be working on a draft proposal.
For more detailed notes see Media:Notes11-6-07.doc
Notes from Thursday, November 1
Summary
We reviewed the application and the grant guidelines from the Civic Innovation Lab, an organization that funds ideas to promote economic development in Cleveland. Key features of an application would include a well-defined audience for the idea, what problem the idea solves, and how it will be implemented.
Using the idea of free advertising as an example, we brainstormed responses to questions in the grant application. Then each team used their existing project as a jumping off point to start developing proposals for the Civic Innovation Lab. At the end of the course, each group will decide whether to submit the final proposal for funding.
For more information go to the Civic Innovation Lab website
Notes from Tuesday, October 30
Summary
We reviewed and continued our analysis of the history in Mayor Jackson's 2006 Inaugural Address. The Mayor tells the story of decline in Central as emblematic of both problems of the city and the commitment of the "us"--the people who stayed even as they say their neighborhood deteriorate.
Professor Bernatowicz told the story of Central in greater depth, recounting how it was an immigrant port of entry that was transformed into an overcrowded slum in part by restrictive housing deeds.
Whether the history and the fate of Central is a microcosm of the city is an open question--as is our question about the fate of "Joe."
For more details, see Media:10-30-07Notes.doc
Notes from Thursday, October 25
Summary
During the first half of the session, we reviewed changes to refocus the class on two goals: preparation for a conversation with the Mayor and turning projects into proposals for the Civic Innovation Lab. Tuesdays will be devoted to interactive lecture; Thursdays, to work on project proposals.
Later, we analyzed Mayor Jackson's 2006 Inaugural address as a historical and rhetorical documen. Using Jackson's personal history, the speech positions him in contrast to his predecessor as a man of the people and representative of "those who stayed" through the decline of the city.
For more details see Media:25Oct07Notes.doc
Reading & Notes for Thursday, October 18
An article comparing Cleveland of the late 19th century to Silicon Valley.
[[The Changing Face of Cleveland]http://www.cityclub.org/content/podcasts/index/Podcasts.aspx]
Podcast of Chris Ronayne talking about the future of University Circle. (page down to broadcast number 27. July 11, 2007 and click "listen")
Reading & Notes for the Week of Sept 11
Cleveland: A Concise History. Chapters 10, 11, 12 and Cleveland: A Metropolitan Reader “Cleveland: the Making and Remaking of an American City, 1796-1993” pp. 29-51
Thinking about Writing
Media:Future History Notes.docMedia:Audience_Assumptions.doc
Reading for the Week of Sept 3
Media:A Century of Planning.pdf
Making Cleveland a City of Choice: Strategy for Development and Revitalization
Special Guests
September 4: Chris Varley, Vice President for Communications, Nortech
October 18: Chris Ronayne, President, University Circle, Inc
Early Project Ideas
Rob Hatfield I will be working with the topic of Regional Development for my project.
Alex Papadopulos <p> Why Not, Cleveland? For my project, I’d like to work on bridging the ever widening gap between the general population of the city with that of our public officials. Leigh PraskacThe Art of Public Transportation In a class split geographically between University Circle and the St. Vincent Quadrangle, a project that encompasses both areas is called for. Toshia Hall How do I view Cleveland in the year 2036 Society as a whole will overcome the pitfalls and rejoin as a community and begin a new life.
Future History
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Masato Hayshi
Education
For the theme of reinventing Cleveland, I would like to focus on the education of Cleveland. Right now, the education is the key of life. Sometime, people will look at you as how much level of education have you gained. The education is not only the what school you have gone to, but also how much morality or common sense that people can share with you, that is the another kind of education. Therefore, the bad educational system causes bad situation for the city to moving forward, like vicious circle. Cleveland should support people to have higher education. Also, Cleveland should support students to keep stay in the city, like highly educated people from Universities. The city should support for school student to study easily in the city, like 24houre library, but they most keep their safe and quiet. Provide low price housing for College students. The schools are the first social contact for the kids, and if the school systems collapse, kids would not know which way to go themselves.
PROJECT CATEGORY
Nissar Suhail
My project idea can most probably fit into all three of the categories with which we were presented. However, out of the three categories, I wish to continue my project in a way which fits into the eductaion category. In my opinion, although the project can be carried off in any of the three categories, the most tangible strategy for a student would be to pursue it in education. This means that I feel as though I can actually do something about the education aspect of my project. In contrast I cannot go and build green buildings in Cleveland as a part of economic development. That is why, the way I wish to pursue it, my project fits into the education category.
