What We Grow Matters - Cleveland Botanical Gardens Symposium

A Taste for Change:
Sustainable Food Choices
Saturday, February 10, 2007
11030 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio
8.30am - 4.30pm

Hosted by the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and Nature Center at Shaker Lakes this symposium hopes to address the sustainable growing organic and local food source movement and will feature an eco-farming, community gardening and health and diet, urban food activist panel.

Come and explore the deliciously complex world of careful and deliberate food selection. Mmmmm, food.


.pdf evite:

symposium%20%284%29.pdf

Cleveland makes headlines - positive

A recent positive article about the possibilities and potential of Cleveland (albeit with semi outdated accompanying photographs) recently surfaced in Architect Online Magazine, a trade publication.

There are some positive notions about amenities and growth and refers to Cleveland as a "hidden gem" I don't know if "hidden" is the word I would like to use. One would think that everyone would know about it by now. If you have the teim you might want to check it out.

Cleveland Design City webernet ring

In an effort to not have a bunch of Cleveland based design links on the sidebar of this thing (mostly because I will eventually re-template this site and am trying to slim this thing down) I have joined forces with other opinionated design jerkfaces whom care about Cleveland and its lecherous image.

Here is the link to Cleveland Design City which will hopefully fulfill all your fantasies and whet your thirst for creation.

Naw. Just a collection of interesting things to look at and some good sources to gather information.

Then, when this post is long buried and forgotten like that teddy bear you used to hide behind for protection in the dark, told all your secrets to and loved with all your heart that you eventually grew out of and left to battle the dank and darkness of a cold corrugated box alone you can just click on the hot little link to the left.

I once heard the term "bleeding edge"...

and immediately hated it. I don't know if its because I found the thought of taking such a horribly ugly term such as leading edge and attempting to make it even harsher and more strange somewhat abhorrent. Anyway, I think that when I heard that term it was somehow related to "green design", more specifically, alternative energy production.

Not that I heard that term muttered once in Wednesday's local NPR affiliate (WCPN 90.3FM) morning show the Sound of Ideas when the spotlight was on Northeast Ohio's floundering thrust to harness it's potential and dabble in the field of alternative energy generation.

Don't misunderstand, I am all for alternative energy and actually believe that Northeast Ohio has the natural resources, the industrial "know how", the ambition and perhaps even the fiscal means to become "bleeding edge".

I just believe we lack the political will. That's right, I said it, we lack the political will to push forth a conscious effort to accomplish anything so "grand". It may stem from fear of making mistakes, of pushing forward an agenda that others may dare disagree with or perhaps just an utter sense of ignorance related to thinking about the region on such a scale. And I don't want to seem to be pointing fingers, it is just that if "everyone" is thinking that this is such a "great idea" and that it "makes so much sense" and that "it is so simple, it just may work" then why, for the love of all things good, are we still in the "preliminary talking stage".

I don't know why I am so "quote heavy" right now, I think I may just be tired and frustrated.

Hard to sell savin' the world if you can't save some bucks too!

In what can only be construed as downright genius Grist Magazine has decided to approach the whole "how can I be green?" angle from an entirely different point of view. One that can speak to the underpaid, grossly in debt majority like me.

Introducing Ask A Broke-ass, an entire (future) series on how to live more green without spending copious amounts of cash altering your already fantastic lifestyle.

"it's better to be broke than to further the break-up of the Arctic ice shelf."

How true, how true indeed.

Read along with me now.

What happens when all that glitters IS...silver?

A couple of days ago the New York Times published an article ripe with urban hope and lore, America's relearning of streetcar lovin'. Citing examples of urban population growth and renewal Haya el Nasser paints a vivid portrait of streetcars battling the automotive enemy and becoming the hope and liberator of the people.

I, for one, am to agree.

I am deeply smitten by my train ride to and fro the office each day, sitting in relative comfort, able to read some no doubt self inflating diatribe about what cities and art should be whilst my only concern is not to miss my place of disembarkment. Back and forth all for the low low price of half of what parking for the day would be had I employed my aluminum coffin.

