Making the Most of Cleveland's 'Opportunity Corridor'

Officials planning the divisive Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland are working to catch land use considerations up with transportation considerations for a proposed road connection to cut through the city's East Side.

1 minute read

October 5, 2014, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

Steven Litt provides the latest details of the conversation regarding Cleveland's planned Opportunity Corridor, a five-lane, 3.5-mile boulevard between University Circle and I-490 on the city's East Side. Specifically, Litt's coverage addresses the need for good planning to make the most of the new route.

"Without excellent new planning, zoning and urban design guidelines and special design review procedures for the hundreds of acres of land on either side of the new road, Cleveland could be in danger of getting lowest common denominator development."

Namely: "If the worst comes to pass, the new boulevard – literally a $100 million-a-mile infrastructure investment - could be lined with gas stations, and lube joints, sprinkled among used car lots and payday loan stores. In other words, it could become another Carnegie Avenue."

Litt notes that the land use planning for the area along the corridor has lagged behind the roadway planning for the Opportunity Corridor. He also notes that Angie Schmitt from Streetsblog USA, among others, has "excoriated Opportunity Corridor as a foolish exercise in 1950s-style highway planning."

FULL STORY: Opportunity Corridor planners need a strong vision to avoid lowest common denominator development (Commentary)

Thursday, October 2, 2014 in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Urban Development Ohio Cleveland Opportunity Corridor Property Values Land Use Planning View More

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