Believe It or Not: Planning and the Art of Transportation - Bitly

America’s First Statewide Association of Citizens & Planners Fall 2014 Volume 64, Number 4

Ohio

Believe It or Not: Planning and the Art of Transportation

December 5, 2014 Miami Valley P&Z Workshop Location: Sinclair Community College, Dayton

Robert Ripley and the Ripley’s Believe it or Not team of researchers traveled the globe in search of “strange and unusual” events and items. One of the over 20,000 photographs in its collection was taken in 1914 in the city of West Carrollton. The photo, dubbed “The Five Modes of Transportation,” showed what was thought to be the only place in the country where five modes of transportation came together: river (Great Miami), canal (Miami & Erie), interurban (Dayton Traction Co.), train (Baltimore & Ohio), and highway (Cincinnati Pike). In planning terms, this spot was an early “intermodal” facility!

calendar

December 5, 2014 Planning Webcast Series Session: Recent Changes to the National Flood Insurance Program Location: www.utah-apa.org/webcasts

By Gregory S. Gaines, AICP

December 5, 2014 APA Cincinnati/APA KY R4 Holiday Party Location: Hyatt Regency, Cincinnati December 8, 2014 AICP Exam Scholarship Application Due December 22, 2014 Healthy Communities Grant Proposals Due December 30, 2014 Spring 2015 AICP Exam Application Deadline January 30, 2015 Cincinnati P&Z Workshop Location: Anderson Center, Anderson Center Twp May 4-18, 2015 Spring 2015 AICP Exam Testing Window

http://www.mcohio.org/services/ced/art_cultural.html This 1914 photo showed the only place where the river, canal, train, interurban, air, and highway came together in the country.

This iconic image within West Carrollton’s heritage encountered opportunity in 2009. That year two events crossed paths: the City adopted a new Comprehensive Plan with a vision to become a “destination city,” and the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District (MCACD) solicited applications for grant funding to support public art and cultural projects. City officials immediately recognized the opportunity to establish a work of art that would serve as a distinctive landmark attraction in support of the new Comprehensive Plan. The good news: the City was awarded a grant by the MCACD to support the creation of a public mural at a major gateway entrance to the community. Believe It or Not continued on page 3

September 23-25, 2015 2015 Ohio Planning Conference Location: Grand Plaza Hotel, Toledo

For a full list of events, visit www.ohioplanning.org/events. The Ohio Planner’s News

inside Last Word ..................................................................................2

Equitable Solutions to Resolve Disputes..............13

AICP Exam Prep 3.0 Released .......................................4

Value of a Design Consultant......................................15

Green Roof Installed at OSU .........................................5

Because We Plan Launches .........................................17

2015 State Conference Spotlight ..............................8

AICP Exam Scholarship ...................................................19

MVRPC Receives Bikeway Map Awards.................11

Ohio Planners in the News ......................................... 20

APA Ohio Election Results..................... ..................... 12

Ohio Section News .......................................................... 22

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Fall 2014 • Vol 64 • No 4

Ohio

The Ohio Planner’s News a publication of the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association America’s First Statewide Organization of Citizens & Planners

last word

PO Box 4085 Copley OH 44321 Volume 64, Number 4 Fall 2014

This is my last First Word! I will keep it brief. I, along with many of you, attended the 2014 Ohio Kentucky Indiana (OKI) Regional Planning Conference in Lexington, KY on October 1-3. It was a great conference, and provided opportunities for Ohio planners to connect with and learn from planners from Kentucky and Indiana. As usual, keynote speaker Mitch Silver, FAICP offered excellent insights into the world of planning. He also revealed the mind boggling fact that his capital budget as the New York City Parks Commissioner is over a billion (that is not a typo—it is a “b”) dollars annually. Please mark your calendars for the APA Ohio 2015 Planning Conference. Our statewide conference will be held in Toledo on September 23-25. The conference planning committee, led by Northwest Ohio Section Director Patrick Etchie, is already hard at work creating another great program for you. As planners, we are constantly learning and expanding our knowledge base. This learning process often occurs in a classroom setting at workshops and conferences, but it also occurs when we experience “real life” projects. The latter is particularly true for our citizen planners, community officials and residents. This is the impetus behind the new APA Ohio campaign—“Because We Plan.” As announced in the last newsletter, “Because We Plan” is an effort to share the positive outcomes of planning activities across the state of Ohio with our constituents. The chapter board felt that the name APA Ohio lacked sufficient identity to create a strong awareness of planning outside of our members. What does APA Ohio do? What is the benefit of planning to our communities? The vital message the organization should be shouting from the rooftops is that because we plan, good things happen. The goal of this effort is to create a simple and effective way of telling the planning story as well as rallying greater support and interest in planning by citizens, allied professionals, and both local and state officials. As we collect stories and images, we will be sharing them with everyone through the website, newsletter, and social media. You can look for the chapter on Twitter now @BecauseWePlan (APA Ohio). Both members and nonmembers alike are encouraged to use #BecauseWePlan in social media postings, blogs, and other forums to talk about great planning projects and the beneficial results.