How else could I witness the city explode from behind the hills, towering over the mighty Cuyahoga as it winds its way south under bridges, around factories and vacant lots, glorious in their destitution? I would never have seen the sun come out from behind the clouds, or the rather interesting and beautiful graffiti had I driven, my eyes only focused on the bumper of the person in front of me, breaking occasionally to make certain no one was barrelling down upon me. I highly doubt I would be able to witness a home get boarded up, look suddenly tired and sad and then watch as someone resides and repairs it for a new family. All this would be lost if I didn't take the train.

I wonder then what life would have been like had I moved to Portland, Oregon like my heart and begged of me all those years ago, back before I fell in love with the cruel potential of this city, back before I had envisioned myself wanting to take any effort to do good.

Portland is a wonderful city. Friendly people, varied beers, ocean, mountains, trees, an endless cascade of wonder to explore surrounded by only more wonder and cut through, running predictably like a soft beating heart is the light rail, a street car (free within the city) that quickly and cleanly whisks you from one side of town to another, across the mighty Willamette River that cleaves the city in twain.

Sort of how Cleveland is.

And that is when it hits me. Cleveland is a city divided. Neighborhoods on both sides are accessible but not with the ease of other major cities that have exploited the liability in a wondrous way. Imagine having not only a lakefront but two riverfronts! Multiple occurrences of shore-line life, man's endless connection to the water, our myriad fascination with the rhythm of the waves, sharing a strip of blue, both sides served by quick, clean and free (or at least cheap) people moving. How amazing would life be for us then?

I bring this up because the clock is ticking and ticking loudly. Possibly the largest urban renewal plan for Cleveland is in the works and everyone is paying attention and so far, I don't think many are impressed. We bit off a great deal when the Euclid Corridor Project began implementation and now all we can do is wait for another year and change.

And then what?

We will have a connection from Public Square to University Circle creating convenient access from downtown to the cultural center of the city. A street car of sorts (low slung buses count in my book even if they lack the romantic allure) will whisk people through what could become one of the most intensely sought after commercial routes in the city.

Fine. Great. I look forward to it, I really do.

But what about the rest of us?

The RTA Waterfront line serves the East Bank of the Flats, but what gets us to Tremont? To Ohio City, to the West Bank, to Cleveland Heights? What connects us all without the relentless transit changes, and the ugly rush hour traffic? What ties us all together?

One can only hope that the Silver Line will be a great success and will serve as a springboard for more intensive and far reaching transportation systems, knitting this large (at least in terms of area) city together into a more cohesive regional power.

I hope to be here for that day.

more fun links:
Euclid Corridor Project Website

HUD's Fair Housing FIRST Accessiblity Training

HUD's Fair Housing FIRST Accessiblity Training
2007 01.25 8.30am to 4.30pm
Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Downtown
1100 Carnegie Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115

"Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST is an initiative designed to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. The program offers comprehensive and detailed instruction programs, useful online web resources, and a toll-free information line for technical guidance and support."

They offer a variety of references and standards for housing design and construction and will be offering a training seminar on January 25th. Register here.

For those of you interested in accessible design especially for housing this information is a must.

I would also like to nod towards Bradley over at Design Rag for his take on Noblism in design.

It isn't a lack of vision, just a lack of perserverance

I have this fear that stringent rules, regulations and attempts to maintain a fiscal "bottom line" will somehow create rather homogenized, uninteresting, non-personalized and non-efficient design solutions for buildings.

I believe this fear stems from the blatant attempt to label any and all design intent. Whether "modern" or "green", "new urbanism" and now "noble". While I believe that the original intent of these ideas is indeed worth exploring, when coupled with the mitigating factors that will limit the execution of the attempt the actual "movement" becomes nothing more then a smokescreen used as a marketing technique to sell poor execution of corrupted ideas.

Where does this all leave us? Well, in somewhat of a quandary as we further examine whatever projects that we enjoy, whatever design we may attempt to create and what the overall sweeping agenda we are trying to accomplish. Is it possible to attain a level of sophistication, cost effectiveness and personalization while maintaining such a varied collection of design goals (which at times are entirely contrary to each other)? Does it make sense to require all new homes and buildings to achieve the same goals independent of location, orientation, use and client? Are we starting to paint ourselves into a corner where simplicity begins to become impossible due to unreasonable expectations?

