The Ohio Planners News | Winter 2024

WINTER 2024 VOLUME 74 NUMBER 1

IT'S HERE.

INSIDE

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First Word

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Planners Day at the Statehouse

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APA Ohio Planning Awards

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APA Ohio Great Places in Ohio

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Upcoming Events

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It Takes a Planner

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APA Ohio Sponsors

14 The Ohio Planners News PO Box 4085 Copley OH 44321 330-814-6295 Editor Christine Dersi Davis, AICP info@ohioplanning.org www.ohioplanning.org

ON THE COVER

The Second Edition of A Guide to Planning in Ohio is now available for purchase! For more information on the Guide, visit ohioplanning.org/gtpo.

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SAVE the DATE Ohio Kentucky Indiana Planning Conference October 2 - 4, 2024 Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Happy New Year Ohio Planners!

The APA Ohio Board of Trustees wishes you all the best in the new year. We are incredibly thankful to have members like you and look forward to seeing more of your smiling faces in 2024. I sincerely hope you had time to recharge your batteries, reflect on your achievements in 2023, and plan for another year of creating great communities for all Ohioans.

Whether you lead a large department with several staff or serve as a single-person department managing planning for a small locality, I encourage you to think about your personal and professional goals for the year. Do you have a strategic plan for your department? What does your annual work plan look like? How do you plan to improve processes within your organization? Can you do a better job engaging with the public?

How can you foster better development for your community? What is one project you personally want to get done next year? Take some time to ask yourself these questions and more. Seek feedback on your performance from peers. Let’s make 2024 awesome!

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We have several upcoming activities. I encourage you to get involved and take some time to learn and grow. A few things to note as an APA Ohio member: • National Planning Conference: NPC24 will be hosted in Minneapolis from April 13-16, 2024 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Registration is open now, and hotel rooms are going fast so don’t wait to decide. Learn more at planning.org/conference.

• 2024 Programming Survey: The APA Ohio 2024 Programming Survey is live, and we want your input to help us plan for and provide programming in 2024. All are welcome to offer their feedback and ideas! Take the survey now: surveymonkey.com/r/apaohsurvey.

• Knowledgebase Collection: Medical Marijuana – With the recent passing of Issue 2, I thought it would be helpful to share APA national’s knowledgebase resource on marijuana: planning.org/knowledgebase/ marijuana.

• Summary of Ohio Issue 2: An Act to Control and Regulate Adult Use Cannabis – Our Legislative Committee has published a white paper summarizing Ohio Issue 2 sent. View the summary here: tinyurl.com/ybvxtrrr.

• 2024 Dues Payments – Make the most of your budget by reaching out to APA Customer Service to request an early copy of your 2024 invoice: planning.org/customerservice/contact-us.

• 2022-23 CM reporting period closed 12/31/2023 – Don't forget to close your CM reporting period at planning.org/myapa.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at any time to learn more about how APA can help you as a planner in Ohio. You can reach me directly at eric.anderson@kzf.com.

Cheers to a wonderful New Year.

Eric Anderson, AICP, is the Director of Planning Services at KZF Design in Cincinnati and APA Ohio President. He can be reached at eric.anderson@kzf.com.

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A Guide to Planning in Ohio Second Edition

OUT NOW

ohioplanning.org/gtpo THE OHIO PLANNERS NEWS | WINTER 2024

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Learn more at ohioplanning.org/aicpexam

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Planners Day

AT THE STATEHOUSE D o Ohio laws impact the work that planners do? It is a rhetorical question, but of course they do! Is the law-making process or the results of it, too hard to keep track of or just too political for you to care? Maybe that is a harder question to answer yes or no.

The Ohio APA Legislative Committee has been working over the past few years to build relationships with state legislators and their staff.

Ohio APA does not have its own lobbyist, so we have also been working to partner with agencies that have similar interests. The Greater Ohio Policy Center and the Ohio Municipal League are two agencies with which we have strong overlap. We are working to building relationships with Ohio Homebuilders and Ohio Realtors.