Project Category
Leigh Praskac
Putting city maps and local newspapers in RTA stations clearly fits under the banner of a project in transportation. It might be useful, however, to highlight the benefits to economic development that could come of the project.
Cleveland's Greatest Problem
Nissar Suhail
Cleveland faces a host of problem’s which have in all reality have put the city on course for becoming a ghost town.
Luisa Burgos Cleveland greatest problem is lack of self esteem. ....
Alex Papadopulos [["One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency” (Arnold H Glasgow). Cleveland, as great a place is it once was, and arguably still is today, is facing a staggering number of serious problems in desperate need of solutions.]] ________________________________________________________________
Leigh Praskac
Building a Middle Class
Cleveland was once considered “one of the nation’s most progressive and attractive cities” (Miller 113). The central “progressive” tendencies in the city, however, have always focused on the building of eye-catching and imposing landmarks or systems while forgetting the needs of city residents. The Group Plan of the early twentieth century provides a model example: in calling for massive public buildings of granite, it filled downtown with [beautiful] buildings for the upper classes to work and play in, but provided no space for the majority of the population to enjoy. A century of planning based around attracting good press rather than building a good place to live has left a multitude of problems to Cleveland today: a declining population, low employment levels, high poverty levels, and a stressed city budget.
Recent city planners predicted that a world-class museum (Rock Hall of Fame), new sports venues (the Browns and Indians stations), and a good transportation system (the new Green Line rapid) would bring publicity, then tourists, and finally money to a declining city. They were right, but left out a key element. They had not improved quality of life for Clevelanders. In fact, tax money slotted for the Cleveland school district was reallocated to the building of the Rock Hall. Low quality of life dulls the city’s vibrancy and drives away the tourists the planners were looking to attract.
Future city planners should consider a bottom-up approach to progress. Instead of trying to attract the wealthy with big-ticket buildings and other projects in hopes that their money will eventually trickle down to all Cleveland residents, they should build up a middle class of Clevelanders. A better off, happier population will provide better public relations for the city than will a hundred new, fancy buildings that have no life to them.
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Masato Hayashi
The Vicious Circle
In any kind of situation, it’s very common to happen that it causes the next thing to go wrong too. The vicious circle is the worst thing that could ever happen in any kind of situations. Sometimes people could not help to be in the negative situations. However, the surroundings should help them before the situation causes the next terrible happenings. Therefore, the city should not make citizens in the vicious circle stay there because the negative ideas will effect the city’s reputation.
First of all, the city should try to make everything easier for students to learn in the city. The city should provide more chances for citizens to learn their high school or college education. The first problem for the education is very difficult to go buck after student drop out from school. Almost all jobs require you to have high school diploma. Therefore, if the city provides more chances, the citizens could get stable jobs and they could get out from the bad situation of their lives. Also, if the city could make more learning centers like, computer, writing, and morals, the citizens could have better ideas for their lives. Also, the students who are from out side of city, the city should make some student district apartments which are safe and quiet for the students, and they can stay near campus inexpensively. Also, make a public library to open some aria for study 24 hours.
Second, the people’s idea of Clevelanders gives negative images of the city to visitors. Let’s say, students, come to CASE to study from outside of the city, come to downtown on weekends. What they will see is closed stores, empty streets, infrequent transportations, and a lot of homeless’ sleeping on the benches. It is very a bad image that the students will get. However, it is not necessarily true, that Cleveland is very lonely and boring. On the weekdays, people are all over the city at lunchtime. Also, on the weekend nights, there are lots of people in bars and restaurants, especially on the game nights. However, the people from the outside, that first experience takes just the idea of Cleveland. So as the solution, the city should post the big monthly events calendars in the bus stops, inside of bus or trains, and street advertisement boards. Easy and clear is the key to the enjoyable city.