Board of Trustees Ann Klavora, AICP, President Todd Kinskey, AICP, Vice President Nancy Reger, AICP, Secretary Rachel Ray, AICP, Treasurer Joyce Braverman Kelly Brooker Scocco Roxyanne Burrus Tim Davis David Edelman, PhD, FAICP Jerry Egan Marianne Eppig Patrick Etchie, AICP Kris Hopkins, AICP Kyle Ezell, AICP Dan Kennedy Katherine Keough-Jurs, AICP Wendy Moeller, AICP Vince Papsidero, FAICP Chris Ronayne, AICP Eric Wagner, AICP Kim Wenger, AICP Jordan Yin, PhD, AICP

Staff Christine Dersi Davis, Executive Director phone: 330-814-6295 e-mail: [email protected]

APA Ohio Holiday Closings: The APA Ohio offices will be closed December 16-25.

For more information and to submit a story and image, please visit www. ohioplanning.org/becauseweplan. It is hard to believe, but time has really gone by quickly. I am honored to have served as President of APA Ohio. I have enjoyed a great working relationship with the rest of the Board of Directors and am excited about the things that we have accomplished. Moving forward, I am confident that Todd Kinskey will be a great President for APA Ohio. Express Yourself In the OPN!

I wish you all happy holidays! Ann Klavora, AICP is Principal Planner at the City of Shaker Heights and APA Ohio President. She can be reached at [email protected].

The Ohio Planner’s News

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The Ohio Planner’s News is published quarterly. Visit our website to see article submission guidelines, and to submit your article!

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Believe It or Not continued from page 1

The bad news: the timing of the award coincided with the onset of the Great Recession, which meant that the MCACD grant was less than requested and city funds were severely limited. As a result, City officials and a volunteer mural committee embarked on a creative and unique fundraising journey to bring this project to fruition. An SOS was issued to the community via all available media, resulting in over 20 corporate donations and dozens of financial and in-kind contributions from local organizations and individuals. Funds were also raised from a wine tasting event, selling discount cards, and a raffle contest in which the winner would have his/her image included in the mural! A variety of potential canvases for the mural were considered, but only one offered the scale, visibility, and exposure necessary for a destination attraction: a 48’H x 60’D city water tower. The tower is located on the southern boundary of the city on State Route 725 which serves 27,000 vehicles per day, just west of I-75 Exit 44 and the bustling Dayton Mall commercial area. Eric Henn, an internationally-renowned mural artist residing only 12 miles down the road in Franklin, Ohio, was hired to create and paint the mural. His 20 years of experience in painting murals which reflect the unique history of a community, with a specialty in painting water towers, was an ideal fit for this project. The mural committee suggested that Mr. Henn use “The Five Modes of Transportation” photo as the basis for the mural, while incorporating other themes from the city’s proud history including the Wright Seaplane Model G “aeroboat” first tested by Orville Wright in the Great Miami River; Woody’s Little Farm, a regional attraction for more than 50 years; and a Friend Paper Company vehicle honoring the city’s origins as a paper mill town. The finishing touch was placing the raffle contest winners in period garb in front of the Woody’s stand. Gregory Gaines, AICP, is the Director of City Planning at the City of West Carrollton. He can be reached at [email protected].


