Reimagining Downtown Cleveland - Expanding the Tree Canopy
By Julia Matter
Together with the City of Cleveland and Mayor Justin Bibb, Destination Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Partnership, and Cuyahoga County, we are proud to support Mayor Bibb's plan to reimagine Downtown Cleveland into an 18-hour, 15-minute neighborhood that weaves districts and surrounding neighborhoods into a seamless urban fabric. The goal is to attract modern economic activity and provide a world-class experience for all who work, live, and play Downtown. In the Reimagining Downtown blog series, we will provide regular updates on our progress in implementing the plan and dive deeper into specific programs that move us toward our goals.
Goal: Enhance Downtown’s public spaces to add elements of interest, more trees and plants, water features, seating, tables, and opportunities for children to climb and play.
Status: In Progress
Downtown Cleveland understands the impact that placemaking has on the vibrancy, livability, and feel of an urban core. One tactic we committed to in Reimagining Downtown is adding elements of interest, including more trees and greenery, to our sidewalks and public spaces. Downtown Cleveland works with local growers to install planters along Euclid Avenue and East 9th Street and maintains hanging baskets in the Warehouse District. Recently, we also have turned our attention to expanding Downtown’s tree canopy.
Expanding the tree canopy Downtown has numerous environmental, aesthetic, and economic benefits. Trees act as natural sound barriers, promote biodiversity, and improve air quality. Their shade provides relief for pedestrians and can contribute to the kind of attractive environment that increases property values.
In 2022, the Historic Warehouse District Development Corp and the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corp invested in Downtown's greenery. Seven new trees were planted along West 9th Street as part of the Lighthouse Park Project, the investment also included improved planter beds.
Downtown Cleveland recently received a $27,000 grant from the Cleveland Tree Coalition that allowed us to plant seven Celebration Maples along the upper walkway at Settlers Landing and eleven Honey Locusts along a portion of Superior Avenue East of East 9th Street, where there is a lack of greenery and an abundance of gray hardscape. These trees soften the streetscape and provide shade to the thousands of workers and residents who traverse the corridor every day.
The Downtown Cleveland team is actively pursuing additional funding to repair tree pits, replace tree stumps, and add more trees to the Downtown canopy.
Enhancing streetscapes by planting trees improves the pedestrian experience, adds to Downtown’s sense of safety, delivers ecological benefits, and encourages increased foot traffic to support storefront businesses. Through partnerships and grants like this one with the Cleveland Tree Coalition, Downtown Cleveland can invest in inviting and attractive elements of interest for residents, workers, and visitors.
Click here to read the full Reimagining Downtown Plan.