Urban Design

BCbD works to transform neighborhoods by influencing the design of the public realm (streets, sidewalks, parks) and how they interact with buildings. Through human-scale design, BCbD hopes to encourage people to walk and explore their surroundings, rather than drive. City infrastructure, including streets, street lights, sidewalks and sewers, can also be designed to work with – rather than against – nature. Management of rainfall, in particular, has become a critical issue as flooding becomes more frequent throughout the region. BCbD has partnered with local government agencies and municipalities, helping them train their staffs in sustainable techniques and remove legislative obstacles to making Cleveland greener.

Related Projects

Sustainable Building and Design

BCbD works with public agencies and private developers to enhance the sustainability of their projects. One of its primary tools for doing so is helping projects obtain certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) rating system. LEED ND aims to encourage healthy living, reduce urban sprawl, and protect threatened species while creating walkable, lively neighborhoods. BCbD has served as a LEED-ND consultant for the Flats East Bank project, which was a pilot project of the new system. We are also working with additional projects in the Ohio City and Slavic Village neighborhoods that are striving to obtain this certification. BCbD is also focused on devising policies to help retrofit Cleveland’s large existing building stock to be more energy efficient. In 2010, BCbD was selected as part of a team that will establish a program to help City residents finance energy improvements to their homes through their utility bills.