In a January opinion piece in TechCrunch, entrepreneur Jon Bischke suggested the most successful urban leaders are those who view cities like startups. CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders dedicated to creating next generation cities, will examine that premise at its 2012 Spring National Meeting: The City As a Startup -- Creating Demand, Attracting Talent, Taking Risks and Going to Scale.

The meeting is set for May 17-18 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and is made possible with support from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. Former AOL Chairman and CEO Steve Case will deliver the morning keynote and also sit on a panel conservation about Startup America.

CEOs for Cities will also release its latest City Vitals report, a framework for measuring the success of cities. Other panels include considering Songdo, South Korea as the planet's smartest city and using the collective impact approach to catalyze social change. There will also be opportunities to tour Cincinnati attractions and examples of success.
 
Register here. View a draft agenda here.

Travis Peebles, who co-owns Blazing Saddle Cycle, displays a Roadmaster bicycle that was made about 80 years ago by the Cleveland Welding Company, located at W. 117th and Berea Road. The rusted, 40-pound bike is not for sale, yet it adorns the shop as a proud reminder of cycling's rich local history.

It is perhaps a little known fact that both Cleveland and Ohio have a rich history in the annals of bike history (those crazy Wright brothers started it all with a Dayton bike shop, after all). Our region's tradition of making bicycles is intertwined with our manufacturing history. That deep tradition will be on display this Friday, April 27th at the Greenhouse Tavern during "Respect the Bike: Ohio Built with Ohio Pride," an exhibition of historic and contemporary Ohio bike builders.

"Cleveland and Ohio were huge springboards for cycling," says Peebles. "From the 1890s through the 1900s, there were tons of bikes that were made in Cleveland."

Respect the Bike will feature a wide range of bicycles from pre-1900 bikes made in Northeast Ohio to contemporary bikes built by local, entrepreneurial frame builders such as Rust Belt Welding, Carmen Gambino and Dan Polito.

Peebles, who admits to being "borderline obsessed" with hunting for old bicycles and makes a living restoring '70s and '80s era steel bikes, partnered with the Greenhouse Tavern because of its commitment to local foods and cycling.

Respect the Bike is also billed as a kick-off to Cleveland Bike Month, which takes place in May. Attendees are encouraged to ride their bikes to the event and participate in the monthly Critical Mass ride at Public Square beforehand.


Source: Travis Peebles
Writer: Lee Chilcote

It took 305 straw bales harvested from a nearby farm to build one couple's fairly tale home. The three-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot "Asian Craftsman-style" house in Cleveland Heights is the only one like it in Greater Cleveland. Unlike the straw house in The Three Little Pigs, this is one built to withstand rain, wind, snow and the Big Bad Wolf.

As the Circle East Townhomes near completion, 60 percent of the units are pre-leased, and eight of the 12 leased units have been snatched up by University Circle area employees. This proves the viability of new housing options in the area, says Chris Ronayne, Executive Director of University Circle Inc. (UCI).

"This is a great moment in time where the Circle is meeting East Cleveland," says Ronayne of the project, which features 20 townhouse-style apartments that are being developed on a former parking lot on Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland. "The fact that Circle area employees are leasing the apartments means that our Greater Circle Living program is working. Employees can get one month's free rent through this effort, and institutions and foundations are putting money into it."

Circle East Townhomes are being built on 1.5 acres of land along Euclid between Lakeview Road and Auburndale Avenue. The $5 million project is being co-developed by UCI and the Finch Group, and partial funding comes from federal Neighborhood Stabilization Funds. The three-story units have 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and two car garages. Rental rates are $930 per month, and tenants can earn up to 120 percent of area median income (about $60,000) and still qualify.

"Circle East is really a new neighborhood where University Circle meets East Cleveland," says Ronayne, who adds that the project would have remained on the drawing board without the leadership of East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton and support from Cuyahoga County and the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "We've been planning this for a while, and now we're starting to see development."

UCI and East Cleveland are now seeking planning grants for Phase II of the project, which would bring an additional 20 units to the site. Ronayne ultimately envisions a mixed-use housing and office development, including technology companies or services related to University Circle's anchor institutions.

The first residents are expected to move into Circle East Townhomes by June 15th.


Source: Chris Ronayne
Writer: Lee Chilcote

You know the old saying: Once you start allowing chickens in your neighborhood, any four-legged creature can walk right in off the street.

Well, there goes the neighborhood!

