Public Square: Cleveland's Oldest/Newest Great Place

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to overcome secondary objectives (such as moving traffic) to achieve primary objectives of creating great places
• How to work with multiple stakeholders to achieve significant results in a limited timeline
• How to manage short-term impacts to achieve long-term benefits

MORE SESSION DETAILS

Public Square is the physical and historic center of Cleveland, but for decades the square was crossed by two significant roads (Superior Avenue and Ontario Avenue), effectively dividing the place into four smaller squares. These road crossings resulted in Public Square being more about transportation than land use, exactly the opposite of what makes a great downtown focal point. A unique project partnership created a new vision of Public Square that balanced land use and transportation, emphasizing people and place rather than cars while still allowing the square to serve as the region’s main transit transfer point. The new Public Square does not sacrifice land use or transportation but balances both, including all modes and different activities. The result epitomizes a great place: activity 18 hours per day to draw people to and through the interior, connecting location neighboring districts and the wider region. This session will include valuable lessons from planners, designers, and the community about how the process worked to achieve such a milestone project, and lessons that can be applied in other cities.