City Architecture

05/22/2026

Preservation does not always happen at the scale of a single building. It can be about reconnecting an entire place. In Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the transformation of Front Street focused on restoring the role of downtown as a center of community life. Like many downtowns, the area had experienced years of change that left it less connected and less active than it once was. The work along Front Street rethought how people move through and experience the district.

Through streetscape improvements, public spaces, and coordinated investment across multiple sites, the project helped create a more walkable and inviting environment. City Architecture was part of a broader team contributing to this effort and supporting the overall vision for downtown.

Today, Front Street is active again, with events, businesses, and public life returning to the corridor. It has been recognized as one of Ohio’s “Great Places,” reflecting the impact of sustained, collaborative investment.

Preservation is not just about holding onto the past. It is about creating the conditions for people to gather, connect, and shape what comes next.

05/21/2026

Preservation is not just about buildings. It is about what we choose to carry forward, and who gets to be part of it. In Over-the-Rhine, that conversation is ongoing. One of the most intact historic urban neighborhoods in the country, it has seen decades of disinvestment followed by significant reinvestment, and continues to navigate the balance between preserving its character and expanding who has access to live, work, and belong there.

Mercer Commons is part of that story. The project brought new life to a collection of long-vacant properties, combining the restoration of historic buildings with new construction across two city blocks. Historic facades were carefully restored, while new buildings were designed to relate to the existing fabric, continuing the rhythm and scale of the neighborhood and supporting a mix of housing types and uses.

Today, the site is active again, with residents, businesses, and public spaces reconnecting to the street. In a neighborhood like Over-the-Rhine, projects like this are part of a larger conversation about access, affordability, and who benefits as change happens. That tension is real, and it is part of what makes this work matter.

05/20/2026

Preservation is not only about restoring buildings. It can also be about restoring a sense of place. In Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood, the Pivot Center sits on a block with a complicated history. For years, this stretch of Seymour Avenue was defined by trauma that shaped how people saw the area and how the community saw itself.

The Pivot Center takes a different approach. Housed within a former industrial complex, it brings together arts organizations, social services, and community-based groups under one roof, creating space for collaboration, creativity, and support. There is intention behind how the building works. With many organizations sharing the space, visitors can move through it without being defined by why they are there, supporting privacy and dignity while still providing access to resources.

Today, the Pivot Center is part of an ongoing effort to shift how this place is experienced, not by ignoring its past, but by building something alongside it that reflects the strength and creativity of the community.

Preservation here is not just about what was saved. It is about what is now possible.

05/19/2026

Preservation often starts with a small group of people who refuse to let something go. In Nelsonville, Ohio, that meant former students working to save their old high school. After it closed in 1993, the building sat vacant and fell into disrepair. A local foundation formed to hold onto it, raising what they could through small fundraisers just to keep it standing.

At the same time, Nelsonville faced a growing need for quality, affordable housing. What followed took years of coordination and partnership. The result is Nelsonville School Commons, where the historic buildings were restored and transformed into 33 apartment homes.

Many original features remain. Classrooms became living spaces, with chalkboards, millwork, and corridors carried into a new chapter. At the grand opening, one of the project’s early advocates reflected on an old school motto: “We finish to begin.”

It is a simple line, but it captures something essential about preservation. Not just saving a building, but making sure it can continue to serve the people who care about it most.

05/18/2026

“All people are created equal.”

That’s the theme of this year’s Preservation Month, and a reminder that the places we choose to preserve say a lot about who we value and whose stories we carry forward.

League Park holds more than a century of Cleveland history. Built in 1891, it was home to the Cleveland Spiders, the Indians, and the Negro League Buckeyes. Legends played here, and records were set here, including Babe Ruth’s 500th home run. But beyond those moments, it was a neighborhood place. A gathering space in Hough where community life unfolded alongside the game.

That neighborhood has its own history, shaped by disinvestment, by moments like the Hough Riots, and by decades of change that left places like League Park disconnected from the people around them. Over time, the stadium was dismantled, the site closed off, and what remained sat in disrepair, physically present but no longer part of daily life.

The work at League Park focused on restoring what remained and reopening it. Today, the historic elements are still there, and so is the life around them. The field is active again, the paths are used, and the park is part of the neighborhood once more.

Preservation is not just about history. It is about access, memory, and belonging, and making sure more people can see themselves in the story going forward.

05/18/2026

Two days, two ribbon-cuttings, one shared purpose.

We were proud to celebrate Woodhill Station East in Cleveland and Summit Lake NorthShore Park in Akron this weekend, projects rooted in community vision and brought to life through sustained partnership and investment.

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority | The Community Builders | City of Cleveland - City Hall | Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition | City of Akron, Ohio - Mayor's Office

05/13/2026

We are proud to support the APA Cleveland Planning & Zoning Workshop once again this year! Alex and Krysta are looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow and learning more about all the great work happening in our region!

We've posted quite a bit about our sessions, the workshop in general, and what to expect when you get there, but today we wanted to take the time to say thank you.

Thank you to our generous sponsors who keep P&Z going year in and year out.

This year's P&Z sponsors are:

Event Sponsors:
Envision, ms consultants, inc., and Verdantas

Keynote Sponsor:
ZoneCo

Meal Sponsors:
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, Bricker Graydon Wyatt, and Levin College of Public Affairs and Education

After Hours Sponsor:
OHM Advisors (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.)

Room Sponsors:
BEHNKE Landscape Architecture, City Architecture, HDR, and Kleinfelder

Thank you again to all our sponsors for supporting the Greater Cleveland flagship planning event of the year!

05/01/2026

Plans only matter if they lead to action.

The Broadway TOD Plan continues to move forward through the City’s review process, building on recent milestones and ongoing coordination with project partners.

The plan brings together transportation, land use, and market strategy into a shared vision for the future of the corridor. It reflects the voices of residents, the work of many partners, and a long-term commitment to getting this right.

We’re grateful to the Slavic Village Development Corporation, the City of Cleveland, and the many partners and residents who shaped this work.

This is where planning turns into possibility.

Broadway is on the move.

.usa Boulevard Studios and Urban Partners

04/30/2026

There is already more happening along Broadway than people often realize.

Residents in and around the corridor are spending significant dollars every year, much of it leaving the area due to limited local options. That represents both a challenge and a real opportunity.

The plan outlines a path to build on that existing activity. It starts with early, visible investments that build confidence, followed by steady growth that supports more housing, retail, and services over time.

Momentum matters.

The goal is not overnight change. It is creating the conditions where investment can build on itself in a lasting way.

Broadway is on the move.

and Urban Partners

04/29/2026

Broadway is not one place. It changes block by block.

The plan responds to this by identifying a series of development nodes along the corridor. These are places where investment, activity, and access to transit can come together in a meaningful way.

Each node builds on what already exists, while creating opportunities for new housing, local businesses, and public life.

At East 55th and Broadway, the plan recognizes one of Cleveland’s most intact historic intersections and elevates it as a priority place for thoughtful growth.

Growth works best when it builds on what is already there.

This approach allows the corridor to evolve without losing what makes it distinct.

Broadway is on the move.