An overview of public feedback gathered from Cleveland's Step Up Downtown public engagement process. The report includes summaries of the public meeting, online survey, and stakeholder focus groups conducted during the first phase of the planning process.
For more information on Step Up Downtown, please visit www.downtowncleveland.com/stepupdowntown
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Step Up Downtown Public Feedback Summary
1. An overview of input gathered from the Step Up Downtown public
meeting, online survery, and stakeholder focus groups
downtowncleveland.com/stepupdowntown
APRIL 16, 2014
PUBLIC FEEDBACK SUMMARY
2. PROJECT SCHEDULE
MARJAN FEB MAY JUN JUL
KICKOFF MTG ADVISORY MTG 1 ADVISORY MTG 2 FINALIZE REPORT
PUBLIC WORKSHOP
FEEDBACK SUMMARY
RELEASE EVENT
EXIST. CONDITIONS PLAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN REFINEMENT
APR
3. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Public Meeting
March 18, 2014
Online Survey
Open until April 1, 2014
Stakeholder Meetings
February - April 2014
14 Stakeholder Focus Group Meetings
50+ #stepupdowntown Mentions
150 Public Meeting Attendees
1,500 Surveys Completed
3,000+ Website Views
PROCESS
BY THE NUMBERS
I. II. III.
5. Downtown still has some empty places. What would be the best ways to liven them
up? Participants grabbed a “clicker” and listened to an interactive presentation to
play matchmaker for vacant lots, surface parking, and other gaps.
STATION 1
DOWNTOWN MATCHMAKER
6. VACANT STOREFRONTS In the short-term, people want to see:
• façade lighting
• art installations
• pop up shops
Most people want all of the above!
Long-term, people want vacant storefronts filled with retail businesses
and offices. Priority areas include the stretch of vacant storefronts on
Euclid Avenue between E 9th and E 12th Street and along Huron Road
between Euclid and Prospect Avenue. The gap between the Warehouse
District and the Flats East Bank is another priority. Lighting the
underside of the Main Avenue Bridge would help link these districts.
VAST PARKING LOTS create gaps in Downtown, especially between
Public Square and the Warehouse District. In the short-term, people
want to see:
• active edges (dog parks or other green spaces around the
perimeter of existing parking lots)
• short-term retail kiosks
• better landscaping
Long-term, most people want the surface parking lots replaced
with parking structures and mixed use (residential, retail, office)
development. The sooner the better.
DOWNTOWN MATCHMAKER
Small Box Project
Historic Warehouse District
STATION 1
7. Visions for improvement sometimes take a while to become real. But what can be
done now? We asked participants to jot some ideas on color-coded post-it notes for
things that Cleveland could execute quickly to make big changes. They were asked to
try to come up with a new idea for each of the five categories.
STATION 2
QUICK WINS
8. STATION 2
QUICK WINS
• Create 15-min unloading
zones in front of
residential buildings
• Bike share program
• Public restrooms, near
bars and by the lakefront
• Activate the underside
of the Detroit-Superior
Bridge
• Summer jobs program for
teens to keep main park/
plaza spaces clean
• More lights and outdoor
music
• Eliminate surface parking
lots
• Keep sidewalks and
bridges clear from snow
for pedestrians
• Small garden installations
around all RTA fixtures
• Flower baskets on light
poles
• Replace orange
construction barriers with
green planters
• More public rooftop patio
spaces
• Flower/herb window box
initiative for office and
apartment tenants
• Surround surface parking
lots with plants
• Dog parks
• Vertical green walls - on
sides of buildings and
parking garages
• More food trucks
• Use vacant storefronts for
rotating retail
• More activities in
Voinovich Park - kayaking,
kites, etc
• Temporary restaurants on
rooftops
• Encourage busking on
main streets, Public
Square
• Pop-up indoor parks
in unused buildings
for winter - use theater
designers to make it feel
like a park
• Youth entrepreneurial
enterprise zones
• Make your own public
art program - fill up
planters, decorate empty
storefronts
• Free fitness classes -
yoga, Zumba, etc
• Lounges for after-work
events with DJs, drinks,
lighting
• Fri/Sat night movie/
concert series on the Mall
• RTA trolley connections
between cool areas like
Tremont and Ohio City
• S’mores station
• Winter events like an ice
rink on Public Square
• Family-oriented concerts
like New Years Eve
• Sports viewing at Gateway
Plaza
• Art shows along Superior
loft buildings
• Create a Downtown fitness
trail
• Kiosks with walking times
between destinations
• Clear public transit
signage - times, locations,
connectivity
• Color code districts with
uplighting
• Point people to and
through Downtown alleys,
arcades, skyways
• Lights in sidewalks,
facade lighting along
major streets
• Paint artistic compass-
type directions in
intersections
• Paint tourist routes on
sidewalks
9. Everyone has their own story about Downtown Cleveland. Participants took a seat on our park
bench and spent three minutes to reminisce with our videographer about their Cleveland
memories and desires for the future. View all the video responses at stepupdowntown.org
STATION 3
STORY STATION
10. What’s your fondest memory of Downtown
Cleveland?