One can almost sort of see it happening. As pre-fab homes become more mainstream and marketed as a single option solution regardless of site and family size. As poorly designed low budget developments flaunt a flag of "new urbanism". As strip malls pop up in the middle of low density areas and build their own communities around and above them and claim these small "communities" as "urban". As more and more buildings exclaim how "green" they are without once thinking about the building as a holistic experience. These failures of ours, these constant aberrations become more and more prevalent and begin to set a tone for the entire experience as acceptable and almost expected.

Of course I don't like to bring up any issues without attempting to offer at least a single solution. I find the easiest thing that we can do overall is to clamour when we see projects utilizing a "movement" as a marketing strategy not only incorrectly but belligerently so. We have to be willing to take a stand against this cavalier attitude of misnomer that cheapens so much of what designers are passionate about. We have to accept our accountability and be willing to hold ourselves and other responsible for the damage done to the industry and our failures so far to rectify it.

Of course I am not so stupid as completely ignore the politics behind a lot of the new construction and planning done in any major city and some may consider standing up for their beliefs political suicide but I would ask that those that have the willingness and those whose job it is to report on it, be willing to research and see through the whitewash in order to attempt to improve the standard of development within our communities.

Please.

Cleveland may attempt to take the lead...

in utilizing off shore wind energy. The Cuyahoga Regional Energy Development Task Force, a 22 member group appointed by the Cuyahoga County Commissioner's Office to study alternative energy sources for the county, recently announced that during next month's Commissioner's meeting they plan to endorse a plan to create a "test-bed" of off shore wind turbines in Lake Erie for scientific development and study.

If this project moves forward it harkens not only the first off shore wind power in the United States but also the first fresh water off shore site in the world. I suppose that I should admit that I am rather surprised, not only that this plan seems to be moving ahead so rapidly but that it shows great potential for the region in terms of job creation and innovation. Perhaps this could be our (second) "big break" that launches Cleveland and the surrounding region back into the spot-light.

While some might cringe at the thought of 240' tall towers (to the hub, add another 150'+ for a turbine blade) sitting around 3 miles off shore I imagine that a row of white turbines lazily rotating on the horizon could be rather beautiful and create an entire new positive image for Northeast Ohio.

While public funding would be a big part of the project, there is a rather obvious connection to certain power related corporate sponsorship and of course access to Ohio's Third Frontier Project.

Reference:
Plain Dealer

|another head's up from MarJ|

APTA: Taking the bus saves you money

Today APTA (the American Public Transportation Association) released a study stating that the average household saves over $6,000 annually by utilizing public transportation and reduces American gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons of gas a year as opposed to an average household that would use private transportation (their own automobiles) to get to work and around town.

While I find the premise of the study rather easy to understand I admit that the scope of fuel and money savings was a surprise to me. I have been able to use public transportation to commute to work now instead of having to drive myself which does equate to some tangible monthly savings, however since I still own a car (and use it sparingly when I have to) I am not achieving my full savings potential. I surmise that since I spent some time growing up in the suburbs that were totally inaccessible by public transportation and extremely unsafe for bicycle riding (although that didn't stop me all that much) I haven't quite moved past the American mindset that I need my car. It is getting easier each and every day to imagine how I would be able to live quite easily without it. Imagine the environmental good one person could do the planet and just how much extra income they would be able to utilize if one took advantage of public transportation.

Imagine it dammit!

Reference:
ICF International: Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings in the U.S.: Reducing Dependence on Oil

publictransportation.org

Hop or Walk? Tremont Art _______ this Friday!

January 12, 2007
Tremont, Ohio

I am entirely unsure whether the Tremont Art Walk or Tremont Art Hop is taking place this Friday. I do know that they are fun, that Tremont is a great area and that it is never too cold to wander around a neighborhood looking at neato things.

Art Hop participants and map
Art Walk participants and map

I hope somebody eventually sends me a postcard though! I would like to be able to post updated maps and listings before the event.

