Urban design, land development and the Innerbelt

Submitted by Marc Lefkowitz | Last edited November 15, 2007 - 11:53am

In May, 2006 Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative hosted two professional workshops in which members of the design community advanced a dialogue on the future of Downtown Cleveland in relation to the reconstruction of the Innerbelt.

The first session was held on Friday, May 19 and focused on connections and traffic patterns around the Innerbelt from the Central Interchange to the Shoreway. Topics included:

The character of the proposed “frontage road” and wayfinding requirements to make it effective
Experience of “entry” at major exits into Downtown
Integration with CSU’s master plan
Crossing the gap, bridges over the trench and continuity of east-west surface streets
Strengthening the north-south streets so that the grid can better absorb traffic displaced due to a reduced number of exits
Integrating public opportunities and innovative landscape strategies

The session split into three groups sketching ideas on acetate over base maps of the Innerbelt and connected city streets. When the groups met to share their ideas, similar themes emerged. Items that may generate public discussion include:

Put the proposed 'frontage' road to be built alongside the Innerbelt in the service of strengthening the connection between Cleveland State University and Tri-C Metro campus and the urban fabric. Read more and comment here.
ODOT's plan reduces the number of exit ramps to downtown and places more emphasis on the remaining ramps, particularly the exit at E. 22nd Street, to bring people into the city. East 22nd will be a major north-south artery and thus an opportunity to redefine the entrance to Tri-C Metro at E. 22nd. In addition, the I-77 exit at E. 30th will be a major Downtown exit and signage should indicate such.
The proposed frontage road should offer more than an artery for vehicular traffic to access the highway from the Quadrangle and Midtown areas. The new road is a chance to ask "how can we create an evocative experience for pedestrians?" and offers a way of reconnecting with the historic street grid. For example, one group referenced a 1920s street map of Cleveland and merged the frontage road to E. 25th St. between Carnegie and Cedar roads.
The redevelopment of a new Innerbelt trench — a below-grade section between Carnegie and Superior — should be considered a subway system with a green cap or land bridge built over top. The Ohio Department of Transportation recently built a similar cap over I-670 in Columbus (which was developed into a retail area to connect Short North and Downtown). A cap creates developable land or even greenspace instead of simply a bridge. It could reconnect CSU and the Quadrangle with the rest of Midtown or offer a campus quad adjacent to where CSU's Master Plan calls for new housing between Prospect and Carnegie (at E. 24th and the Innerbelt)
With E. 22nd and the frontage road serving to move traffic, should E. 24th Street be designed to offer a better pedestrian experience by slowing traffic down and developing the cap/land bridge around it at pedestrian scale?
ODOT would like to cul-de-sac Cedar Road between E. 22nd and E. 30th to encourage traffic flow north off the exit. However, what will be the impact to the neighborhood surrounding Tri-C metro and the public housing for interrupting the street grid? What access will EMS, fire and police have?
If a cap isn't an option, can part of the existing green embankment be saved and incorporated into the wall of the trench?
Keep in mind the connections of the Innerbelt to the rest of the area - how well does it serve as a gateway to downtown, and how important are approaches to important landmarks such as the lake, the river and scenic vistas?

Share your thoughts on the connections of the Innerbelt to downtown, the frontage road, the idea of a cap or land bridge and the other topics raised here.