• Experience of arriving at Tower City on the rapid
for the first time
• Hanging out and wandering around Downtown
with a group of friends from CSU
• Pushing through crowded Downtown sidewalks to
catch a glimpse of the holiday window displays
• Travelling Downtown to shop with family for new
school clothes at Higbee’s and Halle Brothers
• An evening of shopping, dinner, and walking
around Downtown to see the lights
• High school trip to learn about manufacturing,
architecture, and historic preservation
• Coming Downtown for the holiday lighting event
and eating roasted nuts
• Opening of the Rock Hall event with tens of
thousands of people from all walks of life
• Seeing recent developments since moving here
five years ago
• Staging a long weekend to convince partner to
move to Cleveland from Portland, successfully
What changes would you like to see in Downtown
Cleveland in the next 5 years?
• Become an exciting destination for all again
• Surface parking lots filled with development
• More attractions for families
• Bring the Rib Cook-Off back to the Malls
• More large events to experience the city’s
cultural diversity
• See Downtown investments benefit near eastside
neighborhoods
• 15 min. parking spots for Downtown residents to
drop-off groceries
• Seamless bike connections between Downtown,
Flats, and near-west side neighborhoods
• Change city ordinance to allow outdoor patios to
be located out of the way of pedestrians
• Bike tour stations at North Coast Harbor
• More pedestrian lighting, benches, and
landscaping along the Lakefront Bikeway
• Reach population of 20,000 residents
• Balance Downtown as both “Grand Stage for the
Western Reserve” and neighborhood
• Easy to walk, bike and spend time out
of the car 24 hrs/day, 365 days/year
STATION 3
STORY STATION
11. STATION 4
FOUR SEASON CITY
How could downtown Cleveland become more livable and vibrant even in winter?
Participants identified places that are especially uncomfortable during inclement
weather, as well as places with opportunities to become year-round assets. Color-coded
push-pins were stuck onto the map board to tell us where we should focus our efforts.
12. STATION 4
FOUR SEASON CITY
• Vacant storefronts and gaps in the urban fabric also translate to
pedestrians feeling more unsafe and exposed to the elements. For
example, storefronts along Euclid between E 9th and E 12th Streets
were called out for their lack of lighting and their exposure. Filling
these gaps will help not only with general perception but also will
help mitigate winter exposure and lack of safety.
• Residents enjoy the interior refuge spaces like the Arcades, Tower
City, and even small outdoor niches like Eastman Reading Garden,
but there was less understanding of other spaces of refuge, such as
Cleveland’s alley network.
• E 9th Street, Public Square, and the Mall were called out as feeling
most exposed to wind and weather in the winter, particularly the
closer one gets to the lake.
• Suggestions for improving four-season livability tended to organize
into two camps: winter-weather retrofits, especially heating
elements, wind shields, and sheltered RTA stops; and more events
(both indoor and outdoor) to celebrate cold weather.
WINDY & EXPOSED POOR LIGHTING
HOT SPOTS SUMMARY
13. Downtown has some wonderful green spaces, but where should we direct ongoing
investments? This station asked participants to document their use of existing green spaces
in Downtown and where they would like to see additional green space improvements.
