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Clevelanders were invited to share their opinions during the summer of 2023 in a variety of ways which are highlighted below. The variety of engagement formats spanned geographic, language, and other accessibility barriers to capture as great a diversity of voices as possible, particularly from those traditionally disengaged from the planning process.

Community Engagement Activity Locations. Source: OLIN, 2023.

Open Houses

In July of 2023, over 150 participants attended four public open houses–at Gunning Park, Zelma Watson George, and Thurgood Marshall Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Centers and at the South Branch of the Cleveland Public Library. The open houses took place in different neighborhoods throughout the city and were scheduled at varying times throughout the day allowing residents to attend the open house that fit best within their schedule.

At the open houses, a series of boards in English and Spanish were set up for participants to explore at their own pace. Informational boards provided maps and statistics about the parks and recreation system and the planning process. At input boards, participants voted for their preferred choices and wrote in their own ideas. City staff and members of the planning team provided clarifications, answered questions, and listened to participants’ concerns and ideas–also in both English and Spanish. Youth-tailored activities engaged the city’s youngest parks and recreation users. Light meals from local establishments were provided. Outreach in advance of meetings included a press release, posters distributed to neighborhood resource and recreation centers, flyers distributed in neighborhoods around the open houses, emails, and social media announcements.

Open House at Gunning Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Open House at Gunning Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Youth activities during the open house at Gunning Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Open House at Zelma Watson George Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Council Member Gray at the open house at Zelma Watson George Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Open House at Zelma Watson George Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Open House at Gunning Recreation Center. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Division of Recreation Commissioner Sam Gissentaner being interviewed at the Gunning Recreation Center Open House.
Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Council Member Slife at the Gunning Recreation Center Open House. Source: Sylven Lamar Edwards, 2023.

Open house boards included opportunities for residents to write in their own ideas.
Source: Miracle Walker for LaunchArts Media, 2023.

Pop-Ups at Existing Community Events

Tables were set up at Mohican Park during a senior walk hosted by the Department of Aging and at a Trust for Public Land event in midtown. These events provided spontaneous opportunities for gathering feedback and to inform the community about the plan.

Pop-Up at the Department of Aging's Wednesday Walks at Mohican Park.

Pop-Up in Midtown with the Trust for Public Land.

Pop-Up in Midtown with the Trust for Public Land.

Youth Workshops

There are approximately 67,000 school-aged children in Cleveland. To encourage participation from the next generation of park and recreation stewards, teens at Camp Forbes participated in workshops during their summer camp sessions, and students at Lincoln-West High School and at Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Center participated in workshops to prototype their ideal park and recreation facilities and identify what could be improved.

Prototyping an ideal park at Lincoln-West
High School. Source: Design Explorr, 2023.

Prototyping an ideal park at Lincoln-West
High School. Source: DesignExplorr, 2023.

Identifying most and least important park and recreation facilities at Camp Forbes. Source: OLIN, 2023.

Prototyping an ideal park at Camp Forbes. Source: Design Explorr, 2023.

Youth workshop attendees were asked to identify what they liked about their park and recreation facilities and what they would do to improve them.
Source: DesignExplorr, 2023.

Youth workshop attendees were asked to identify what they liked about their park and recreation facilities and what they would do to improve them.
Source: DesignExplorr, 2023.

Youth workshop attendees were asked to identify what they liked about their park and recreation facilities and what they would do to improve them.
Source: DesignExplorr, 2023.

Youth workshop attendees were asked to identify what they liked about their park and recreation facilities and what they would do to improve them.
Source: DesignExplorr, 2023.

Meetings with Local Neighborhood Groups and Organizations

Over the month of August 2023, neighborhood conversation kits were distributed to 11 neighborhood groups to host their own discussions about parks and recreation. Each group used the kit to host its own meeting and submitted photo, video, and written documentation of the meeting. Small grants were provided to cover refreshments or other resources for participants. The kits were also made available to all City Council members.

Participant from Ben Franklin Community Garden sharing their favorite parks and recreation facility.

Meeting with Southeast Cleveland Resource Center.

Participant from Cleveland Neighbors sharing their favorite parks and recreation memory.

Dear Cleveland Parks and Recreation,

I really love you and would like for our relationship to expand. Creating a space for indoor swimming, paved trails, roller skating rinks and a facility to exercise would help to enhance and contribute to the growth of our relationship. I’m in it to win it . . . and hope you are too. Let’s make it happen . . . soon!

With love,

City Resident

I would like for you to come into the 21st century and provide the service’s we need for a world-class city.

Sincerely,

Hough Resident

I love you so much, you have kept me from so much trouble and I want you to know how much you mean to me.

