In March of 2022, the CUDC and graduate students in Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design conducted a Community Design Charrette in Cleveland’s MidTown neighborhood. The charrette explored Cleveland’s established and emerging food sectors and discovered new ways for food related-investments to enhance city neighborhoods. Cleveland Central Kitchen and MidTown Cleveland were key charrette partners, helping the charrette team understand and respond to community needs and opportunities.
The students’ work highlights the presence of food-related businesses on Cleveland’s east side and envisions opportunities for business expansion in ways that benefit nearby neighborhoods. The charrette team planned for a complete neighborhood with convenient shopping, appealing parks and green spaces, walkable streets, and a strong sense of identity.
A proposed market plaza across the street from Cleveland Central Kitchen would provide a place for start-up food businesses in the Central Kitchen to sell their products and create a central gathering space for neighborhood residents
A climbing wall, slide, and seating based on the MidTown logo would reinforce the neighborhood’s identity.
The proposed Color Corridor is an appealing pedestrian linkage and public space between Carnegie and Euclid Avenues, connecting the Cleveland Central Kitchen and Euclid Avenue workers and residents through to Gallucci's Italian Foods & Market, E. 66th Street, and the vineyards at Chateau Hough.
Public art along the Color Corridor would create a lively pedestrian experience.
Community residents and local stakeholders offered input into the charrette process. The charrette team worked closely with MidTown Cleveland and Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation to align their ideas with existing neighborhood plans.
For more information, please download the final charrette report, Designing the Food Economy.
Special thanks to our partners for their help with the charrette: Cleveland Central Kitchen, MidTown, Inc. Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, and Angie’s Soul Cafe. We’re also grateful to NAOIP Commercial Real Estate Development Association Northern Ohio and The 4M Company for their financial support of the charrette.