Despite cries of fowl play, it appears that the City of Cleveland Heights is poised to allow residents to raise up to four chickens in their backyards. A group called Hens in Lakewood is lobbying their city to allow chicken-rearing too, yet the group is battling resistance from other residents and skeptical city council members.

The City of Cleveland Heights, once the pristine province of those fleeing the city for greener (yet livestock-free) pastures, may soon return to its roots. A century ago, many small farms flourished here. Although the proposed changes will not allow market gardening (where gardeners sell their wares), they will allow residents to raise their own eggs.

In a few weeks, the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission will consider new, sustainable zoning code recommendations that include allowing up to four chickens. If the board accepts the Planning Department's recommendations, the city will become one of the first suburbs in Northeast Ohio to allow chickens.

"We received a lot of phone calls about this issue, but the pro-chicken people were more vocal," says Karen Knittel, a City Planner with the City of Cleveland Heights. "Concerns were raised around chickens not being well-kept and attracting rats. We're easing into this to make sure people don't disturb their neighbors."

The proposals require chicken coops to be at least 10 feet from a resident's property line, and would-be chicken keepers will have to apply for a conditional use permit from the city that can be revoked if health or safety issues arise.

Despite the widespread flaps about backyard chickens, Jaime Bouvier, a Visiting Legal Writing Professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, says that genuine problems are actually quite uncommon.

"In cities across the country, backyard chickens are always very contentious," she says. "Yet the issue causes more concern than warranted. Typically, there aren't huge amounts of people that do it, and it doesn't get out of control."

Bouvier has written extensively about the legal issues surrounding backyard chickens and aggregated model practices around the country. She has organized an Urban Agriculture Symposium that takes place at CSU this Friday.


Source: Karen Knittell, Jaime Bouvier
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Turning commuters, suburbanites and Joe and Jane Doe into "choice riders" -- those who choose public transit over driving -- has been an ongoing battle for mid-size transportation systems across the country, and Cleveland is no exception. Locally, that task falls on the shoulders of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority, which is taking significant steps to cultivate a new generation of riders.

A new initiative being pioneered by Cuyahoga County, Policy Matters Ohio and a bevy of partners aims to create more energy-efficient municipal buildings and catalyze the creation of green, living wage jobs.

Now that advocacy within the green jobs movement has shifted away from the state and federal level -- where activity is slow or nonexistent -- organizers are counting on this new initiative to help create a new model for energy-efficient construction as well as stimulate good, union jobs in Cuyahoga County.

"We were pushing on the national level, but when the cap and trade legislation fell apart, we still lacked a comprehensive energy strategy," says Shanelle Smith, local organizer for the Emerald Cities Cleveland-Cuyahoga County project. "We had the economic stimulus, but now that the money is on the ground, it's about organizing locally so it benefits all of us."

Emerald Cities, which was approved last week by Cuyahoga County Council, aims to "create a clean energy economy by developing community workforce opportunities, enhancing environmentally sustainable practices and working to make government buildings more energy efficient," according to a release.

The initiative aims to make municipal buildings in Cuyahoga County 20 percent more energy-efficient by 2020. Emerald Cities will achieve this by seeking financing mechanisms to help local governments pay for projects, creating community workforce agreements to help foster union jobs, and participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge.

"We want to build a pipeline to unionized apprenticeships for underrepresented communities," says Smith. "Our goal is to help create family-sustaining jobs."

Now that the initiative has been approved by Cuyahoga County, Emerald Cities partners are working together to assemble a strategic plan for implementation.


Source: Shanelle Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote

There was good news and bad news when David Uram and David Burg learned in June of 2009 about their application for Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the State of Ohio. The owners of PIRHL, an affordable housing development firm, were seeking to develop a 44-unit housing project on Euclid Avenue in MidTown called Church Square Commons.

The good news was that they'd been awarded tax credits for the project. PIRHL has completed 24 successful projects in five states in the past seven years.

The bad news was that the tax credits were worth at least 20 percent less than they had been before the recession, ripping a giant hole in the project proforma and making it impossible to continue without securing additional funding.

That funding came in the form of about $1.8 million in federal stimulus dollars and $600,000 in Housing Trust Fund dollars from the City of Cleveland. The developers broke ground on Church Square Commons in November 2010 and completed it a year later. PIRHL is hosting a dedication ceremony with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and other dignitaries and community partners on April 20th.

"This project provides much-needed affordable housing development in the City of Cleveland," says Uram. "Many low-income seniors fall behind in maintaining their homes and can't keep up. The project has also removed significant blight along Euclid Avenue, and helped facilitate redevelopment of the area."