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On September 28, the Legislative Committee held its first ever Planner’s Day At The State House.

Because this year’s conference was in Columbus, it made it convenient to have the inaugural event as part of the conference in the form of a mobile workshop.

Executive Director Christine Dersi Davis, AICP and several committee members worked to implement the event. There were 25 attendees. The event included a tour of the statehouse, lunch inside the statehouse and an overview of what the Legislative Committee has been working on.

We were delighted to have House Minority Leader Allison Russo join us to share a few words with the attendees. Leader Russo represents House District 7, in the Upper Arlington area of Columbus.

Allison holds a doctoral degree from The George Washington University and a master’s degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham. Prior to being elected Minority Leader, she served as the Ranking Member on the Health Committee. She currently is the Ranking Member of the Rules and Reference Committee. She has received several state and national awards for her work on mental health, early childhood, aging and disability issues. While we do not have pending legislation that directly involves Leader Russo, we believe that this event was a symbolic first step in encouraging our entire chapter membership to get more involved.

As a practicing planner, you can reach out to your elected official and offer your expertise to them.

You might be surprised at the reception! If at first you do not succeed, keep trying!

Sam Perry, AICP is the Community Development Director for the City of Oxford, Ohio. He can be reached at sperry@cityofoxford.org.

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APA Ohio

PLANNING AWARDS T

he APA Ohio biennial awards program honors outstanding planning and planning leadership in Ohio, recognizing the highest levels of achievement.

APA Ohio presented the following awards at the 2023 APA Ohio Statewide Planning Conference on September 29.

The nominations were reviewed and winners selected by a jury of professional planners from the APA Michigan and Illinois Chapters. The Jury evaluated nominations based on a set of criteria. This year’s award winners: • • • • •

Demonstrate creative problem solving Are well presented, clear & accurate, and communicate ideas successfully Include an interactive public feedback process Demonstrate appropriate and applicable solutions to common issues Illustrate successful planning processes

Visit ohioplanning.org/awards for more information on this year's winners and winners from years past.

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Best Practice

This category recognizes the development of an innovative planning tool, practice, program or process.

Lee Road Action Plan, Community Engagement

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his Best Practice Award recognizes the community engagement portion of the Lee Road Action Plan, a plan focused on the predominantly black Lomond and Moreland neighborhoods. For many decades, residents felt neglected by their leaders, left out of the greater Shaker community, and overlooked for the investment they saw elsewhere. Over the last decade, the City of Shaker Heights has dedicated staff to creating sustained engagement, supporting neighbors, fostering partnerships, and building trust with those who have mistrusted the government.

The community engagement’s multipronged approach was conceived to show the city listened to input, set expectations for involvement in future plans, and solidified that citizens can affect the future of their neighborhoods.

Jurors commented, “Residents of the Moreland and Lomond neighborhoods in Shaker Heights deserve to be proud of this plan, which was prepared with their active involvement throughout the planning process.”

Comprehensive Planning | Large Jurisdiction This award honors a comprehensive plan of unusually high merit completed by, for, or within an Ohio jurisdiction with a Census population of 100,000 or more.

Cuyahoga County Lakefront Access Plan

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uyahoga County encompasses 30 miles of the Lake Erie shoreline. Historic, often discriminatory development patterns and economic pressure resulted in only 22% of the lakeshore being publicly accessible – a number that decreases to 13% outside downtown Cleveland. As concerns rose over inequities in public lakefront access, so did coastal erosion that continues to threaten properties, buildings, and infrastructure.

The Lakefront Public Access Plan engaged residents, lakefront landowners, municipalities, and key regional stakeholders to create a framework prioritizing investment in public access and erosion control.

When reviewing the plan, one juror commented the, “numerous maps and other visual aids help convey lots of information rather than text,” and, “The plan focuses on not just one solution, but alternatives to help provide flexibility and guidance to incrementally realize the collaborative vision.”

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Comprehensive Planning | Small Jurisdiction This award honors a comprehensive plan of unusually high merit completed by, for, or within an Ohio jurisdiction with a Census population of less than 100,000.

