Re-imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland 2.0

Re-imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland is an initiative that started in 2008 as a pilot program for vacant land reuse. Neighborhood groups, churches, schools and individuals could apply for funding and technical assistance to transform a vacant lot from the Cuyahoga County Land Bank into a community garden, a pocket park, a phytoremediation site, an urban farm, or any number of other green land uses.

In 2010, the leaders* of the initiative decided to tackle more vacancy than could be done on the individual lot level.  Re-imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland 2.0 is a study to identify large-scale catalytic projects in the following categories that could create lasting change in Cleveland: agriculture, alternative energy, contamination remediation, land assembly, neighborhood stabilization, sustainable pattern of development, and stormwater retention.

To learn more about Re-imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland 2.0, take a look at this presentation that was given by Freddy Collier Jr., Citywide Plan Project Manager of the Cleveland City Planning Commission:

Update – There are currently two Re-Imagining Cleveland 2.0 projects: the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone in Cleveland’s “Forgotten Triangle”, which is in the process of creating a development plan; and the Vacant Land Stabilization program, which is currently seeking funding.

You can now download the most recent publications of the Re-Imagining Cleveland initiative:

2008 Reimagining Cleveland Plan

2008 Reimagining Cleveland Patternbook

Ideas to Action Resource Book (new!)

8 Ideas For Vacant Land Reuse in Cleveland (new!)
*Leaders of Re-imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland include: Neighborhood Progress Inc., the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative and 30 other partner organizations.  Funding for the initiative came from the Surdna Foundation and the City of Cleveland NSP funds.