EcoCity Cleveland | Smart Growth



	The Citizens' Bioregional Plan for Northeast Ohio Imagining alternative patterns of settlement at the metropolitan scale In recent years we've seen a growing level of concern about unsustainable development patterns in the metropolitan region of Northeast Ohio. People don't like what's happening to their communitiesboth in the urban core and out in the country. They are alarmed at the environmental, social and economic costs of sprawl and outmigration. They understand that, in the words of Richard Moe of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Development that destroys communities and the places people care about isn't progress. It's chaos." What many people don't often understand is how things could be different. They lack mental images of more desirable patterns of land use. They have a hard time imagining methods that could change development patterns. Moreover, they lack a vision of the bioregiona landscape knitted together by natural systems rather than a region divided by cities and counties. To help the citizens of Northeast Ohio envision alternative land use futures, EcoCity Cleveland, a nonprofit environmental planning organization, developed the Citizens' Bioregional Plan. The project mapped out a positive vision for future development in the seven-county regiona vision based on innovative concepts of "bioregional zoning." It included a two-year process of public meetings and outreach to community groups and planning agencies. And it created tools for public education based on the latest computer mapping (GIS) technology, a full-color publication for citizens and policy makers, a media campaign, and a Web site. The final plan was released at a Citizens' Bioregional Congress in Cleveland on May 15, 1999. Questions about our future The bioregional plan is helping citizens ask important questions, such as: What lands are at risk to be developed in the next decade? Where might a regional greenbelt be created by a joint effort of the region's metropark districts? Where should new development be concentrated for greater density and mixed uses? How could the building industry's legitimate need for buildable land be satisfied in the most sustainable manner possible? Where should transportation improvements be focused to promote increased density of development and reduced vehicle miles traveled? How might natural areas be consolidated and connected to maximize biodiversity? What special farmland resources should be protected? The bioregional plan is making these questions part of the public dialogue. The project demonstrates how a nonprofit organization like EcoCity Cleveland can go beyond the jurisdictional constraints of public planning agencies in a fragmented region, use the latest planning and communications technologies, and lead a citizen-based discussion about more sustainable patterns of settlement. Sense of urgency We feel a sense of urgency about the need to re-imagine Northeast Ohio. We are on the verge of a huge leap in the amount of developed land in the region, even though we are growing slowly in population and employment. In effect, a relatively stable population is consuming more and more land per person. As a result, we are spreading out our assets, undermining the health of existing urban areas, destroying valuable farmland and open space, and creating intractable environmental problems. Will we find more sustainable ways to develop our communities? We canif we imagine the alternatives and work together for a different future. Back to top EcoCity Cleveland 3500 Lorain Avenue, Suite 301, Cleveland OH 44113 Cuyahoga Bioregion (216) 961-5020 www.ecocitycleveland.org Copyright 2002-2003		Citizens' Bioregional Plan contents Our planning process Change in the Western Reserve Bioregional values What's a bioregion? Our bioregional names Glacial legacies Maps of natural features Regional trends Outmigration of population Shifting wealth Zoned for development Transportation spending Lands at risk Alternative regional visions Urban cores for redevelopment Outer Emerald Necklace Bioregional zoning A bold and positive vision Recommendations and next steps Resources for regional planning Thanks Download PDF files of plan and maps Back to main Smart Growth Development that destroys communities and the places people care about isn't progress. It's chaos. Richard Moe, National Trust for Historic Preservation The bioregional plan demonstrates how a nonprofit organization like EcoCity Cleveland can go beyond the jurisdictional constraints of public planning agencies in a fragmented region, use the latest planning and communications technologies, and lead a citizen-based discussion about more sustainable patterns of settlement.