If you ever come to downtown Cleveland, you know that Public Square is a bit dodgy. One of my close friends is literally afraid to walk across Public Square at night because of the characters that line up along its four quadrants, waiting for buses (or not) while cars whiz by. Even during the day, the people who spend quality time in Public Square are homeless.
And this is the focal point of our city.
But things are changing. Hopefully. Tonight, at CSU’s Maxine Goodman Levine College of Urban Affairs, local nonprofits ParkWorks and Downtown Cleveland Alliance are hosting an interactive public forum on three designs for transforming Cleveland’s Public Square.
The three proposals will be presented by James Corner, urban designer and landscape architect with James Corner Field Operations and the Kent State Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative. The forum will provide an opportunity for participants to view the plans, ask questions, share their ideas and discuss ways to make Public Square a gathering place connecting Cleveland’s downtown.
Transforming Public Square: Three Strategies for Enhancing Cleveland’s Civic Core
January 21, 2010 (today)
5:30 – 7:30 PM
Cleveland State University, Maxine Goodman Levine College of Urban Affairs Atrium (1717 Euclid Ave)
Additional information on the proposals is available the Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s website.
To see the designs, Continue reading
Renovating the Rust Belt 