Why do we do the things that we do and what makes us want to do them so well?

As some sort of galactic and strange continuance of a conversation that somehow has bridged between friends of mine that don't even know each other and seems to follow a temporal pattern of not ever wanting to really stop that eternal question "why do I do the things that I do" keeps popping up. Some people roll their eyes in disbelief when I utter something about "wanting to save the world" or "make a difference" or at least "get a conversation started". Some wonder what past grievance I have done that would render my future along a seemingly altruistic path in a search for atonement. Luckily I have met people who sort of glance at me out of the corner of their eye and stumble out the "yeah, I do too" comment which fills my heart with joy. I love it when I hear that sort of thing.

Anyway, tonight's post will be short, mostly consisting of an interesting article/post from Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless which makes a comment about the need for low cost housing solutions in urban areas instead of the neuvo-urbanesque $500 thousand condo monstrosities that are popping up all over the place (most with such poor construction and detailing that at least they won't be a problem for long) which somehow is an attempt to revitalize a community (statistically with the sort of people that don't go outside of their condo except to get to their car anyway).

Here it goes, read up and ask yourself what YOU can do about it.

I know the typical argument is that these construction projects somehow increase the value of the surrounding property or expedite the improvements of infrastructure which helps out the community overall. I am just going to call Shenanigans on that one and leave it at that. That is a how 'nother argument for a whole 'nother day when I am not feeling so ill and tired.

Tip o' the hat to dear Marjie for the head's up on this one.

Organic Center: Mission 2010

It should come as no small surprise to anybody that knows me (or knows of me) that I enjoy food. I enjoy shopping for, preparing, seeing, watching, smelling and especially eating food.

Recently I had read some things comparing organic farming vs. conventional farming and how the US is not growing enough organic foods to meet demand.

Then I was turned on to The Organic Center, a fantastic little group that wants "To generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society".

They have launched the Mission Organic 2010, a campaign to raise awareness about organic foods and to encourage more people to choose organic foods for their diet.

There are a bunch of good reasons why organic agriculture practices are important but I won't bore you with a bunch of details, instead you can check out the Organic Center for more information (or even Chipotle's web site, whom I find delicious*).


*and will keep going on about how delicious they are for some sort of sponsorship! (This deal can also apply to Great Lakes Brewery).

Rethinking Public Spaces

I would like to take a second here and point out that I am not posting this as any sort of statement explaining disdain for a specific location instead I am just wanted to point out something that I thought was very strange and wonder out loud why it was that way.

Now, to get everything off my chest, I walk past Cleveland's Soldier's and Sailor's Monument every work day and actually rather like the area. I enjoy the way that it is depressed within it's square, how it is surrounded by a rather nice plaza with some rather pretty landscaping and I especially enjoy the intricate statuary of the monument itself.





That being said, I noticed something last week that made me pause a bit.

In this photo notice the nice corner entry into the square itself, how the stairs welcome you and offer a rather nice framed corner view of the monument. Heck, the thing looks like a nice place to enjoy a fine lunch during a Cleveland summer (especially when the winter fences are gone), right? It appears you could sit on the steps, the surrounding low walls, almost everywhere and enjoy many vantage points to take in the surrounding bustle!


Not so much though. Someone along the line made the decision that they didn't want anyone sitting on the low walls surrounding the monument and had some rather uncomfortable looking spike strips installed. I fear it was done for litigious reasons but what has inadvertently happened is that a rather nice public space has become relatively inaccessible or less usable to the general public.

There are many public spaces around Cleveland that have been altered or made inaccessible to the public over the years. Some could argue that with the growth of the personal automobile (and subsequent removal of streetcar lines) and some poor urban planning the whole of Public Square is rather unsuccessful.

There has been some discussion about the whole making Cleveland's public spaces actually more public but I am not personally aware of anything happening lately. If anyone else has I hope that you could bring it to my attention. If not, perhaps it is time to start mentioning something about this again, especially as Cleveland hopes to bring more people back downtown. I mean, everyone likes a good sit, right?