With love,

St. Claire-Superior Resident

You’ve been there for me ever since I was young, giving me a space to play, make friends, and create new memories with my own children & family. I must say, overtime you haven’t changed much but the world around you has and I’m afraid if you’re not willing to grow and adapt with the rest of us you’ll be a memory of the past

Sincerely,

St. Clair-Superior Resident

How fondly I remember so many activities, days, crafts, skills that were fostered through my rec center growing up. I learned to swim which got me my first job. I tried sports and built endurance and overcame challenges. I was able to sail on a tall ship and learned how critically we need to care for our natural resources. I haven’t experienced this in the last few decades. I’ve tried and I’ll keep trying and hoping. These memories shaped me and I hope there are more of these for others.

With love,

Old Brooklyn Resident

I think you have a ton of potential but you don’t always give me what I need or want…I’m looking forward to more organization, more engagement, and more oversight. I hope you get the help you need.

Sincerely,

Buckeye-Woodhill-Shaker Square Resident

Please keep improving each of your parks to serve the community. As a child I have fond memories walking, playing, and watching rec league baseball games. I learned tennis at Luke Easter. These parks can continue to be spaces where memories are made and skills are learned.

With love,

Buckeye-Woodhill-Shaker Square Resident

City and Partner Organization Interviews

Small group interviews provided an opportunity to hear from advocacy organizations, user groups, and city departments about the way they use or interact with parks and recreation in Cleveland and the needs they have for parks and recreation moving forward. These interviews highlighted departmental perspectives, challenges working within existing government structures, and opportunities to leverage Clevelanders’ passion for parks.

Partner Organizations

City of Cleveland

  • Cleveland Metropolitan School District
  • Cleveland Metroparks
  • Trust for Public Land
  • Western Reserve Land Conservancy
  • Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
  • Greater Cleveland Partnership
  • Downtown Cleveland Alliance
  • Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
  • Canalway Partners
  • America SCORES
  • Cleveland Plays
  • Muny Football
  • Refugee Response
  • St. Ignatius Soccer
  • Old Brooklyn Baseball
  • B-Buzz Baseball
  • LAND Studio
  • Case Western Reserve University Pickleball Club
  • Holden Parks Trust
  • MOCAP
    • Division of Architecture and Site Development
  • Public Works
    • Division of Recreation
    • Division of Park Maintenance & Properties
      • Urban Forestry
      • Cemeteries
      • Rockefeller Park Greenhouse
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Youth & Family Success
    • Office of Prevention, Intervention, and Opportunity for Youth & Young Adults
    • Department of Aging
  • Community Relations Board
  • Land Bank
  • Department of Public Health
  • City Planning Commission
  • Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
  • Council President Griffin
  • Council Members Bishop, Gray, Howse-Jones, Kazy, Maurer, McCormack, Polensek, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Starr

What We Heard

My favorite Cleveland parks and recreation memory is:

my kids playing in sam miller park. We live near the park so i can watch them from my porch. also, the park would often host the glenville festival.

As a kid, i went through luke easter everyday to go somewhere. I played baseball during the summer and tons of football. It was a beautiful period of my life. The park is a true jewel.

as a child, my grandfather and i would use luke easter as a makeshift driving range. it made me look at the large green space through a different lens. it made me realize there was some untapped opportunity.

walking to kerruish park alone as a kid was my first taste of independence. When i had kids, we spent all of our time there because there were tons of frogs and butterflys to catch.

Spending all summer going from Benji Garden, then Benjamin Franklin school playground to set up swings and play on equipment, then to Loew Pool swimming on hot days!

My visits along the lake are by far my favorite moments…The morning quiet and calm and for the most part a shared respect of the area. Countless visits; unique each time.

What does Cleveland do well in parks and recreation?

When the city renovates recreation centers, they do a really good job.

– Neighborhood meeting participant from Hough

many communities have walkable parks, which is great to have close to home!

– Open house participant at Gunning

Cleveland believes in the importance of green space and access to it.

– Online survey participant from Near West Cleveland

Striving to improve and maintain equity throughout the city.

– Online survey participant from Near East Cleveland

locally “programmed” activities – athletic leagues.

– Open house participant at South Branch Library

The number of both [parks & rec centers] is incredible bravo!!

– Online survey participant from Northeast Cleveland

I like that older facilities are kept up and running, like Halloran Park, places that give a flavor to the neighborhood they serve. I also like that a lot of the bigger parks are on bus lines.

– Online survey participant from Far West Cleveland

Lots of basketball and grills. Basketball courts improve mental health & stress relief.

– Neighborhood meeting participant from St. Clair Superior

There playgrounds and pools everywhere. We are accessible because we are free.

– Online survey participant from Southeast

Describe Cleveland parks and recreation in three words.

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