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AICP Exam Prep 3.0 Has Arrived The new AICP Exam Prep 3.0 product addresses the entire exam content outline. It is 100 percent web-based, so you can access it anywhere you have a web browser and access to the Internet. Features include: • Content from selected PAS QuickNotes, the Journal of the American Planning Association, and Zoning Practice, so you don’t have to purchase those publications. • Over 50 lessons/sections on topics that cover the entire exam content •12 hours of streaming video and PowerPoints on 51 topics in 8-15 minute lessons that are easy to review and understand. • 4.5 hours of streaming video of ethics sessions at APA’s 2013 National Planning Conference. • Content organized into six modules based on the exam content outline. • Sample questions from: retired questions from the actual AICP exam, Exam Prep Package 2.0, AICP staff, and AICP Exam Prep 3.0 work group. All questions for all sources were reviewed and if needed, improved, by former AICP Exam Committee members. Questions are provided in three different forms: • Assessment exam to determine areas of weakness and strength to inform study plan • Pop-up questions at the end of each video lesson to reinforce learning • Timed practice exam with 170 questions delivered in the actual format to simulate your exam-day experience • Searchable glossary with thousands of definitions from A Planners Dictionary and the AICP Exam Prep 3.0 Glossary Workgroup. • Access to a discussion forum to interact with other students and course faculty. •Tips on how to approach scenario and multi-part questions. The faculty for and contributors to AICP Exam Prep 3.0 included planners from around the U.S. in the public, private, and academic sectors. Among them were: • Experienced Professional Development Officers who offer AICP exam prep on the chapter level. • Faculty from Georgia Tech, the University of North Carolina, and Louisiana State University. • Attorneys who specialize in land use and zoning law. • AICP members with Advanced Specialty Certification in transportation planning and environmental planning. • Fellows of AICP. This new online product is just one of the resources APA offers candidates for certification. Our suggested five-step approach to exam prep is laid out at https://www.planning.org/certification/examprep/. It includes suggested readings, 60 sample questions, a simulated exam, and test-taking tips. Note: The application window for the May 2015 exam will open on December 2, 2014.


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Green Roof Installed at OSU’s Howlett Hall By John Woods

The Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States, is dedicated to advancing education, research and innovation in sustainable energy and the environment. It supports “campus as a test-bed” activities, in which the university is a resource for testing and improving new industrial technologies; helping faculty teams to obtain research funding; improving campus operations; and engaging students in cutting-edge sustainability science. A landmark example of the campus as “living laboratory” is the Howlett Hall Green Roof, the first publicly accessible green roof on campus and a part of the university’s 60-acre, public Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens. The installation was completed in the fall of 2013 and, as the first retrofit green roof on campus, serves as a demonstration of the benefits of green retrofitting. The 12,000-square-foot green roof was installed in August and September on the back of Howlett Hall, over the building’s extended ground floor.

Previously, the roof was accessible through a first-floor conference room, which had been built with a doorway to allow people to step out onto the roof. The roof was originally designed to house a greenhouse since the building was dedicated in 1967, according to Mary Maloney, the director of Chadwick. The old roof — a tar and chip surface that was hot and unattractive, as well as an under-utilized space — was leaking, blighted and in general disrepair and required a full replacement. Ohio State provided a plan to place the green roof, a goal of the arboretum for many years, on top of the new roof as soon as it was installed. NBBJ’s landscape architects participated in an open design charrette that included more than twenty designers, allied professionals, horticulture advocates and academic representatives. Ultimately the arboretum went through an interview process, after which NBBJ was hired to design the green Green Roof continued on page 6


