Kickapoo72

Thanks for posting these. They perfectly capture the essence of what I experienced in Rio too. I was there for a couple days a few years ago, but it really left a mark on me. It is unlike any other place I’ve been. I found it to be a city of incredible beauty as well as grinding poverty, danger and chaos. Don’t know that I could live there, but I am glad I went. A book that helped me make some sense of what I saw of life in the favelas was "https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Cities-Billion-Squatters-Urban/dp/0415953618"

This could go here, the RNC thread, or marketing the city. I'll defer. I was watching Morning Joe before work and while the hosts were discussing the Republican convention there was an elevated shot of downtown Cleveland looking at the Square toward Terminal Tower. I couldn't quit make out where the shot came from. The sky was perfectly blue and the square perfectly lit. The shot was stunning and mika brzezinski audibly gasped. It was awesome. Well done Cleveland! :clap:

Hi All, Long time lurker and fan of Urban Ohio. Most of you don't know me as I rarely post anything. CD-Cleveland once gave me some advice on Urban Planning careers, I've met MayDay & his significant other via a mutual friend, and Htsguy and I have had some political discussions on the site. Still, I am in awe of the collective knowledge of the regular posters and moderators on this site. You keep me up on what is going on all over the state. Anyway, I live in Columbus and think I'd like to join the tour and put some faces with some of the avatars. I'll be bringing a friend, but we won't be staying for dinner as we already have other plans. See you all Sat 6/28! Cheers.

When someone mentioned Telluride, it occurred to me that I have also seen a system integrated with an existing metro. It was in Barcelona. I didn't ride it, but I remember it being there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Barcelona It mainly links to the recreational facilities at the top of Montjuic so It wouldn't be used by commuters much. Anyway, they might be another example to look at. I think we need to explore creative ideas and things that make Cleveland stand out. That said, I do worry about stealing riders from existing bus/rail lines and having unsightly towers and lines cluttering up the skyline. If we can make the system so it is attractive an complements RTA perhaps there is something to this. I am intrigued but not fully supportive yet.

We can debate whether Cleveland (or Cincinnati ) is anything like Philadelphia, but I think the real message of the YouTube Video was missed. The real take away is that the present and the future are not one and the same. Just because a neighborhood, city or region has problems today, does not mean they are condemned forever. Similarly, boomtowns of today should not assume they are blessed for eternity. Things change if people work to make it happen. I found the video inspiring. I am sure many in Philly had written off Center City as beyond salvage. That should be a lesson to the naysayers living in Cleveland, Detroit, Youngstown or any number of our older industrial cities. Instead of griping about how things are, get to work.

I am working on project that could use similar help. I am part of a small working group called the North Clintonville Development Task Force. Our goal is to re-develop the northern most section of High St. in Columbus. Unlike the rest of Clintonville which uses a Urban Commercial Overlay, our portion of High Street has a Community Commercial Overlay (less dense and more greenspace). I would love to find photo examples of mixed used development in an quasi-urban environment to plug into a PowerPoint presentation. Specifically, we have a 5 lane stretch of road with 20' set backs. Parking is supposed to be to the side or rear of any new buildings. Additionally, we would like to see multi-family residential with a density of about 30 units per Acre. If you go to my facebook page: "North Clintonville Development Task Force," you can see pictures of what we have now, mostly a lot of parking lots. I'd like to show people what is possible. Maybe some folks on this site know of good projects to use as benchmarks. Any help would be much appreciated.

Don't know if anyone saw this one, but... The new Governor as apparently caught in a lie by the Columbus Dispatch yesterday. He called a presser to announce that he had helped a company get through all the job killing bureaucracy at the Ohio EPA. Turns out it wasn't true. He just found a permit that was ready to be approved and then trotted it out for public consumption. The Plain Dealer took the bait. Fortunately, there are still some journalists who check out stories. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/18/copy/kasich-wont-alter-criticism-of-epa-process.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 I guess we shouldn't be surprised by this. He is against accountability... :evil:

I am in Columbus Ohio. I am considering applying to the masters in planning program at OSU.

Hi all, I am a long time fan of UrbanOh, but have never posted before. Because of my interest in cities and how people relate to their built environment, I am thinking about making a major career change and am looking at urban planning. I'd really like to talk to some folks who are working in the field now or working on their masters in planning. Ideally, I'd like to talk to people in different aspects of planning, i.e. public sector, private sector, and consulting. I want to get a feel for the day to day and some insight into the rewards and challenges of the planning. What do you think it takes to be successful? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.