Because we all LOVE tales of corruption...

I have to link to a very sensational article about Jimmy Dimora, a Cuyahoga County Commissioner who some are inferring might be shady. A government offical, shady? In Ohio? My heart can't take the news!

Still though, what are the consequences with the Breuer building? Oh, you haven't thought I forgot about that yet, have you?

Interesting Washington Post article.

And by interesting, I think I may mean severely flawed. I wish I felt well enough (I think I have a bug) to list all the problems that I have with this article (5 Myths About Suburbia and Our Car-Happy Culture).

I don't know if I take offense (or at least find questionable) the inference that public transportation is only for the poor and the handicapped, or the rehash of the infamous "statistic" that "If the nation were divided into four-person households and each household had an acre, everyone would fit in an area half the size of Texas." and that somehow that is the only way to account for how much automobile infrastructure is created (not accounting that if everyone did actually live in an area half the size of Texas there would be hell of a lot less roads).

Today has been a day of weird articles though. I might bring up a couple more. I might not. I'm a busy guy.

ASM, now is your chance to SHINE!

With all the current ruckus about the Cleveland Design District and ASM's moving some offices to said district, one can only wonder if there might be an opportunity to showcase design, production and industrial materials in such a manner as to engage the public.

Granted spatial considerations raise cost concerns and whether a pedestrian intensive area will actually be developed in said Design District could dampen dreams but in my heart of hearts (the very subcockles) I am hoping for some sort of interpretation and/or recreation of what Materia exhibitions are like. Actual material exhibitions where people can touch, examine and feel materials in order to increase exposure and hopefully create more interest in non-standard design techniques.

Granted I could be asking for the all the world with expectations such as this but I honestly see so much opportunity for the city, to become an actual design and material mecca (imagine fostering local industry by showcasing local materials!) that I cannot sit silently by.

I don't know. Is it too much to ask the ASM to stand up for something like this? Is this outside of their purview? Is someone else better fitted to the role such as CSU or CIA?

If you want to showcase the district, I can't thing of anything better then to create something that achieves international attention. Maybe I just don't know how to aim low enough yet but I won't apologize for something as silly as that.

Resource:
Material Explorer a fantastic free online materials resource with tons of great links.

Detroit Shoreway Update

Bradley over at Design Rag sent me a nice email pointing me towards the January 11th Lakefront Development Shoreway Committee presentation. It is a .pdf but not too big. Sure there are some pretty picture and maps in there and it does illustrate some of the intent but because it is only the powerpoint you cannot get the reasoning behind a lot of the illustrations and I fear that interpretation could go both ways.

I suppose I should just get my butt to a meeting or two.

Luckily they post times and locations way ahead of time.

Thanks, Bradley.

Debate over Lakefront/Shoreway Project

Currently it is beginning to appear that ODOT is having problems placating the constituents of Cleveland, Ohio. Currently the plan to develop the Detroit Shoreway (also known as the Lakefront/Shoreway Project) is under fire for proposing turning the 6 lane 55mph interstate zone to a 35mph boulevard in hopes of allowing Edgewater Park to grow. As a "west sider" who once had to transverse the Main Avenue bridge (see photo of blue bridge) in order to reach my far east side destination I was immediately repulsed by the idea of increasing my commute by an estimated 15 minutes. Now that I take the train and walk downtown the idea of creating a boulevard along the lake and allowing Edgewater to increase in size doesn't quite offend me so much.

To be fair, the argument that such a move would further isolate the West Side including the cities of Lakewood, Rocky River and Westlake are all rather valid but the plan would improve access to more of the West Side's inner ring suburbs along Detroit Ave. between W. 25th and West Boulevard (around W. 98th). That would open roughly 70 blocks of residential area to a greater ease of access to the city which would improve livability and Cleveland's tax base. That is if the creation of a boulevard does anything to ease access and can somehow cross the currently operating train lines that run parallel to and south of the Detroit Shoreway in a delicate and successful manner.

Rumor on the street is saying that only four new intersections would be placed on the Detroit Shoreway boulevard which shouldn't really increase commute time from the western suburbs, however the question then becomes whether those four intersections are enough to satisfy movement into the neighborhoods between W. 25th and W. 98th. One could almost surmise the need for Father Caruso Drive to act as a sort of Marginal Road to allow movement parallel to Detroit and the Detroit Shoreway without increasing traffic through the neighborhoods south of the tracks and disrupting development and safety there.

These leads to the study of the rail line south of the proposed boulevard. Would connections to the neighborhood have to tunnel beneath it? Would street crossing become the answer? Would a more important question become whether that rail line would better serve the community if it became a commuter rail line connecting Westlake, Rocky River, Lakewood and the West Cleveland innerbelt to downtown? This commuter rail could also allow for the created connection of a line that runs through the west bank of the flats, granting access to Wendy Park and the proposed developments along the river.

Wouldn't that be grand? An entire scheme that results in better connections for all the residents of the city and suburbs that would include forces to drive good development and possible start to instigate an urban nightlife downtown?

Maybe it would be.

Resources:
Plain Dealer article that instigated this entire thing

Cleveland Design Competitions - FUN!

Cleveland Design Competitions (who promised to create a very nice little image soon that I can use to link stuff to) has FINALLY posted their competition call for entries which I know that many have been waiting for (I sure have).

Actual web site that you can check out.

There is no excuse, NO EXCUSE

I apologize for my lack of postings. My computer at home died. Luckily I have an entire list handwritten of things to post about so let me try to get a handle on going-ons and start re-spreading the news.