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Green Roof continued from page 5

roof and develop construction documents. Working closely with the Chadwick Arboretum’s steering team and the university, NBBJ developed design options for a long-term build-out of the roof, along with phasing strategies. Initial concepts explored how the space could create outdoor rooms which would provide extensive and intensive roof garden prototypes, along with structures for a variety of green walls that could be analyzed and experimented with over time. The roof design provides pathways, gathering areas and a series of planting beds that have since been visited weekly by the public and students at OSU and nearby middle schools. Once the new conventional roof was completed in August, work began on the green roof. First, the new roof’s membrane was covered with a heavy-duty protection fabric, then by an aggregate drainage layer. Existing drains were replaced with new fittings. Then, about 4-6 inches of lightweight growing medium, engineered specifically for green roofs, was added and mounded in some areas to add interest to the rooftop landscape, along with circular walking paths. The plants were planted in September and include many droughttolerant species: Blue Fescue, Geum Tangerine, Coreopsis, Achillea “Terra Cotta” (Yarrow), Black-eyed Susan, Talinum calycinum, Prairie Dropseed, Lavender, Allium cernuum, Sempervivum Black (Hens & Chicks), Thyme (four varieties) and Sedum Carpet (14 varieties). Chadwick Arboretum raised more than $400,000 for the green roof project through donations and grants, including one from the EPA. The green roof itself cost about $200,000, with an additional $50,000 for the new guardrail and another $100,000 in pre-construction design and engineering. With its completion in September, the roof has become a beautiful garden respite with several sustainable benefits: • The mitigation of 200,000 gallons of polluted stormwater from the Olentangy River each year • Reduced heating and cooling costs for the food science pilot plant below the roof • Additional biological diversity in the urban environment from insects, birds and bees • A Lengthened lifespan for the new roof, now 40-50 years, after protecting it from the elements • Irrigation supplemented by rainwater, collected in bladders from the adjacent greenhouse roofs

The Howlett Hall Green Roof expands Chadwick Arboretum’s existing resources and creates a unique garden that can be used for education and research into green roof technologies, by both students and faculty, at an attainable cost. The green roof reinforces the university’s values as a member of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and will have far reaching influence on the construction and renovation of new and existing campus facilities. John Woods is a Landscape Architect with NBBJ. He can be reached at [email protected].


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Charting a New Course for Northeast Ohio By Matt Schmidt, AICP and Sara Byrnes Maier, AICP

As the nation and Northeast Ohio move forward following the mid-term elections, it is an important time to reflect on what kind of future we want to see, and how the decisions that are made today by our elected leaders affect our region’s ability to achieve that vision. Nowhere will a more comprehensive package of studies, analysis and recommendations be found for Northeast Ohio than in Vibrant NEO 2040, a study prepared by the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC). Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, NEOSCC led a three-year planning process that engaged over 5,600 residents, governments, business groups, philanthropic and non-profit organizations, educational institutions, MPOs, and public health organizations across a 12-county geography (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne) to track current trends and future scenarios to demonstrate how they would affect our region by 2040 given different policy and development decisions. The resulting preferred vision is a roadmap to be used by the region’s leaders that outlines a series of recommendations based on various land use and economic development themes for guiding growth, capital spending, and policy making at all levels. NEOSCC’s outgoing Executive Director and former Cleveland Planning Director Hunter Morrison described Vibrant NEO 2040 as, “Creating a framework for planners working within different communities across the region to understand the broad area in which they are acting, and hopefully act accordingly with everyone’s best interest in mind.” The process and findings can be found at www.vibrantneo.org. The preferred vision has a strong backing for a future that supports strengthening and focusing investment in our established communities, with a special emphasis on core cities. Across all 12 counties, Vibrant NEO 2040 points out the economic necessity to utilize resources like transportation and utility infrastructure that are already there, have already been paid for, and need to be maintained regardless of additional expansion. Fiscal impact modeling done for the region showed that if the current trend plays out, the most fiscally strong county in 2040 will be weaker than the weakest county today. Investment in already established areas will change this trajectory and counteract the spreading threat of abandonment plaguing neighborhoods not just in the core of cities like Cleveland, Akron, or Youngstown, but that is extending into historically stable suburban and rural communities as well. This may seem obvious to many, but despite the recent pace of downtown Cleveland’s redevelopment, this notion hasn’t translated into a regional strategy. Charting a New Course continued on page 9


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2015 OHIO PLANNING CONFERENCE

SPOTLIGHTING TOLEDO

Editors Note: The 2015 Ohio Planning Conference will be held in Toledo next fall. We’ve developed a series of articles highlighting the area. Look for this series from now until conference time. See you in Toledo!