The 44-unit project contains many green, sustainable features, including high-efficiency insulation that cuts down on heating bills for tenants. It also contains 4,000 square feet of common areas, including a hair salon, fitness center and community rooms, some of which are accessible to non-residents.

Uram, who helped found the company in his partner's basement and has a background in nonprofit community development, says affordable housing is a critical piece of redeveloping neighborhoods. "As we gentrify neighborhoods, folks in Cleveland need a place to live," he says. "It's a critical piece of the urban fabric."


Source: David Uram
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Imagine eating chef-made meals from food grown right around the corner. That’s the dream Brian Doyle had when he created Sow Food last year, which is a catering business built around locally-grown food.
 
”Last year my wife Jennifer and I wanted to create a business that was full-circle,” Doyle explains. “We wanted to add a farming component to our catering business because we were interested in adding food in areas considered food deserts.”
 
Doyle found a plot of land on W. 47th Street and Lorain Avenue in the Cleveland area using the land bank. There, he has created a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model that combines local farming with catering.
 
Members buy a share in the farm in exchange for gourmet meals prepared by chef Doyle. During the growing season -- June through September -- members get three meals for two people each week. The cost is $1,520 for 16 weeks of food presented in re-usable containers. Subscribers pick up their meals each week at the farm.
 
Doyle creates the meals from the farm produce while supplementing it with other locally grown meats and cheeses. “We try to feature other local producers of value added goods,” he says. “You’ll never find a national brand item in our bag.”
 
Last year, Sow Food had 10 customers. This year, the company already has 10 customers signed up. Doyle hopes to get to 30 customers, but will cap it at 50. “We’re thinking in small increments of growth,” he says.
 
Sow Food has two full-time employees and two seasonal employees. If they reach their targeted growth, Doyle plans to hire an additional full-time employee and two part-time employees.
 
Sow Food sub-leased kitchen space from a couple restaurants. This year, Doyle is hoping to find a permanent space.
 

Source: Brian Doyle
Writer: Karin Connelly

Todd Pownell of TAP Studios in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood has always purchased recycled gold. He fashions the raw material into unique wedding rings for Cleveland couples, or helps people to make their own through his unique, do-it-yourself workshop.

Yet as the price of gold has risen from $300 per ounce five years ago to more than $1,600 per ounce today, Pownell has also observed an increase in exploitative mining operations in various corners of the globe. At the same time, there has been a steady uptick in general consumer awareness of supply chain issues, and a rising interest in where our gold comes from.

These two factors provide a unique opportunity for jewelers to highlight where their materials come from and educate consumers about sustainable sources, says Pownell. He is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths and involved in the "slow gold" movement, named after the sustainability-focused slow food movement.

This past summer, Pownell participated in a unique videography project. He traveled to South Dakota with another jeweler and a couple from New York City to try to mine enough gold for a pair of wedding rings. In the end, the weeklong trip yielded only about a dollar's worth of gold. It also shed light on the resource-intensive process of mining, exposing problems in the global supply chain.

Fellow jeweler Gabriel Craig documented the trip on a series of videos he posted on Vimeo, and participants spread word of their trip through social media websites and blogs. An article about the trip entitled "The Real Cost of Gold" also appeared in the March issue of American Craft Council magazine.

"As consumers, we need to be a little more aware of supply chain issues," says Pownell. "There's been a groundswell of change with the buy local movement, and with that, people are paying more attention to where products come from. Craftsmen are at the forefront of trying to look at supply chain issues."


Source: Todd Pownell
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Do you want to see more mountain bike trails in the Metroparks? Or spur trails that lead visitors through secluded, natural landscapes? Could the Metroparks take over the city's ailing, neglected lakefront park system, which suffers from millions in deferred maintenance from the cash-strapped State of Ohio?

These issues and many others will be the focus of public meetings scheduled in April and May by the Cleveland Metroparks. The Metroparks is seeking to present and gather feedback on its Emerald Necklace Centennial Plan, a document that has been in the works for more than two years and will guide the park system for the next decade.

The focus of the Metroparks over the past 10 years has been on preserving a well-maintained park system while also completing a loop trail through the Emerald Necklace. The new Master Plan will address basic maintenance needs like roads and bridges, while also planning for new projects, such as completing more spur trails. The plan comes at a crucial time, as the park system is dealing with a decline in state funding and the need to pass a new operating levy in 2013.

