PechaKucha Night Cleveland: Untold Lakefront Stories & Announcement of Lakefront's Future

Blog Date

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Author(s)

Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Past Ingenuityfests Showed Hidden, Spectacular Lakefront Views!

Another exciting IngenuityFest took place in Cleveland over the weekend of September 14-16 [2012]! In its great, new location at the Port of Cleveland Docks 30 & 32 . . . spectacular views of our lakefront, and it all added up to a unique and very special event in Cleveland!

On October 20, 2023, when I arrived at Cleveland's north coast for PechaKucha Night, I chose to park my car in the parking lot north of the Cleveland Browns Stadium. This Friday evening, it was a desolate, ugly place -- a large dead zone of asphalt -- with just a few dirty, disgusting port-a-potties. Yet, I have good memories of when this place was made alive when Ingenuity Cleveland partnered with the Port of Cleveland to show Clevelanders that there is a beautiful lake that has been hidden from the public.

(See my Ingenuityfest blog posts from when they partnered with the Port of Cleveland in 2012, 2013, and 2014)

My hope was that by attending Volume 39 of PechaKucha Night Cleveland I would learn about a bright future for this lakefront property.

Images of Today's Lakefront

Parking where past Ingenuityfests showed the potential for the hidden beauty of Cleveland's lake gave me the idea to add aerial images from today to this blog post. I also embedded a Google Map that will keep being updated in the future. (FYI, I also did this in my February 24, 2016, blog post showing the century-old Lake Shore Power Plant at E. 70th Street before its demolition on February 24, 2017 -- see implosion videos in my blog post.)

Here is a photo taken from Google Maps on December 4, 2023. Under it is the live Google Map of the area north of the Cleveland Browns Stadium. If Google Maps (and this blog post) is still around when the developments envisioned for this area are completed, I hope that the live map will show great progress for the residents of Cleveland!!

Cleveland, Ohio - Google Maps on December 4, 2023
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A BIG thank-you to Share The River for sharing the following photos (original and uncropped versions) from the Goodyear Blimp's flyover of the Cleveland Browns Stadium on November 5, 2023:

November 5, 2023, Goodyear Blimp is at Cleveland Browns Stadium -- Via Share the River: This may serve as the before image for the Cleveland Lakefront Development plan...
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Uncropped image of the Goodyear Blimp's flyover o of Cleveland Browns Stadium on November 5, 2023
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October 20, 2023 - PechaKucha Night Cleveland: Untold Lakefront History
Five Stories Told by Clevelanders for Clevelanders

Since 2008, PechaKucha Night Cleveland has brought together audiences to hear amazing presenters share their passion around topics ranging from visual art, architecture, and technology to food, film, music, photography, and furniture design. Presentations are limited to 20 slides (timed to 20 seconds each) and feature diverse topics at every event, guaranteeing something interesting for everyone! This rapid-fire presentation format keeps audiences engaged and exposes people to new ideas, communities, and connections.

Thank you to the PechaKucha Night Cleveland Creative Team for the presentations at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Michael Christoff did an excellent job emceeing this event. Wow, it was Volume 39 - That is a lot of PechaKucha nights happening in Cleveland over the years!! The PechaKucha Night Cleveland Creative Team has positioned Cleveland as a leadership city in the international PechaKucha community.

PechaKucha Night Cleveland Creative Team and Supporters
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It was a beautiful early evening to be exploring Cleveland's NorthCoast Harbor and entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before the presentions began:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.

I loved the topic, Untold Lakefront Stories, and I enjoyed learning from the five presenters about their good work. Here is a video of my photos from the evening, followed by the names of the presenters, and some information related to each of their PechaKucha talks.

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look closer at the maps and photos.

1) Cynthia Connolly - Chair of the Lake Erie Native American Council

1) Cynthia Connolly - Chair of the Lake Erie Native American Council
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Cynthia Connolly talked about the historic importance of water and waterways to Native Americans.

Ms. Connolly is the chair of the Lake Erie Native American Council, which is a Native American-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to preserve, maintain, and promote Native American culture in Northeast Ohio.

Hearing Ms. Connolly's PechaKucha talk reminded me that I recently learned a little about how Native Americans were removed from Ohio. See my blog post about my attending Dr. Mary Stockwell's talk at the Cleveland Public Library during Cleveland History Week:

Blog Date: July 19, 2023 - Exploring Our City's Past: Cleveland History Days 2023
Saturday, July 1, 2023 - Talk at Cleveland Public Library: “The Other Trail of Tears: The Removal of the Ohio Indians”

2) Fran Stewart - Ohio Freedom Path (Underground Railroad)

2) Fran Stewart - Ohio Freedom Path (Underground Railroad)
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It was great to hear from Fran Stewart again when she presented at PechaKucha Night Cleveland Volume 39. I had already met Fran Stewart while participating in two of the Ohio Freedom Path's Underground Railroad Tours in Cleveland.