Plan Springdale

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lan Springdale defines the community's wish to enliven Springdale's city centers into more vibrant and thriving spaces.

The identified challenges, recommended strategies, reinvestment opportunities, design guidelines, and action items were driven by engagement and resulted in a plan with community ownership. One juror commented, “I appreciate the specific elements that take the plan’s recommendations to the next level.”

Discussing the final document itself, a juror stated, “By laying out the plan thematically, readers are well engaged and the implementation steps are logical and apparent. The plan uses design well to set out a hierarchy of recommendations. The plan should be considered a best practice for the profession moving forward.”

Planning Student Showcase The student showcase recognizes a student or group of students in an Ohio undergraduate or graduate planning curriculum for excellence on a particular scholarly or community service project.

Balancing Broadway

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alancing Broadway is a comprehensive planning process focusing on the historic downtown district of Lorain, Ohio.

The project was a partnership between the City of Lorain and capstone students, envisioning a vibrant downtown that balances the city’s rich history with its environmental assets through a final comprehensive report.

The team collected and analyzed the city’s history and market data, culminating in a comprehensive current conditions report and market study. Building on this, an extensive public engagement process was undertaken, including tabling at the Lorain Public Library, a survey that gained 481 responses, and a series of interviews with key community leaders and officials.

The robust community engagement process was impressive, especially for a project with a short four-month timeline.

[Jury]

For many of the 10-student team, this was their first real-world experience with a planning project. Since the plan’s conclusion, the City of Lorain has moved forward, implementing several of the recommended actions.

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2023

APA Ohio President's Award This awards is given to an individual in recognition of distinguished contributions in advancing the planning movement in Ohio. This award is not given annually, but is a Board of Trustees led initiative voted on by the APA Ohio Board of Trustees when a nominee is suggested.

Joyce Braverman

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s. Braverman is the Director of Planning for the City of Shaker Heights, but that’s only part of the many reasons we are honoring her. Through her time at Shaker Joyce has united transit-oriented development, parks planning, grant writing, short- and long-term planning, zoning, design guidelines, transit infrastructure, and public participation to transform the city – constantly looking towards a sustainable future.

This includes projects ranging from the massive VanAken District redevelopment to the grass roots community engagement efforts.

Following a Bachelor of Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Public Administration from Cleveland State University Joyce joined the APA in 1980.

Since that time, she has donated countless hours furthering the APA’s efforts in education, legislation, advocacy, empowering new planners, and ensuring we’ve all had fun together along the way! She was on the APA Ohio Board of Trustees from 1994 – 2022 – (28 years!) - serving as President of APA Ohio from 1998-2000. Joyce’s legacy in the Cleveland Chapter’s leadership has shaped the organization and region, and she continues to inspire us all through her insight, motivation, and friendship.

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Norman Krumholz Equity Award This award was newly created in 2021 to recognize a person, policy or community engagement process which exemplifies the professional ideas of Mr. Krumholz, FAICP, a Professor in the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, Planning Director of the City of Cleveland, APA President, author and founder of the concept of equity planning, and life-long champion of advocacy for the poor and powerless in our communities. A strong civil rights advocate, he understood the need for planners in government to work strategically with communities of color and grassroots movements. Awardees demonstrate how achievements and actions further the cause of equity in planning and set new standards and/or push boundaries around the subject of equity.

Kareem Usher

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r. Usher’s accolades are best exemplified in these excerpts from a letter written by Dr. Jennifer Clarke of the Knowlton School recognizing his outstanding record of extensive community outreach and engagement anchored in equity planning. “Though Kareem is a professor in the City and Regional Planning Section of the Knowlton School, he is also a planner embedded in Columbus’ communities, focusing on the nexus of food, the built environment, and social interactions.”

“This nomination is motivated

by Dr. Usher’s well-established, impactful work here in Ohio with the underserved Linden neighborhood. Kareem leads efforts to develop a ‘food processing hub’ that would provide employment for

previously incarcerated persons of color while supporting Ohio State University’s efforts to increase the amount of local and sustainable food served to its students.”