World Class Art in Toledo By Eric Wagner and Patrick Etchie, AICP

The Toledo Museum of Art was founded in 1901 by Toledo Industrialist Edward Drummond Libbey and moved to its current location in 1912. The Museum in total has more than 30,000 objects which include a major collection of glass art from the 19th and 20th centuries a collection of American and European paintings as well as ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian works. There is a collection of medieval art including a reconstructed cloister and Asian and African art. There are sculptures inside the building as well as an outdoor sculpture garden on its grounds housing more recent works. The museum collection also includes decorative arts, graphic arts and modern and contemporary art. The museum currently covers 36 acres and has 6 buildings. The main museum building is constructed in a neoclassical Greek Iconic style with white marble facing and columns as well as a copper roof. The main building has two floors with the upper level housing such exhibits as the European and American paintings as well as the Peristyle Theater which seats 1750 people and is the home of the Toledo Symphony. The lower level houses the café as well as classrooms and the Little Theater, which is a 176 seat lecture hall. The University of Toledo Center for the Visual Arts was designed by Architect Frank Gehry and is used as classroom space for art classes and is connected to the main building. The Glass Pavilion Building was constructed in 2006. All exterior walls and most interior walls are made of floor to ceiling curved glass panels. The Glass Pavilion has a number of exhibits as well as an area where the public can watch glass being blown and a coffee bar. The Toledo Museum of Art is located at 2445 Monroe St. Admission is free and they are open six days a week. They are closed Mondays and major holidays. For additional information regarding the museum please see their website: www.toledomuseum.org. The Toledo Museum of Art is located in the near downtown Old West End Neighborhood. The neighborhood was declared a historic district in 1980 and is one of the largest surviving neighborhoods of late Victorian and Edwardian era homes in the United States. The neighborhood was platted in 1866 and experienced its greatest construction of homes in the late 19th and early 20th century. For additional information about the neighborhood please visit their website www.toledooldwestend.com. Eric Wagner is the Zoning Administrator for Monclova Township and an APA Ohio At-Large Board Member. He can be reached at [email protected]. Patrick Etchie, AICP, is Chief Planner at the Mannik & Smith Group and the Northwest Ohio Section Director. He can be reached at petchie@ manniksmithgroup.com.


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Charting a New Course continued from page 7

When Cuyahoga County residents voted in 2009 to move to charter form of government, they did so with the express desire reform the structure “to significantly improve the County’s economic competitiveness.” County-wide and region-wide, governments and leaders need to look at the long-term costs of development. What may seem like an economic “win” in the short-term may actually cost in the medium- to long-term for both the host community as well as the entire region by simply shifting or churning development. True regional leadership will demonstrate the need to know where to put incentives and efforts, accounting for the health of the whole region for the long-term. Vibrant NEO 2040 provides us with an opportunity to learn, as well as recommendations and actions to do things differently. In Cuyahoga County, given current conditions, there simply are not enough new people coming into the county to populate existing neighborhoods and homes. Additionally, the pull of new housing on the fringes or in outlying counties, subsidized by massive infrastructure investments, further depopulates. “Cuyahoga County has the most to lose by continuing the process of outmigration,” reflects Morrison, “but on the other hand, if you look at the assets necessary to build a 21st century region, the county has the greatest collection of resources that must be leveraged to address our challenges.” These include the county’s robust infrastructure networks, public transit routes, cultural heritage, arts institutions and sports teams. When asked what some of the most significant ways a new Cuyahoga County government can establish a leadership role in working towards this vision, Mr. Morrison outlined the following four strategies based on the recommendations of Vibrant NEO 2040. The first strategy looks at ways to take better advantage of the region’s most robust transit network as a locational incentive and asset. Morrison noted that the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus and rail network, though paid for mostly by citizens, is an underutilized asset that has the potential to catalyze a higher scale and intensity of residential and industrial growth along its transit corridors. These arterials provide the framework of how the county grew, creating the economic base to support the surrounding communities. Focusing development along transit routes will entail coordination with various public and private entities and may require working with surrounding counties to expand transportation options beyond county borders to link regional job centers and corridors. A second strategy is to pursue remediation, assembly, marketing, and redevelopment of abandoned properties and industrial sites, especially those located along transit routes. Doing so will enable the County to put resources and policy making into place to drive change. The city of Cleveland’s Opportunity Corridor redevelopment plans are attempting to do just this by bringing new life to abandoned and blighted industrial neighborhoods. Passage of Cuyahoga County’s demolition bond program is another good step, but the overall approach and actions need to be more aggressive and coordinated. A third strategy is to look at vacant land differently. Morrison suggests that, “depopulation and abandonment allows cities to look back and rethink how they come together…to see the big picture.” This commentary reflects once again on connectivity, but in this case through a more robust and linked systems of parks, greenways, and trail networks. The Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail and Towpath Trail linking Lake Erie to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, or the East Side Greenway concept currently being studied through a NOACA planning grant are examples of such efforts, and ones in which the County has been deeply involved. These new greenway networks can be created in a way that could utilize existing assets, the county landbank, and other partnerships to bridge the gaps across city boundaries, linking regional Charting a New Course continued on page 10


