Public access to the waterfront and outdoor greenspaces is vital to the social fabric of a community and to individuals’ health and well-being. Ohio lakes and rivers provide space for recreation, social gatherings, and simply a place to cool off.

Yet, 90 percent of Cuyahoga County’s shoreline is inaccessible to everyone except for private businesses and residents privileged enough to live near the lake. Both social and physical barriers have prevented residents, especially in low-income communities, from interacting with our region’s greatest asset—the water. How can lakefront cities leverage development and land use policy to make waterfront access more for equitable for all?

Over the last several years, three Ohio cities – Euclid, Sandusky, and Cleveland – have taken steps to increase waterfront access: Euclid recently completed the first part of the city’s lakefront trail as part of its Waterfront Improvement Plan. Sandusky invested millions into the Jackson Street Pier and new bikeway. Cleveland transformed Edgewater Park, constructed the Whiskey Island Bridge, and plans to activate the riverfront at Irishtown Bend.

Join the City Club of Cleveland in-person with Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Sandusky City Manager Eric Wobser, and Cleveland City Planning Director Freddy Collier as we discuss the challenges and opportunities in waterfront access.

This forum is presented in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. It is part of a series of discussions, held during the Lincoln Institute’s 75th anniversary year, exploring the role of land policy in addressing society’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. The Lincoln Institute is engaging in these discussions in Cleveland as part of the Legacy Cities Initiative, which supports a national network of community and government leaders working to create shared prosperity in cities transitioning from former industrial economies.

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