Responsibility, Equality and Dignity (B.R.E.A.D.) a nonprofit coalition of 40 diverse religious congregations in Franklin County. In working with community coalitions beyond the traditional public sector partners, Dr. Usher and his team establish a foundation for sustained and sustainable community outreach.

One juror noted: “Dr. Kareem Usher appears to be one of those rare individuals who is intrigued by complex societal problems and is fully capable of devising unique solutions to those problems. Dr. Usher's success reflects great intelligence, expansive thinking, and compassion for fellow human beings.”

Dr. Usher leads the collaboration between OSU's Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT) and Building

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THE GOLD STANDARD IN OHIO'S NEIGHBORHOODS, PUBLIC SPACES AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

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he biennial awards program honors outstanding physical spaces that planners have made permanent through careful planning and unbridled imagination in Ohio.

The Great Places Awards 2023 designees were selected from submissions for great commercial districts, public places or spaces, and neighborhoods from communities large and small from across the state. The entries represented beautiful designs, inspiring stories, and community-led transformations that honor their unique histories.

Applications were reviewed and scored by members of the Awards Committee of the Ohio APA Board that have representation throughout the state. They evaluated the nominations based on the following criteria: • Character, personality of place • Uniqueness of the place • Special history • How the space is used • Planning initiative • Visual attributes through photographs The following three nominations were selected as the 2023 Great Places in Ohio Award Winners.

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Visit ohioplanning.org/gpo for more information on this year's winners and winners from years past.

Uptown Westerville Lakewood Park

Upper Arlington Historic District

Westerville, Ohio

Lakewood, Ohio

Uptown Westerville is one of the most well-preserved town centers in Ohio. It is home to public anchors including Westerville City Hall, the Public Library, and Otterbein University. Residents, students, and visitors alike are drawn to Uptown because of its inviting scale, colorful history, and the many shops, restaurants, galleries, and other businesses that bring the area to life. In 2019, it earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

The crown jewel of Lakewood, Lakewood Park is a 31-acre lakefront park located on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie. Lakewood Park is a community park in the true sense of the word. It has become a regional destination for visitors with its expansive trail network, greenspace, recreational courts and fields, lakefront promenade, and the most prominent feature of the park: the Solstice Steps.

Commercial District

Since the Uptown Plan’s adoption almost 10 years ago, the district has been thriving, thanks to the efforts of thoughtful City policies, proactive and collaborative planning and infrastructure investment, and numerous partnerships – and today is recognized as a Great Place in Ohio!

Public Space

Upper Arlington, Ohio

Residential Neighborhood

The Upper Arlington Historic District is a premier historic neighborhood that has remained a unique and special place since its inception over 100 years ago.

Upper Arlington was originally planned and developed by two brothers, King and Ben Thompson, who purchased 840 acres of land 1913, designing a community complemented by parks, schools, civic and shopping facilities Lakewood Park was acquired in anchored within a residential area.

1918 for $214,500, with the city Upper Arlington City Manager dump once lying below the park on Steven Schoeny put it best, saying: the shoreline between the 1920s “The Historic District grounds and 1960s. When the dump was us to our past while providing a removed, it created room for more place that connects our community parkland and an extension down today. It shows that timeless to the shoreline. Since that time, designs from 100 years ago can the City has continued to expand bring people together to talk, the park’s amenities, creating a celebrate and become a place that serves people of all ages community when we need to do and abilities. those things more than ever.”

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The APA Ohio sponsorship program is chock-full of opportunities to support APA Ohio and our Sections while showing off your brand and what you believe in. Best of all, we've got an introductory rate.

100% of sponsorship dollars goes right back into our organization.

Support from organizations like you allow us to continue providing quality professional development and networking opportunities to planners across Ohio along with advocating at the state and federal level for issues important to Ohioans.

Questions? Email Christine Davis at info@ohioplanning.org.

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