STATION 5
GREEN SPACES
14. While downtown has a variety of green spaces, many are spread out, difficult to
access, or lack significant use. Feedback suggested improvements to existing green
spaces and desired locations for new green spaces.
GREEN SPACES
Major Take Aways
• There are too few urban neighborhood type parks
and plazas
• Lakefront access is still difficult
• Not enough tree canopy
• Not enough places to read a book or dwell outside
• Monumental green spaces are great, but lack good
activity
• Recreation spaces are varied and confusing
STATION 5
EXISTING USE DESIRED INVESTMENT
eat my lunch
wait for transit
walk or run
play sports with friends
walk/run my dog
people watch
enjoy a performance/event
relax in the sun
other
PUBLIC SQUARE THE MALL PERK PARK
What are your most-frequent activities for these downtown parks?
15. Where do you want to go in Downtown Cleveland? How would you get there? And
lastly, how would you get to the waterfront? We asked participants to grab a blank
map and draw your most common routes. Bonus points were awarded for bike, bus,
and pedestrian routes.
STATION 6
CONNECT THE DOTS
16. Throughout the event, as attendees gave their input on their actual and aspirational
routes through downtown, results were recorded and layered to discern the most
popular routes. Most frequented paths cover the core of downtown, with aspirational
routes extending primarily to the lakefront and riverfront.
STATION 6
CONNECT THE DOTS
Major Take Aways
• Respondents were primarily concerned
with the current lack of connectivity to
the lakefront, mostly along E 9th Street
• Very few people frequent the lakefront,
but a number of current routes touch
the riverfront at Settlers Landing park
• Superior Avenue, Prospect Avenue, and
Euclid Avenue appear to be the most
heavily utilized streets, but only Euclid
Avenue has a significant number of
routes which extend past E 9th Street
• Public Square is a major hub of
movement between current paths and
desired paths
Current path Desired path Desired destination
17. We invited attendees of the public meeting to share what they think of Downtown
Cleveland through a series of survey questions. The survey was also available online,
enabling us to collect a total of 1,500 completed surveys!
ONLINE SURVEYII.
18. Who took the survey? The data below only reflect individuals that completed the survey. The public meeting and
focus groups provided more opportunities to engage directly with a diverse range of Downtown stakeholders.
ONLINE SURVEY
Age
50 to 64
35 to 49
25 to 34
Over 65
18 to 24
Under 18
541
350
323
153
80
7
37%
24%
22%
11%
6%
0%
Gender
Male
Female
729
705
51%
49%
Which of the following BEST characterizes your primary interest(s) in Downtown Cleveland?
Downtown employee
Live in Greater Cleveland
Downtown commercial property owner
Downtown business owner
Downtown resident
Downtown student
Downtown visitor
0 142 284 486 568 710
Race/Ethnicity
White
African American
Other
Hispanic/Latino
Asian/Pacific Islander
American Indian
1096
193
55
19
16
4
79%
14%
4%
1%
1%
0%
Income
$50,000 - $99,999
$100,000 - $199,999
$25,000 - $49,999
More than $200,000
Less than $24,999
500
349
249
98
92
39%
27%
19%
8%
7%
19. Question 3 asked respondents to do the following, “Looking into the future, please
offer three words that best capture your vision for the future of Downtown Cleveland
by the year 2020.”
When all the responses to this question were counted, three words clearly emerged
as the most common: safe, clean, and vibrant.
ONLINE SURVEY
20. After removing the three most common terms, the remaining mix of words presents a
broader vision of the future. The next most frequently used words are: fun, walkable,
exciting, friendly, accessible, sustainable, and diverse.
ONLINE SURVEY
21. Q 1. Over the past five years, which factors have
been important in improving Downtown Cleveland?
(Very Important, Important, Somewhat Important, Not Important)
Q 2. In the next five years, which improvements
are important to enhance Downtown Cleveland?
Q 5. To achieve your vision for Downtown
Cleveland, which actions will be most important?