First, I attended the "inaugural Ohio Freedom Path tour" on July 1, during Canalway Partners' Cleveland History Days 2023. On the tour, we walked from St. John's Episcopal Church to Cleveland Metroparks' Wendy Park. Cleveland's waterfront was an important part of the pathway for freedom seekers. Here is my video of Prester Pickett's portrayal of Frederick Douglass during the tour:

Blog Date: July 19, 2023 - Exploring Our City's Past: Cleveland History Days 2023
Saturday, July 1, 2023 - Ohio Freedom Path Hike

Be sure to listen to the above video!
Prester Pickett portrayed Frederick Douglass

Secondly, my wife and co-blogger, Julie Smith, and I took an Ohio Freedom Path: Explore the Underground Railroad tour on Saturday, September 2, 2023, which this time went from the Cleveland's Erie Street Cemetery to Willard Park. Reenactors along the way told us personal stories of important historical figures from our area.

Julie and I had wanted to write a blog post about this tour, and we are now glad to be able to include photos from our September tour in this blog post. When you are looking at the photos, note that you will see Ali Lukacsy-Love, who helped develop Cleveland’s North Coast Master Plan. She was letting the participants of the tour know how they can give feedback on Cleveland’s North Coast Master Plan via an online survey. I hope you enjoy learning about this great tour by viewing my video which contains 61 photos/videos:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to read the interesting facts and scan the two QR codes!

Did you enjoy the djembe drummer? Julie and I recognized the final reenactor/performer, Ade Olomo, as being a member of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute. We have enjoyed their drum and dance performances many times at difference community functions, and we include information about them in three of our blog posts -- note that one of the blog posts is about a PechaKucha Night Cleveland event in 2018:

Blog Date: August 23, 2023 - Community Celebration 2023: Cleveland Foundation New Beginnings
"What a glorious way to open the Cleveland Foundation's new community dance studio -- with a Djapo Cultural Arts Institute drum and dance performance! My wife, Julie, and I have enjoyed their performances at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Station Hope and at the Cleveland Museum of Art several times over the years."
Blog Date: October 7, 2018 - PechaKucha Night Cleveland Volume 32 at Sachsenheim Hall
Djapo’s Executive Artistic Director and Choreographer Talise A. Campbell did a PechaKucha talk about preserving traditional African dance and music.
Blog Date: June 10, 2018 - From African Dance to Bluegrass Music
"After seeing their performance, Julie described it as 'so joyful and exuberant!' The drums, the colors, and the dancing were filled with energy!"

I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend the "inaugural Ohio Freedom Path tour"!!! You should watch for more on the Ohio Freedom Path Facebook page. I highly recommend Ohio Freedom Path tours and their app to everyone!

Ohio Freedom Path website
https://ohiofreedompath.stqry.app

Ohio Freedom Path apps
https://qrco.de/bdtdjh

3) Keshia Johnson Chambers - Greenbook Cleveland

3) Keshia Johnson Chambers - Greenbook Cleveland
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Keshia Johnson Chambers's presentation was about locations in Cleveland where African Americans would find relatively friendly services from 1936 to 1966 -- the years that the Green Book was published.

The Negro Motorist Green Book (also The Negro Motorist Green-Book, The Negro Travelers' Green Book, or simply the Green Book) was an annual guidebook for African American roadtrippers. It was originated and published by African American New York City postal worker Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow laws, when open and often legally prescribed discrimination against African Americans especially and other non-whites was widespread. Although pervasive racial discrimination and poverty limited black car ownership, the emerging African American middle class bought automobiles as soon as they could, but faced a variety of dangers and inconveniences along the road, from refusal of food and lodging to arbitrary arrest. In response, Green wrote his guide to services and places relatively friendly to African Americans, eventually expanding its coverage from the New York area to much of North America, as well as founding a travel agency.

Visit the GreenBookCleveland.org website to learn about Green Book Cleveland - Black Entertainment, Leisure, and Recreation in Northeast Ohio listings from 1938 to 1966.

On the Green Book Cleveland Introduction web page, Dr. Mark Souther writes:

Green Book Cleveland is a restorative history project of the Center for Public History + Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Our main collaborators are ThirdSpace Action Lab, Cleveland Metroparks, Summit Metro Parks, Ohio & Erie National Heritage Area, Trust for Public Land, and Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. With help from community members, we are preserving stories of Black leisure and entertainment in Northeast Ohio.