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amenities. Further, a balanced transportation system that offers real, and most importantly equitable, opportunity for all residents to be able to walk, bike, or take public transportation to work or school helps improve quality of life and economic competitiveness for the county and region. It will be essential for cities to have the proper tools in place to accomplish these goals, which brings up Morrison’s fourth strategy for demonstrating County leadership. A consolidated effort can be made across the county to update zoning and regulations governing development. Most codes have been written to discourage density; however, to remain economically sustainable, Vibrant NEO 2040 has shown that a proper balance in development types is needed. Zoning can be utilized to guide the next round of development, with the County leading the way in incentivizing development in locations that will not just provide short-term wins, but ensure that the region we all leave behind is one with a promising future filled with opportunity for the next generation. Matt Schmidt, AICP, is a Program Manager for The Trust for Public Land and Cleveland Section Representative to the APA Ohio Board of Trustees. He can be reached at [email protected]. Sara Byrnes Maier, AICP, is a Senior Strategic Park Planner for the Cleveland Metroparks and Cleveland Section Treasurer. She can be reached at [email protected].

Application Open: Community Planning Assistance Know of a community that needs planning assistance? A place that lacks the resources needed to address specific planning-related challenges? The Community Planning Assistance Teams (CPAT) program has helped a growing number of communities in recent years and we’re hoping you will help us spread the word to places that are good candidates to apply. By pairing a multidisciplinary team of expert planning professionals from around the country with community members, key stakeholders, and relevant decision makers, the place-based initiative seeks to foster community education, engagement, and empowerment. Each CPAT team is selected for the specific expertise needed on the project to offer pro bono assistance in developing a framework or vision plan that promotes a sustainable, livable, economically vibrant, and healthy community. Communities facing a range of challenges including, but not limited to, social equity and affordability, economic development, sustainability, consensus building, and urban design are well-suited for assistance through the program. Projects focus on localities with a demonstrated need for assistance, where planning resources and expertise may not otherwise be available. Did you know? The Village of Hiram Ohio is a current recipient of planning assistance. Visit https://www.planning.org/communityassistance/teams/ hiramvillage/ for more information. Also, as a reminder, APA welcomes team member applications anytime from those interested in serving on one of CPAT’s pro bono teams. The next application deadline for communities is December 4. Learn more and find both the community and team member applications on the APA website: https://www.planning.org/communityassistance/teams/.


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MVRPC Receives Awards for Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map By Kjirsten Frank Hoppe, AICP and Laura Loges