TOP 5 EACH RECEIVED
OVER 850 VOTES AS
“VERY IMPORTANT”
TOP 5 EACH RECEIVED
OVER 940 VOTES AS
“VERY IMPORTANT”
ONLINE SURVEY
Downtown housing
Clean and safe services More shopping options
Cleaner & more beautiful DowntownImproved transportation
More jobs and businesses Improved safetyTransit improvementsRestaurants
New businesses and jobs
18% Recruit and incubate new businesses
17% Activate the lakefront
10% Reduce homelessness and panhandling
7% Support more transit and alternatives to cars
6% Create additional retail and shopping options
23. A broad spectrum of stakeholders were engaged through 14 focus group sessions.
The following are top ranked responses to the question, “What changes would you
like to see Downtown in the next five years?”
STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUPS
OFFICE TENANTS
PLAYHOUSE SQUARE
CAMPUS DISTRICT
RETAIL / RESTAURANTEURS
GATEWAY DISTRICT
• Develop the lakefront
• More events/vitality after
hours
• More green space
• More housing
• Improved streets
• Improve Public Square
• More retail/restaurants
• More jobs
• Improve short-term parking
• Improve Public Square
• Lighting and streetscape
• Develop the lakefront
• Attract a major employer
• Become a Destination City
• Attract more immigrants
• Develop the lakefront
• More green space
• Better pedestrian
infrastructure
• Consider inclusionary
policy
24. A broad spectrum of stakeholders were engaged through 14 focus group sessions.
The following are top ranked responses to the question, “What changes would you
like to see Downtown in the next five years?”
STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUPS
ENTREPRENEURS
TRI-C
HOMELESS CONGRESS
SUCCESS TECH H.S.
CSU
• Model lease for start-ups
• Do something noteworthy
• More bike amenities
• International student housing
• Improvements along E. 30th
• Active public green space
• More variety of places to eat
• More jobs for young people
• Welcoming spaces for teens
• Workforce development
locations Downtown
• 24 hour amenities
• More public indoor spaces
• Develop the lakefront
• Renovate vacant buildings
• Improve Public Square
25. A broad spectrum of stakeholders were engaged through 14 focus group sessions.
The following are top ranked responses to the question, “What changes would you
like to see Downtown in the next five years?”
STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUPS
SENIORS
DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS
FLATS HISTORIC WAREHOUSE
• Improved safety
• Snow cleared sidewalks
• Affordable entertainment
• Improve Public Square
• Better lighting
• More retail and services
• Rooftop/waterfront dining
• Investment in basic
infrastructure
• Improve Public Square
• Increase number of people
(residents, employees, visitors)
• More housing
• Investment in basic
infrastructure
• Improve access to both
waterfronts
26. indicates
desired improvment
received at least one vote
during focus group.
While each stakeholder group shared distinct desires for Downtown in the next
five years, several common threads emerged across the various focus group
sessions. Each focus group generated a list of desired improvements, then
each attendee voted for three top choices. The chart shows the most popular
desired improvements across all 14 groups, in order from top to bottom.
STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUPS
DESIRED IMPROVEMENTS IN NEXT 5 YEARS
Desired Improvement
Office
Tenants
Campus
District
Gateway
District
Playhouse
Square
Retail and
Restauranteurs
Success
Tech
Tri-C CSU Entrepreneurs
Homeless
Congress
Seniors Flats
Historic
Warehouse
Downtown
Residents
More communal green spaces
Improve basic road infrastructure
Improve waterfront access
Improve Public Square
Better bike lane connectivity
Better lighting
More 24 hour activity / amenities
More retail / services
Workforce development / jobs
Improve bus shelters in winter
More regular events
Better pedestrian infrastructure
Bike stations
Less surface parking
More support for start-ups
More bike racks
Vendor stalls on Public Square
Public restrooms
Affordable housing
Reduce congestion
Welcoming indoor public spaces
Activate vacant storefronts
More housing options
Larger variety of places to eat
Attract more immigrants
Downtown school (K-12)
Improved public safety
Fill surface parking lot gaps
Expand trolley services
27. An overview of input gathered from the Step Up Downtown public
meeting, online survery, and stakeholder focus groups.
downtowncleveland.com/stepupdowntown
PUBLIC FEEDBACK SUMMARY