Green Book Cleveland originated with research by Dr. Mark Souther and his students in the Department of History at Cleveland State University and is one of the pilot projects for the PlacePress plugin developed by Erin Bell in the Center for Public History + Digital Humanities under a Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It benefits from oral histories conducted as part of the Center’s Cleveland Voices project and is informed by community projects that include Chocolate City Cleveland and Akron Innerbelt.

4) Ferian Young - Asiatown Migration

4) Ferian Young - Asiatown Migration
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Ferian Young did a presentation on the history of the location of Cleveland's Asiatown, typical activities within that community, and its relationship to the lakefront. I found the following information on the Asiatown Cleveland website about the migration of Cleveland's Asiatown:

AsiaTown is located just east of Downtown Cleveland, roughly between I-90 and E. 55th, Perkins to St. Clair, as well as Old Chinatown on Rockwell Avenue.

The first Chinatown in Cleveland was located on West Third Street but moved to its Rockwell and current AsiaTown locations due to urban renewal. Cleveland’s Chinese population began to grow after 1860 (learn more about this below), first settling just west of Ontario Street on today’s West Third Street. From the start, two merchant associations, On Leong Tong and Hip Sing supported the community and maintained their own cultural values and traditions. Today, AsiaTown is home to a diverse population of over 2,000 residents and dozens of dining options, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese eats, five grocery stores, various gift shops, boutiques, and salons.

. . .

AsiaTown began as a home for Chinese Americans who settled in Cleveland as early as 1860. Those early families mainly came from the West Coast, looking to escape anti-immigrant hostility and seek economic opportunities. By the 1920s, the Chinese population was concentrated at Rockwell Ave. and East 22th St., near the outer western edge of what is now considered AsiaTown. As numbers swelled during the twentieth century (especially after the communist takeover in 1949), the area became known as Chinatown.

Throughout the 20th century, instability abroad and economic opportunities sparked an influx of new immigrant populations to the near east side, including large Korean and Vietnamese groups. Today, the Korean population and businesses of the AsiaTown region are numerous, and have a strong community presence through the Korean American Association of Greater Cleveland (KAAGC). The Vietnamese community, which numbered hundreds of families by the 1980s, began to relocate from the west side to the AsiaTown area, and by 2000, has numerous businesses and restaurants in the neighborhood.

By then, the population east of Old Chinatown had become significantly diverse that local businesses decided to re-christen the area AsiaTown, with a boundary now expanding out to East 40th Street.

5) Andrew Sargeant - The Whole History

5) Andrew Sargeant - The Whole History
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Andrew Sargeant is the director of open space and planning at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and is the first Rose Landscape Architectural Fellow. He shared photos of his work, and spoke about the importance of Lake Erie to Cleveland neighborhoods.

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress is leading the revitalization of Cleveland’s neighborhoods. It impacts the community by providing financial support, training and capacity building efforts to community development corporations (CDCs), supporting and performing placemaking activities to improve residential, commercial and greenspace properties, and delivering economic opportunity programming to ensure city residents can thrive where they live.

Enterprise Rose Fellowship

The Rose Architectural Fellowship began in 2000 to partner emerging professionals in architectural design with leaders in community development. The program goal is to improve the quality of design and development of affordable homes by integrating design skills and sustainability experience into the development process.

COLUMBIA, Md. (Nov. 2, 2020) – Enterprise Community Partners Inc. (Enterprise) announced the new class of its Enterprise Rose Fellowship today. The seven new fellows are working in Asheville, N.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; Boston, Mass.; Fort Lauderdale/Miami, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Detroit, Mich.; and Telluride, Colo.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020, the innovative Enterprise Rose Fellowship partners architects, landscape architects and community-engaged artists with local community development organizations to facilitate an inclusive approach that results in sustainable, healthy and affordable communities. As an integral member of their host organization, Rose Fellows integrate design processes, artistic practices, community engagement principles and creativity into development projects and the organization overall.

. . .

Andrew Sargeant is joining Cleveland Neighborhood Progress in Cleveland, Ohio, as Enterprise’s first Landscape Rose Fellow. He will focus on human-centered urban design and landscape architecture strategies to empower communities to achieve equity and resilience.

If you missed PechaKucha Night Cleveland - Volume 39 - Untold Lakefront Stories, you are in luck!! The City of Cleveland captured the entire evening's presentations and shared them online!

CALL FOR ACTION: If you are on Facebook, please share the City of Cleveland's October 20, 2023, post:

PechaKucha Night Cleveland and Update for the North Coast Lakefront
Check out last night’s PechaKucha Night Cleveland!
Hear stories of the Lakefront’s past and see a vision of the future on the North Coast.