Finally, the city should be more safe and comfortable to stay. In order to make people stay, first people should be able to feel safe. Second, the city government should be clear what they are doing, and third they have comfortable space for people to rest. In my case, the first experience was not so good in Cleveland. First, people frequently come to ask for bus fare. One time a man took my wallet and had a look inside of it at the public square. It was unforgivable but no one cares about it and no one says some thing to him in the square; moreover, there is no way to report this happening to the city. For example, in the other cities like Denver, have a phone number (311) that can report or cream thing to the Mayer office. Third, when I ride bus, people are very noisy and rude. It’s very uncomfortable to take RTA in the city. So it’s no wonder people do not take public transportations. Furthermore, in the downtown Cleveland, there is no relaxing part in the city. The public square has become a huge bus stop that people stay all that time for just waiting for a bus, and no police officers are around the square.
In conclusion, Cleveland is in the situation of a very bad vicious circle. People try to live in away from city. The students from university do not stay after graduation. However, poor people are staggering in their situations in the city. So, if the city could not make a change in these problems, the situation will be bigger and bigger, and it will reach to an extreme situation. First of all, the city should help people who are living in city and work in the city.
Robert Hatfield
What is Cleveland’s greatest problem, and how would I solve it? These are two difficult questions to answer, let’s take one at a time. The first, what is Cleveland’s greatest problem?
I define Cleveland not by its physical boundaries, but rather by its economic and Political influence. A direct answer to this question is Cleveland’s inability to maintain and attract population. Second question is how would I solve it? The answer to this would be by expanding Cleveland’s physical borders to include the suburbs in Cuyahoga County.
The problems that were listed under background assignment specs do not really define the city’s problem, but rather the symptoms of any large community. We have to be careful not to let the Plain Dealer control our mood. We need to stick to the facts. The City of Cleveland’s population has been shrinking over the last twenty years. This not only includes its citizens but it business as well. This affects the city’s income because of a smaller tax base. Which means fewer police, fire, and basic city services.
How did we get here? Why did everyone leave? Where did they go? We got here because of our attitude, arrogance. City officials impose too many regulations on business and its citizens. Where did they go? The suburbs. Now the suburbs are becoming to controlling and only interested in themselves.
(How will I solve it?) Regional Government. Regional Government will be the elimination of the suburbs and the political structure of the City of Cleveland. It would be more similar to County Government for example the three county commissioners that we now run the county.
What needs to happen to create this solution is that residents of the Greater Cleveland Region (GCR) need to understand what happens in downtown Cleveland also effects them. That they are no longer isolated living in the suburbs. In addition the suburbs have become to expensive to operate for example a small suburb has a Chief of police, a chief of fire, director of sanitation just to name a few. We need to shift our attention on how wasteful these small City Government are, and show the residents how much better their lives would be without them. I feel taxes will go down and a new attitude would present its self to the (GCR). Feeling of caring and a general concern of each other welfare.
Cleveland's biggest problem is its inability to maintain and attract population. The solution to this problem would be to create a new form of Government that would include the entire county. The way to get there is to show the people what the direct economic benefit would be to them. We have to show them that their lives would be better.
Robert Hatfield
My project idea is to use Regional Government to help Economic Development in Cleveland. Regional Government could help Cleveland compete in the new economy. Example: Save Tax dollars by Cutting down the payroll that Cleveland and the Suburbs are using for services. With the Tax money we save could be used to give Businesses tax breaks to move here.
Project Plans
Company Name: Voter's Voice
Legal Entity Type: Non-profit Organization
Objective: To increase the amount of quality information available to public officials, as well as to enable the transfer of that information via an interactive campaign so that officials can have the information needed to effectively and efficiently perform their duties in efforts to better the City of Cleveland and its neighboring communities.
Approach: To objectively and accurately measure the public's thoughts on relevant issues within the City of Cleveland by polling selected voters of Cleveland and the larger Inner-Ring and Outer-Ring suburbs to determine their current understanding and level of sastifaction regarding current issues within the City of Cleveland.
Intended Outcome: Final results made available to current and future government officials with the intent being to enable the flow of information between voters and politicians as to foster a mutually beneficial relationship that will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the current and future system.
Project Category
Questions for Chris Ronayne
In the redevelopment of the Triangle into a residential and commercial district, what type of shops do you see coming in? Will they be retail chains, restaurants, local shops...? -Leigh
Would you elaborate on the relocation of the MOCA? When is it hoped that the move will take place? How great will the renovations be to the Triangle? What will then move into the space that the MOCA currently inhabits?
-Leah
You talked at a great deal about streeet life on Euclid Avenue. The recent Euclid Corridor Project construction seems to kill what little we have as of now. How does this project affect your goals both in its construction phase and after completion?
Nissar Suhail