Cleveland Heights moves to green up it's zoning code

From Green City, Blue Lake

Cleveland Heights is an inner ring suburb just east of Cleveland very close to University Circle.

With its new mixed-use zoning designation and new maximums for parking lots, Cleveland Heights looks to set the stage for more infill development—an act to strengthen its traditional, pedestrian friendly districts. New developments can preserve green space instead of parking; by not requiring a minimum number of parking spots tied to retail square footage formula, the city can alter land-use patterns and break the mold on the worst aspects of big development—the one size fits all solution of paving over lots of open space for a too-large parking lot to fit only the busiest day of shopping in the year.

The city is to be commended for encouraging more biking, especially for those short trips which can be avoided by “requiring conveniently placed, well-designed bike parking for new uses and long-term. Covered bike parking with locker and shower facilities will be required for offices, university buildings and hospitals exceeding 25,000 square feet.”

Bike parking has been consistently cited as the biggest impediment to increased trips made by bike, so the security of knowing there will always be a place to lock up is a good first start (the city would make an even stronger case by developing a bike parking design guideline so that its clear which bike racks are of high quality, and to spell out placement, lighting, security and shelter options).

Sounds off hand to be really great but it's not a done deal.

"The Planning Commission will hold public hearings on the proposed sustainability zoning at 7 p.m. on March 14 and April 11 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 40 Severance Circle. City Council will host a public hearing at 7 p.m. March 26 at the Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd. The Planning Commission will forward a recommendation to City Council, which is expected to approve the amendments at a regular meeting April 16."

Here are the actual proposed updates

This post is not actively supporting these proposals. If it were up to me, almost all zoning would not exist. (one can still have basic safety-fire regulation) However, if one is to mandate zoning it would be much more logical to allow logical mixed use density and cap the amount of allowed parking, rather than force parking minimums like most zoning codes do. The general thinking here seems right.

Randyland On The Today Show

Sorry, I don't watch much TV aside from a few Steeler's games. This story on Today about the North Side legend is a few years old. I believe it's Randy Gilson's birthday and the Mattress Factory tweeted this.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The old Pittsburgh art blog has a good post with links to a long list of pieces about Randy and his ongoing creation.

Some Shots of Wilkinsburg

Here are some of the shots I took in Wilkinsburg, the other day, which I hope give a somewhat balanced view of both the opportunities, amazing buildings and work that still needs to be done there.

Partly, because part of it is relatively flat, this particular place reminds me pretty strongly of Cleveland, in terms of the big mix of building types, relative abundance of empty lots and fascinating rural and urban character.

As you can see, there's a lot of serious restoration work being done here.

Wilkinsburg is pretty big so I want to go back and shoot some more.

Create A Local City Guide For Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Canton, Pittsburgh: Deadline Tomorrow

Crap, I didn't know about this, till now when Bill Peduto tweeted about it.

Most of the time our cities are defined by the official powers that be, tourist offices, major advertisers and the like. Here's a chance to tell the world about the places and things you think make your city great.

Good Magazine is sponsoring a contest.

the OBJECTIVE

Create a guide for your city highlighting the best your community has to offer.

the REQUIREMENTS

Your guide has to fit on a standard page. Upload your submission here. We’ll accept submissions through Sunday, July 3. Afterwards we will post a collection of our favorite submissions and ask you, the GOOD community, to vote. The winning entry will be announced on GOOD.is, featured on our homepage, and printed in the next issue of GOOD. We’ll also send a GOOD T-shirt and a free subscription (or gift subscription) to the winner.

Aside from that, get as creative as possible using photos, drawings and anything else you can.

From Pittsburgh City Councilman, Bill Peduto's blog

"You, as a savvy Burgher, know the best that our city has to offer. Not just the places in the tourist guides, but those off the beaten path. The places that you’d want an out-of-town friend to see — the inside scoop from a local. Here’s your chance to show off your knowledge and tell the world what makes Pittsburgh special. GOOD.is is sponsoring a contest to create a “local’s guide” that showcases the very best of Pittsburgh. What makes your must see list? The ToonSeum? The Waffle Shop? Gertrude Stein’s birthplace and nearby Millionaires’ Row? Or how about your favorite neighborhood bar?"

Pittsburgh, Show Off Your Gardens On Steeltown Anthem

No, we don't have a High Line--but unlike New Yorkers many of us have a little slice of paradise in our backyard, alleyway, hillside or community garden down the block.

Steeltown Anthem wants pictures to post!

It’s summertime! I feel like here in Pittsburgh we wait all year for the couple months where we can grill outside, play in the park, swim and take long bike rides. In the past I have had people ask me if I would consider posting people’s gardens and I thought now is the perfect time! This isn’t limited to just your backyard, you can also submit public gardens as well!

How to submit:
1. Send me a photo or photos of your garden (.JPG files)
2. Include your first name and neighborhood
3. Email them to steeltownanthem@gmail.com