An Urban Planner's trip to Cleveland

The Organization for Urban and Regional Studies at Cornell recently voted on where our spring trip should be. In the running were Washington D.C., Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Providence. Cleveland lost out to Pittsburgh but still garnered 10 votes other than mine, so yay!

In lieu of an amazing tour I could've given my planning colleagues, I would like to jot down my ideas for an itinerary of events. The days could be rearranged for weather and I'm leaving a separate list of night plans, which would depend on the day of the week and season of the event.

This list composes of both tourist destinations and things which would introduce planners to the unique issues and solutions in our region.

With Cleveland's great restaurant scene, the restaurants are for the most part interchangeable depending on the area of town the restaurant is in.

So, let's set the stage:

4 of my friends come to Cleveland in the summer looking for a good time adventure. They don't know much about the place except its bad planning reputation and Norm Krumholz.

Here are many day trip excursions within 90 mins of Downtown Cleveland:

Day 1: Akron & Canton
-Invent Now and Football HOF

Day 2: Lake Erie Islands & Lighthouses Tour

Day 3: Cedar Point

Day 4:
-Zoo! until like 2 pm
-Drive to Cleveland's Ohio & Erie Canal Nature Center and explore the unique history of the park and valley.
-Visit Steelyard Commons and discuss its pros and cons as far as planning, the Walmart fiasco, Metrohealth, etc.
-Drive to Tremont and begin grand walking tour of area. Steel worker, ethnic, & church history. Explain Rockefeller's desire to build what became the University of Chicago on that parcel.
-Visit Christmas Story House & Museum
-Sokolowski's University Inn for Dinner

Day 5: Rocky River, Lakewood, Western suburbs tour. Beach visit.

Day 6: Near West Side
-Take the bus from my house to Fulton/Lorain.
-Breakfast at Nick's
-Head to St. Pat's, NWT, Library.
-Walk down Bridge Ave. to Heck's & Heizman House.
-Tour of Ignatius
-Walk down Lorain to W. 25th
-Visit Room Service, West Side Market (lunch) and Great Lakes Brewing Company
-Walk down W. 25th, exploring the pros/cons of the affordable housing, hospital, etc.
-Visit St. Malachi's
-Take bus down Detroit Ave.
-Visit Detroit Shoreway
-Dinner
-Walk to Edgewater Park for Lake Erie Sunset

Day 7: Downtown
-Drive through stockyards, Ohio City, Battery Park, Wendy Park, then Shoreway to lakefront.
-Discussion on Lakefront usage and issues
-Science Center
-Rock & Roll HOF & Museum
-Goodtime III
-Park at Tower City after drive through Flats
-Terminal Tower Observation Deck
-Casino, Scranton Rd. Peninsula, Avenue Discussion
-Gateway Complex discussion & tour
-Dinner on E. 4th street.

Day 8: Downtown Part 2
-Bus to Public Square
-New designs, discussion, Soldiers & Sailors Monument
-Warehouse District
-Go to Malls
-Discuss Medical Mart, Group Plan, pictures by fountain
- Go to Lake Ave. and view the lake, lakefront, visit city hall and courthouse
- Discuss urban space in context of Library's courtyard, FREE stamp, malls, CMSD building, etc.
-Walk down E. 12th redevelopment, visit Greenhouse inside Galleria.
-Walk down Euclid to Playhouse Square.
-Visit CSU's College for Urban Affairs
-Visit Cleveland's "Chinatown"

Day 9: Cleveland as a "shrinking city":
-Visit Terry Schwarz at the Kent State Urban Design Collaborative for presentation (hopefully) on her programs for shrinking cities
-Visit Land bank sites, inner east side.
-Visit Tyler Village & explore the innovations of Midtown redevelopment

Day 10: Cleveland's real gem: University Circle
-Take 79 from house to downtown
-Ride on Euclid Corridor, get off at Cornell Ave. During trip point out previous visits, Cleveland Clinic, etc.
-Walking tour of the Circle:

•  Severance Hall
• Art Museum's reflection pool
• Quick visit to free art museum
• Walk around the circle, viewing History Museum, Botanical Gardens, Historical Society
• Visit UCI & Chris Ronayne
• Cleveland institute of Music & Case Western Reserve University
• Euclid Developments
• University Hospitals
• Little Italy

REALLY BUSY AMAZING DAY

Day 11: Loose Ends
-Anything else desired
-Shaker Heights?

Seasonal Events/Festivals:
-Winterfest Public Square for Thanksgiving Weekend
-Snowdays at Progressive Field
-Tobogganing in Strongsville
-Parade the Circle
-Ingenuity Festival
-Airshow
-Feast of the Assumption

Nighttime events:
-Clubs in Warehouse District
-Browns, Cavs, Indians games
-Local Theatre
-Theatre at Playhouse Square
-more


Any suggestions?
Holla!