There has also been discussion about the Metroparks taking over lakefront parks in Cleveland, as well as Wendy Park at Whisky Island and, ultimately, the newly-created Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve. According to Jim Kastelic, Senior Park Planner at the Metroparks, the Master Plan directly addresses these opportunities.

"When we surveyed Northeast Ohioans about whether Cleveland's lakefront parks should be operated by the same organization, 47 percent said  yes and 37 percent said they weren't sure," says Kastelic, who cites the Metroparks' recent acquisition of two acres at Rivergate Park in the Flats and its agreement to manage the Towpath Trail in Cleveland as evidence of its commitment to urban parks and recreation. "That tells us that it's something that we need to look at."

Kastelic says the Centennial Plan will also focus on such key areas as green infrastructure, health of surrounding watersheds, strengthening the Metroparks' role in urban areas and creating a regional greenway system.

Additional meetings slated for April and May will largely focus on plans for individual Metroparks. Once the plan is finalized, the Metroparks will develop a list of strategic priorities and seek a levy in November of 2013.


Source: Cleveland Metroparks
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Later this month, a pop up store for visitors will open inside of an historic railroad car in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The store, called Trail Mix, will be housed on a spur track along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in the town of Peninsula. It will feature snacks, refreshments, books, souvenirs and other items.

Then, later this year, Trail Mix will move into its permanent location at 1600 West Mill Street, adjacent to the Winking Lizard and the tracks where visitors hop aboard the Scenic Railroad. Peninsula has become a hub for visitors to the 33,000 acre national park, which draws more than three million visitors annually and is considered to be one of the most popular national parks in the country.

The store will be operated by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help educate the general public about the park, protect and conserve its national resources, market the park to visitors, and promote the activities and amenities that exist within the park.

"This is an opportunity for us to really introduce people to all the wonderful things that exist within the 33,000 acres of the park," says Janice Matteucci, Chief Operations Officer for the Conservancy. "We're also partnering with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad so that people can buy their tickets here."

The new, 3,000 square foot store will provide a larger storefront space for both organizations and add to the retail offerings in downtown Peninsula. Trail Mix will have outdoor seating and serve local foods such as cookies baked at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center and Mitchell's Ice Cream.


Source: Janice Matteucci
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Moving counter to the assertion that Print is Dead!, two local optimists have just launched a new print magazine. Edible Cleveland is a new print quarterly that focuses on the local food scene -- not just restaurants and chefs, but also farmers, history, tradition and lore. FW's Erin O'Brien brakes bread with publishers Noelle Celeste and Jon Benedict.

This is the kind of downsizing we can all cheer about. PNC has launched an effort to reduce the amount of waste coming out of its downtown Cleveland office building to "near zero," becoming one of the first downtown buildings to achieve this ambitious goal.

The employee-led effort is reducing the amount of trash going to landfills to 40 percent of the total waste coming out of the building. The remaining 60 percent is being recycled or composted. PNC is not stopping at this laudable goal, and has made a commitment to reduce its waste by 90 percent, hopefully by this summer.

"We wanted PNC's offices to be among the first near-zero buildings in downtown," says Paul Clark, Regional Vice President for PNC Bank. "This is a local application of the sincerity of PNC's commitment to green building."

To achieve its goal, PNC designated an employee "green ambassador" on every floor of its downtown building. The company also removed common area trash cans, replacing them with quart-sized containers at employee desks. A partnership with Brooklyn-based Rosby's Resource Recycling allows PNC to recycle organic materials, which are composted into mulch for gardens.

"The change in my life only took about two minutes, and I also get a little exercise on my way to compost bin," quips Clark. "The other side of change is fabulous."

Benson Gabler, Manager of Corporate Sustainability for PNC, adds that Cleveland's near zero program takes the company's sustainability efforts to a new level that he hopes to widely replicate. "We'd already been looking at waste reduction in all PNC buildings, yet Cleveland has composting on every floor, and that's new. This is something we'd like to roll out at other locations."

Click here to check out a Youtube video about PNC going green in Cleveland.


Source: Paul Clark, Benson Gabler
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Blame it on the recession or chalk it up to a generation of people who prefer vinyl records to MP3s, but the trend toward creative entrepreneurship is real and rising. People value authenticity, and that often comes in the form of a handmade object with pedigree and a good story to boot. These folks have all traded in their "day jobs" to pursue their passion of making things by hand.

When Cleveland Indians fans catch their first game at Progressive Field this season, they'll be able to check out not only the power hitters in the batting lineup, but also a giant, new wind turbine that harnesses wind power to fuel the ballpark's operations.