In addition to the Facebook post, the City of Cleveland provided the following YouTube video that you can share with others:

Untold Lakefront Stories: Cleveland North Coast Master Plan PechaKucha
Cleveland's North Coast
. . . Oct 26, 2023

October 20, 2023 - PechaKucha Night Cleveland, Volume 39: Untold Lakefront Stories.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hosted an exploration of the whole history of lakefront development in Cleveland, culminating in a first look at the draft North Coast Master Plan.

October 20, 2023 - PechaKucha Night Cleveland:
First Public Release of North Coast Lakefront Draft Master Plan

Mayor Justin M. Bibb’s vision for Cleveland's waterfront
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We can bridge the divide

Many Clevelanders have not experienced the shores—or sunsets—of our Great Lake. There’s no safe, universally accessible or convenient way to cross the railroad tracks, roads and other physical and social barriers that stand in the way.

Aside from the physical obstacles, racial and economic injustices exclude many of our residents from the lakefront—even if they live just blocks away.

With your input, we can change that.

The North Coast Master Plan is the guiding vision for Cleveland’s lakefront transformation, laying the foundation for a more connected, inclusive and vibrant lakefront area. The plan encompasses a host of strategic initiatives aimed at improving access, boosting economic development and promoting environmental stewardship along the shores of Lake Erie.

After the five PechaKucha presenters, attendees learned about plans for Cleveland's North Coast. The North Coast Master Plan is part of Mayor Justin M. Bibb’s vision that: "The waterfront can become a source of healing for Cleveland's communities with the guiding principles of racial equity, economic opportunity, and climate resiliency." The presentation at the Rock Hall was made by Ali Lukacsy-Love, the Greater Cleveland Partnership managing director for major projects (waterfronts and downtown), and Lisa Switkin, senior principal at New York-based James Corner Field Operations.

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to read the interesting facts that are in the slides!!

I highly recommend you learn more by reading Steven Litt's article on Cleveland.Com:

60% complete Cleveland downtown lakefront plan calls for affordable fun, scaled-down Shoreway, eventual move for Browns tailgaters
Updated: Oct. 20, 2023, 8:35 p.m.|Published: Oct. 20, 2023, 4:44 p.m., by Steven Litt, Cleveland.Com

It was nice to have City of Cleveland Director of City Planning Joyce Pan Huang approach me after the presentation to ask what I thought of the updated waterfront plan. I gave her my postive feedback! It was also good to talk to Ali Lukacsy-Love during the reception after the presentations. I had followed Ms. Lukacsy-Love's work on social media for years, but this is the first time we had a chance to talk. I let both of them know that I am now looking forward to mid-2024 when more details are confirmed on how the plan will proceed. You will see farther down in this blog two videos that include their presentions about this project.

Be sure to go to the Cleveland’s North Coast Master Plan web page at: ClevelandNorthCoast.com/North-Coast-Master-Plan -- I see that new materials and updates are being added to this web page! You can also sign up for their e-news to receive future updates.

To read the current version of the plan, please click on the following image to open the Cleveland North Coast Master Plan Update 60% Draft PDF file:

Open Cleveland North Coast Master Plan Update 60% Draft PDF file in new browser window.
Open Cleveland North Coast Master Plan Update 60% Draft PDF file (70.6MB) in new browser window.

Here are two news stories about the announcement of the Master Plan made during the event. Note that I was enjoying a conversation catching up with PechaKucha Night Cleveland Co-Founder Raseem Parker and PechaKucha Night Cleveland Creative Team Member Trent Boerner after the presentations, and you can see the three of us the background of the WJW TV-8 report at 1:42 minutes into the video:

October 20, 2023 - City of Cleveland Beautiful Night Views

One of the advantages of having a bit of a walk after the PechaKucha Night Cleveland event, from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the parking lot north of the Cleveland Browns Stadium, was that it gave me time to enjoy the view from the Cleveland waterfront.

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.

October 23, 2023 - Cleveland's North Coast Master Plan Virtual Draft Presentation

Following the first look at the master plan draft [during PechaKucha Night Cleveland Volume 39], the City held a virtual deep dive into the plan and how the community’s feedback has shaped the design. View a recording of the meeting below.

Three days after PechaKucha Night Cleveland Volume 39, on October 23, 2023, the Cleveland North Coast Master Plan Virtual Draft Presentation took place:

Cleveland North Coast Master Plan Virtual Draft Presentation
Cleveland's North Coast
. . . Oct 26, 2023
October 23, 2023 - The City of Cleveland and the North Coast Master Plan team hosted a virtual public meeting to dive into the 60% draft of the new plan.

