When the Republican National Convention descends on Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland next summer, the cameras will be focused on the candidates and the crowds. But they’ll also capture the City of Cleveland as a backdrop to the political race. Casual observers might be unaware, but the City’s officials hope those familiar with the rock and roll capital of the world will notice a change. Where Cleveland was once an unfortunate example of rust-belt urban blight, the last decade has seen an unprecedented revitalization of the downtown area. Public Square, just down Ontario St. from the Arena, is currently undergoing a transformative renovation that will bring the historic public space into the 21st century and beyond.
Public Square is as old as the City it sits in. It was laid out by founder Moses Cleveland himself in 1796 as a third reference point to balance the expanse of Lake Erie and the serpentine course of the Cuyahoga River. In the 1980s, the Square was carved up in an effort to increase traffic flow through downtown. While it was successful in achieving that aim, the remodel also shrank the usable pedestrian space and turned the square into a glorified traffic island. As the inner core of the city hollowed out, like almost all major American metropolises, the concrete’s Spartan shrubbery fell into disrepair and patchwork maintenance became another line item on the budget.
Today, the City of Cleveland is investing $32 million to reintegrate the space into what it hopes will be a more pedestrian-friendly space. In a move that is characteristic of the new urbanism movement, the development calls for moving away from the car as the central mode of mobility through city centers. The new Square will be an expansive green space with water features, much like the original Public Square. The hope is that improved walkability will spur the kind of mixed-use development that is critical for sustainable cities.