The recently constructed turbine, which is the latest in the team's efforts to green-up its ballpark operations, was designed by Cleveland State University engineering professor Majid Rashidi. It weighs 10 tons and generates 40,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough to power about 2.5 households. Progressive Field uses about 17 million kilowatt hours per year.

"As our fans know, it's very windy at the ballpark. We've always wanted to do a turbine, but the technology just wasn't there," says Brad Mohr, Assistant Director of Ballpark Operations. "I gave a talk to the Corporate Sustainability Network organized by CSU in 2008, and that's when I got connected to Dr. Rashidi."

Rashidi had designed a vented wind turbine design, which fits into a more compact space than a traditional turbine and pivots with the wind. "It works in cities where there's turbulent wind," explains Mohr. "Much like a rock in a river, it pushes the air molecules at a faster speed through the turbine and generates power."

Mohr, who says he is proud that this is an all-Cleveland project, is working on efforts to educate fans. The Indians will install an interpretive area in the ballpark where people can learn about the park's sustainability efforts, which include solar arrays, energy reduction initiatives, recycling and food composting.

"Without a doubt, teams are looking hard at sustainability," says Mohr. "Through the Green Sports Alliance, we're sharing what's next with each other. For the Indians to influence others in the industry, that makes us very proud."


Source: Brad Mohr
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Energy efficiency is no longer simply an option for tenants seeking office space downtown, says Donald Rerko of ka Architecture Inc., one of Cleveland's leading sustainability-minded architecture firms. Instead, it's often a critical "go/no go" decision-making factor that can make or break a deal.

"Tenants want sustainable buildings, and they'll often take the building off their list if it's not energy-efficient," he says. "It's really at the top of their criteria."

Rerko is Chairman of the Cleveland 2030 District, an effort to make downtown office buildings carbon neutral by the year 2030. The group emerged out of the first Sustainable Cleveland 2019 conference and has aligned itself with Architecture 2030, a national group with similar goals. Rerko says the group has targeted 75 million square feet of downtown office space, and has gained soft commitments from 25 percent of owners to make their buildings green.

"Retrofitting a building saves the owner on utility costs, reduces tenants' overall costs and makes the building more competitive," says Rerko. "There are a lot of different funding programs now, such as performance contracting and government programs, that allow owners to retrofit without any money out of pocket."

Comprehensive building retrofits typically include sealing the envelope to reduce energy consumption as much as possible, examining energy usage to find ways to reduce it, automating systems, and investing in renewable energy sources.

As examples of successful retrofits, Mohr cites Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College and Forest City Enterprises, which has made substantial energy-efficiency improvements to the Tower City complex.

Next steps for the Cleveland 2030 District group include obtaining signed letters from owners representing their commitments and raising funds to hire an Executive Director and Program Manager. The group is also holding a kickoff party on May 10th at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It will feature keynote speaker Edward Mazria, architect and founder of Architecture 2030.


Source: Donald Rerko
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Many teachers and graduates of Cleveland School of the Arts, the acclaimed, arts-focused school that sits at the edge of University Circle, have been patiently waiting for more than 30 years for a new school.

"We've had a makeshift arts school for 30 years," says Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts. The historic school building was built atop the culverted Doan Brook and does not have a cafeteria or facilities suitable to teaching the arts. "Now they're building us a real arts school. This is part of a premier arts specialty system that's being put into place in the district, and our goal is to write the curriculum to create a conservatory-level 9th-12th grade school."

The demolition of the former Cleveland School of the Arts began earlier this month. Current CSA students are housed at another district school until the new campus is ready. Bluso says that the district plans to break ground on the new, state-of-the-art school in June and open it to students in August 2014. The green-built facility will feature an outdoor plaza and new interior spaces such as art galleries and music rooms that are specially built for arts classes.

"Each arts program will have an area of the building," says Bluso. "We plan to serve 775 students in grades 6-12, and our goal is to be very competitive district-wide. We want students from all over the city to apply."

Bluso says the new school is part of a renewed emphasis on arts education that is flourishing under CEO Eric Gordon. "He's really made arts education a priority," she says. "This is a critical component of the Transformation Plan."

Friends of CSA raises $650-750,000 to support arts programs at the school each year. Bluso says that arts-based education teaches students to think creatively and keeps them motivated in school. CSA has a high graduation rate and many of its students go on to graduate from college and pursue careers in the arts.


Source: Christine Bluso
Writer: Lee Chilcote