Cuyahoga County Greenspace Working Group
Greening Neighborhoods and Property Stewardship
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Greenspace Plan
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The fight against urban sprawl will be a losing battle unless we can instill in the urban parts of our County those qualities which will attract people to choose to live within existing neighborhoods. Good schools, convenient shopping and quality housing stock are all important elements to reviving the urban core. People also seek a healthy living environment because of the physical and psychological benefits it provides them and their families. Brownfield sites, dumping, polluted streams, the urban heat island, glare and noise, and deteriorated conditions in the public right-of-way and private property all contribute to the unhealthy image of urban areas.
The intent of an effort to "green-up" the urban parts of the County are to make them more desirable areas to live, work, shop and recreate. The benefits of "greening" the urban parts of the County are many and include:
Mitigating the urban heat island
Landscaping and tree cover moderate changes in temperature and make an area more comfortable in which to live. The shade provide by trees in the summer or windbreaks shrubs can provide in winter can help to alleviate extreme conditions which large areas of asphalt or large buildings can create. Glare and noise can also be reduced through the use of vegetation.Energy savings
Cooler temperatures in the summer require less use of air conditioners and windbreaks in the winter result in less loss of heat.
Trees can improve the aesthetics and mitigate the effects of the urban heat island.Improved aesthetics
Vegetation softens the hard edges of urban environments and can also screen views of undesirable sites such as loading areas or garbage containers. Trees and shrubs can break space up into pedestrian scale units by creating canopies or defining edges of space. The repetitive use of species in a landscape design can help define the character of an area and create a sense of place.Improved property values
First impressions are made at the street. Properties which are more attractive will be worth more to potential buyers.Healthier environment
Trees clean the air and provide oxygen. Reducing runoff creates less impact on our water resources, limiting flooding, erosion and allowing natural processes to work as intended. If we provide the necessary habitat (food, water and cover), wildlife will find it and use it.
Strategies for Greening the urban core of the County will require efforts from both public entities and private property owners.
Public Sector
The public sector should set the example for the private sector to follow. Public facilities
provide ideal starting points for setting examples and gaining support in the larger community
for "greening" our urban areas and using landscaping techniques which complement the local
ecosystem. The public sector has immediate control over:
Streets, Highways and Rapid Transit Right-of-Ways - Tree planting programs and the development of landscaping schemes which use native vegetation for the creation of habitat and the reduction of maintenance should be focused on. Major road reconstruction projects should look beyond simply replacing existing amounts of pavement and should look at right-of-ways as public spaces which serve a number of functions including the movement of numerous modes of transportation.
Government and School Buildings/Facilities - New buildings should serve as prototypes for sustainable site planning and building design. Orienting buildings to take advantage of the sun and wind patterns to minimize heating and cooling requirements, siting buildings to make public transportation more convenient, minimizing changes in site topography and protecting/creating native habitats are examples of techniques which should be employed. The use of materials which are renewable and reduce pollution should also be practiced.
Parks and Gardens - Protecting the condition and ensuring the continued operation of existing parks and gardens as basic assets which are integral to the quality of neighborhood life is fundamental. Usable open spaces should be located within walking distance of each house in urban portions of the County. Where a deficiency is identified, new facilities should be developed.
 Property owners need to take better care of streams that flow through their property so that they may work the way nature intended. |
In addition, public policy and financial support for smarter growth patterns, reclaiming polluted sites, higher levels of green design standards and sustainable building practices are critical.
Private Property
While the public sector has a responsibility to set an example for the type of development which
will make the urbanized parts of the County a more healthy, comfortable and attractive place to
live, work and play, individual property owners and developers are essential partners in this
effort. Examples of actions which can be taken include:
Homeowners - As previously mentioned landscaping and trees can improve aesthetics, comfort levels and energy savings. A focus on the planting of shade trees and the creation of backyard habitats which provide water and also food and shelter through the use of native plants will support wildlife. Increased nutrient enrichment from runoff of fertilized lawns is a leading cause of pollution for the rivers of our area, so the use of fertilizers in a judicious manner is recommended.
Commercial, Industrial, Institutional Uses - Parking can occupy ½ to ¾ of a site. Larger areas of parking lot landscaping, the use of pervious paving materials which reduce water runoff and shared parking arrangements which reduce the amount of parking spaces required are some ways to reduce environmentally negative impacts and improve the look of parking lots. Landscaping designs which use native plants to create habitats for wildlife should be employed and buffer zones should be reserved along watercourses so they may continue to function as intended. Sustainable building and site designs, including the use of rooftops as green areas, should be undertaken.
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