Introduction

Cleveland Waterfront

EcoCity Cleveland, 2006

Location

In Cleveland , Ohio , which is located in Northern Ohio , bordering on Lake Erie . The area they decided to convert from an existing neighborhood into an urban ecovillage is called the Detroit Shoreway. The Detroit Shoreway is a low to medium income neighborhood located near a rapid transit station. The main purpose of the ecovillage was to center it around the West 65th Street Rapid Station and including the neighborhoods surrounding it on the west side of Cleveland.

Google Earth, 2007

History

Called the Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood, was once a heavily developed industrial area in the mid-1800s. Then in 1863, commercial and residential development moved in along Detroit Avenue . The area became an ethnic hub of many nationalities, including Irish, German, Italian, and Romanian. After World War II, however, many families began moving to more affluent suburbs.

Description

The Cleveland EcoVillage is a project as part of the EcoCity Cleveland initiative, proposed by Cleveland, Ohio. This project is a demonstration of how a model urban village can be ecologically sustained while providing for an enjoyable living experience for its inhabitants. The EcoVillage will employ ideas of the New Urbanism Movement and Green Building designs. Such aspects of the New Urbanism Movement that will be utilized includes mixed-uses, urban green spaces, pedestrian-friendly streets, and proximity to transit. Neighborhood programs will also be imposed to facilitate habitat restoration, environmental education, recycling, and urban gardening.

Need to incorporate the following principles:

• linkages to other areas & neighborhoods via walking, biking, or bus and using the rapid station as a center point
• housing should be increased in density surrounding the rapid station
• mixed uses of development including residential, commercial, and office/retail, all centered around the rapid station
• traffic calming in the area of the ecovillage to accommodate a pedestrian-friendly environment
• environmental education for its residents to implement programs of recycling, gardening, tree planting, and pollution prevention
• green space should be utilized throughout the ecovillage to create a balance between nature and human activities
• diversity should be preserved to accommodate for a mix of both income and ethnic ranges
• identity should be applied in order for this ecovillage to stand out and be recognized, while continuing it to be attached to its past

EcoCity Cleveland, 2006

Key Participants

This project is partnered with the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, which is Cleveland 's neighborhood-based development organization and the nationally recognized environmental planning organization, EcoCity Cleveland. It involves other projects such as the City of Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland RTA, the Cleveland Green Building Coalition, as well as other private & public developers. Funding has been provided by the George Gund Foundation, the Katherine and Lee Chilcote Foundation, and the Cleveland CityWorks program.