-
The Group Plan of 1903
While the Group Plan of 1903 doesn’t fall into the 100 year window we are focusing on for this assignment, it was an extremely ambitious project that shaped Downtown Cleveland. The plan affected many of the major buildings downtown, and made it so they are all of a uniform height and architectural style, greatly improving the aesthetics of the city. This is significant because these buildings are now dignified and preserved, as opposed to being just slabs of concrete and brick lining the streets -
Creation of the Rapid Transit System
Between 1913 and 1920, Cleveland's rapid transit system was created by two brothers, O.P. and M.J. Van Sweringen. The first route connected the suburb of Shaker Heights and the Terminal Tower. Throughout the decades, the rapid transit system has grown and evolved to include both the rapid transit cars and buses. The whole public transportation system that was created from that one spark now encompasses 457 square miles and serves millions of people each year. -
Creation of the Cleveland Metroparks System
William Stinchcomb, a young engineer, was the mastermind behind the Cleveland Metroparks. Stinchcomb saw the need to preserve green space in a city that was rapidly growing and expanding and worked for years to make his dream a reality. Today, there are Metroparks in nearly every suburb of Cleveland, allowing everyone to enjoy the outdoors. The Metropark's offer a wide variety of activities such as camping, swimming, horseback riding, and golfing, and are greatly appreciated by many citizens in -
The Erieview Project
The Erieview project was designed to help the city of Cleveland take advantage of federal urban-renewal funds in order to make it more livable and attractive to its residents. The project helped assign various sections of the city to different purposes, such as using the East side for residential purposes, and the West side for public and commercial use. Many buildings were planned and executed under this project, most notably the Erieview Tower.