The start of the "virtual deep dive" video presents a lot of what was shared at the PechaKucha night. If you attended or watched the video of the PechaKucha night, and don't have time to watch the entire 1:20:08-long video, I highly recommend taking the time to watch the Q&A section that starts at 55:20. At this point, the presenters answer questions online that were submitted to them, which brought up new ideas beyond the scope of the main presentation:

What is the Cleveland Browns' involvement?
How does the waterfront plan help Cleveland become a 15-minute city?
What is the future of the RTA (Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority) Waterfront Line?
and more!

Here is a news story about the October 23, 2023, virtual presentation:

Cleveland's 'North Coast' lakefront development plan draft 60% complete
Updated draft includes better access, more entertainment options
Posted at 6:49 PM, Oct 23, 2023 and last updated 8:30 AM, Oct 24, 2023, by Catherine Ross - News 5 Cleveland

Cleveland's 'North Coast' lakefront development plan draft 60% complete
News 5 Cleveland
. . . Oct 23, 2023
New details about what’s been deemed the “North Coast” project emerged during a virtual meeting Monday afternoon.

November 1, 2023 - The City Club of Cleveland:
Happy Dog Takes On Cleveland's Lakefront Development

Happy Dog Takes On Cleveland's Lakefront Development - All About Cleveland's North Coast Master Plan
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It was in 1903 when Cleveland's first urban plans called for access to the Lake Erie shoreline. Then in 1946, the city released its first comprehensive lakefront plan. And in 2004, the Waterfront District plan was the first to recommend a pedestrian connection. Several studies have been completed over the decades, and while some aspects of these plans have been implemented, access from Downtown Cleveland to its lakefront remains constrained.

Recently, Cleveland's North Coast, the City, and its partners announced a draft of Cleveland’s North Coast Master Plan. It aims to end what seems like an elusive solution to lakefront development--creating a blueprint for a vibrant and equitable recreational hub for all to enjoy, connecting people with nature, and the city to its waterfront. But what makes this one different from all the rest?

Click here to view
The City Club of Cleveland Facebook Photo Gallery:
Happy Dog Takes On Cleveland's Lakefront Development 11.2.2023

The City Club of Cleveland panel presentation about Cleveland's North Coast Master Plan took place at the Happy Dog Cleveland neighborhood corner bar in Cleveland's Gordon Square Arts District on November 1, 2023.

It is interesting to note that the moderator for this City Club event, Cynthia Connolly, was also the first presenter at the PechaKucha Night Cleveland - Volume 39 - Untold Lakefront Stories event.

Read more about The City Club event and the presenters in the description that is below the following YouTube video:

Happy Dog Takes On Cleveland's Lakefront Development: All About Cleveland's North Coast Master Plan
The City Club of Cleveland
. . . Streamed live on Nov 1, 2023
It was in 1903 when Cleveland's first urban plans called for access to the Lake Erie shoreline. Then in 1946, the city released its first comprehensive lakefront plan. And in 2004, the Waterfront District plan was the first to recommend a pedestrian connection. Several studies have been completed over the decades, and while some aspects of these plans have been implemented, access from Downtown Cleveland to its lakefront remains constrained.

Recently, Cleveland's North Coast, the City, and its partners announced a draft of Cleveland’s North Coast Master Plan. It aims to end what seems like an elusive solution to lakefront development--creating a blueprint for a vibrant and equitable recreational hub for all to enjoy, connecting people with nature, and the city to its waterfront. But what makes this one different from all the rest?

Panelists:
Mordecai Cargill
Co-founder and Partner, ThirdSpace Action Lab and Third Space Café

Allison Lukacsy-Love
Managing Director, Major Projects, Greater Cleveland Partnership

Joyce Pan Huang
Director of City Planning, The City of Cleveland

Moderator:
Cynthia Connolly
Director of Programming, The City Club of Cleveland

November 11, 2023 - Thank you, PechaKucha International, for Your Kind Words!

Stuart O Smith Jr, in all the year of Facebook recaps, there has never been one as comprehensive as this one!
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We are fortunate in #Cleveland to have PechaKucha Night Cleveland to showcase the creative people in our community!!
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I am grateful for the message I received on November 11, 2023, from PechaKucha International about my social media post the night of the PechaKucha Night Cleveland event. It is important that they also recognized the many years that Cleveland has celebrated its creative community at PechaKucha Night Cleveland. As I mentioned above, the PechaKucha Night Cleveland Creative Team has positioned Cleveland as a leadership city in the international PechaKucha community.