Planting the Flag - Market Square Park
If you’ve visited this neighborhood to shop at the West Side Market or have had dinner in one of the many restaurants, you have likely seen this flag, and probably didn’t think much about it. Throughout this tour you will take a closer look at things that are easy to walk right past, without considering why they’re here. Today this neighborhood is widely known as Ohio City, but many people don’t realize this is the result of a rebranding campaign in the 1990’s. To the people who have lived here for decades, this will always be The Near West Side. The effort to redefine the neighborhood can be symbolized by the flags you see planted around Market Square Park. Although this is just one spot where you can see the Ohio City flag on display, it is a staple symbol that can be seen outside businesses and homes. Why do we plant flags? When nations “discover” new land they wish to claim, they plant a flag. When new “up and coming” neighborhoods are “discovered” by real estate developers, they often invite new residents to “settle” in the area. The language of colonization has been used for decades to describe neighborhoods in Cleveland, New York City, and other cities with booming real estate markets. The Near West Side has been commodified, gentrified and colonized, with the Ohio City flag becoming recognized as an elite or exclusive aesthetic.
Isn't It Nice? - Irishtown Bend
Since 2017, governmental and nonprofit partners have attempted to stabilize the hillside of Irishtown Bend and build a 23-acre park. Not only are they planning on developing the 23 acres, but they plan on completing and connecting regional trails like the Redline Greenway and the Towpath Trail. The creation of new parks and green spaces is often widely celebrated; afterall, who doesn’t love parks? As Dr. Mark Mussman of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition often says, the response to these types of developments is often, “Well isn’t that nice?” Of course it is. This park will likely create access to green space for many people who don’t currently have it. However, this development has resulted in the displacement of already existing camps for the completion of the project, leading many to be forced to leave and relocate for shelter. Relocation of the 20+ people who were experiencing homelessness living on the riverbed was expected to cost around $18,000, which was not a part of the original $49 million (now $60 million) cost of the stabilization project. Because they were not considered residents, those living on the riverbed were not entitled to financial assistance for relocation. Irishtown Bend development is an example of green gentrification, which is the process of raising property values and rents by increasing desirability through developing and improving green spaces and areas. Other examples of this can be found in North Collinwood, where Euclid Beach Mobile Home Park residents are being forced out of their homes to make way for a new metropark. In the St. Clair neighborhood, anti-hunger activists are being asked to stop feeding people in public green spaces and in many other neighborhoods throughout Cleveland. These efforts are a collaboration of parks systems, city and county government agencies, community development corporations, and other land-holding nonprofit organizations.
Death of Affordable Housing - Franklin Circle
Here, we can see in the background a view of the Lakeview Terrace, one of the three buildings first approved as public housing developments in US, built in the 1930s to house immigrants and bring them out of abject poverty. This building has long been regarded as a landmark, and was visited by First Lady Eleanore Roosevelt upon completion. Lakeview Terrace had the first community center in a public housing project and utilized decorative arts, a first in public housing as well. In the foreground we can see a new development, The Dexter, in which a 1,086 square foot apartment starts at $2,599 per month. You’ll notice the Shoreway dividing one neighborhood from the other; highways are one of many ways infrastructure has historically been used to segregate Black neighborhoods, during redlining and beyond. With just a 3 minute drive between the two locations, it’s easy to see how development priorities have shifted, from the promise of affordable housing, to the reality of housing as a commodity in Cleveland today.
Not in My Back Yard - Site of Future Youth Drop-In Center
The Youth Drop-In Center at the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) will serve anyone from the ages of 16 to 24 who is experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness through a variety of services. The drop-in center will provide services such as laundry, clothing, hot showers, meals, and personal hygiene products and will provide a safe and comfortable place for young adults. It is not a shelter; however, they will provide housing placement assistance/housing support, case management, behavioral health care, and benefits assistance. Many near west side residents welcome the teens, holding true to the neighborhood’s long history of welcoming immigrants, unhoused people and other folks in need of social services. However, a few vocal neighbors have exhibited a “not in my backyard” (or “NIMBY”) mentality toward young adults seeking services and community connection. Although LMM has been granted a variance approval by the Board of Zoning Appeals, a lawsuit has been filed by NIMBY neighbors in an attempt to prevent the Youth Drop-In Center from opening. This space has historically provided health and wellness services, but until the lawsuit is settled, it cannot reopen as a youth drop-in center. To show support for LMM and the teens who are organizing the fight for their rights, you can follow @LMMCleveland on social media to be kept up to date on the latest developments. You can also express your support publically through your own social media posts!
Hostile Architecture - Carnegie West Library
Hostile architecture, sometimes referred to as “anti-homeless architecture,” is an urban-design strategy that's sole purpose is to prevent or restrict certain behaviors, often targeting unhoused people. At the Carnegie West Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, we see benches with multiple arm rests that act as seat dividers. These dividers are designed to prevent people from lying down and sleeping, forcing those who use the bench to sit upright. These benches were put in place some 20 years ago, serving as a prime example of hostile architecture. However, hostile architecture is on the rise in the last decade as Cleveland becomes more and more gentrified, including the use of spikes, boulders, and even loud speakers blasting jarring music, to discourage people from being in the area for a prolonged amount of time. Another thing you’ll notice, looking around this intersection, are patrons of nearby bars and restaurants who are permitted to drink in public. Unhoused people, on the other hand, if they are reported for openly drinking in this park, are often ticketed or arrested. This can lead to jail time, preventing people from making advancements in their housing plans and prolonging their homelessness.