The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) is proud to announce they received two (2) awards in the Map Gallery Competition during the 2014 Ohio Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Conference. The 2014 Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map received the “First Place Award” in the Reference Map Category. Also, it received the “Best of Show Award” which was presented to the entry that received the highest overall score among all entries for all categories. “We are very excited that the 2014 Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map received such coveted awards. We knew this year’s map was our best ever and it is very rewarding to receive both awards. Development of this map was a perfect example of how we establish partnerships to accomplish wonderful outcomes for the Miami Valley,” said Brian O. Martin, AICP, Executive Director of MVRPC. “The Miami Valley boasts the nation’s largest network of paved off-street trails and it’s a renowned regional asset. Depicting these trails, on an informative, user-friendly map, was the group’s goal and I’d say we achieved that,” continued Martin. The 2014 Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map was a collaborative effort led by MVRPC. Multiple trail-managing agencies, map sponsors and trail users had input into the map and reviewed and commented on drafts created by MVRPC staff. Schlegel Creative Resources was responsible for final layout and design. Cox Media Group (Ohio) was the “presenting sponsor” and donated $10,000 towards its production and advertising of its distribution locations. MVRPC submitted the 2014 Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map for consideration in the Reference Category Map Gallery competition during the conference, which was sponsored by the County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO), the Ohio Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA), and the Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP). The Reference Category was one of the three (3) categories - Reference, Small Format, and Analytical - in the competition. Each submission was judged on the presentation of concepts and purpose, technical merit (elements, principles and techniques) and overall design (appeal, artistry, and composition). The online version of the 2014 Miami Valley Bikeways Guide Map can be found at www. miamivalleytrails.org. Free printed copies are available by contacting MVRPC at (937) 223-6323. Established in 1964, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission promotes collaboration among communities, stakeholders, and residents to advance regional priorities. MVRPC is a forum and resource where the Board of Directors identifies priorities, develops public policy and collaborative strategies to improve quality of life throughout the Miami Valley Region. MVRPC performs various regional planning activities, including air quality, water quality, transportation, land use, research and GIS. As the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), MVRPC is responsible for transportation planning in Greene, Miami and Montgomery Counties and parts of northern Warren County. MVRPC’s area wide water quality planning designation encompasses five (5) counties: Darke, Preble plus the three MPO counties. Kjirsten Frank Hoppe, AICP is a Planner at MVRPC. She can be reached at [email protected]. Laura Loges is the Marketing Director at MVRPC. She can be reached at [email protected].


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APA Ohio Election Results By Vince Papsidero, FAICP

The Ohio APA Board is pleased to announce the results of the 2014 elections. The following individuals were re-elected to the board: Joyce Braverman, Kyle Ezell, Dan Kennedy, Ann Klavora and Nancy Reger. Joining the board as At-Large Trustees are Katherine Keough-Jurs, Paul Logue and Kimberly Wenger. The board extends its appreciation to all chapter members who volunteered to submit their names for consideration. The board also thanks departing members Roxyanne Burrus and Eric Wagner for their contributions. Meet our New Board Members! Katherine Keough-Jurs, AICP is the Supervising City Planner with the Department of City Planning and Buildings at the City of Cincinnati. With more than 15 years of municipal planning experience, her areas of specialization include long-range and strategic planning, neighborhood development, project management, meeting facilitation, land use analysis, demographic analysis, and GIS mapping and analysis. Katherine was Project Manager for Plan Cincinnati, the City of Cincinnati’s first comprehensive plan in over 30 years, and winner of APA’s 2014 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan, APA Ohio’s 2013 Ohio Planning Award for Comprehensive Planning in a Large Jurisdiction, and the 2013 Frank F. Ferris Award for Planning in Hamilton County, OH. She holds a Master of Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a BA in Political Science from Miami University. Katherine has been active in the Cincinnati Section of APA Ohio for many years, currently as the Section Director but also recently as a member of the Cincinnati Section Executive Board. She is currently an active member of the Board of APA Ohio as the Cincinnati Section Representative and APA Ohio’s representative on the planning committee for the 2014 OKI Regional Conference in Lexington, KY. If elected to the Board, Katherine will continue to be an active member of the Board, and contribute to the responsibilities and activities of APA Ohio with a positive attitude. Specifically, she will work to ensure that APA Ohio makes serving its members our top priority, and with the rest of the APA Ohio Board, to reach our big goal of including a definition of Comprehensive Plan in the Ohio Revised Code within 5 years. Kimberly Wenger, AICP, serves as the Planning and Development Director for the City of North Olmsted, Ohio. My responsibilities include long and short range planning, zoning, community development and economic development. I manage the divisions of building and engineering and staff many of the city’s boards and commissions. I enjoy volunteering with community groups such as the North Olmsted City Schools Education Foundation and the Olmsted Historical Society. I particularly like mentoring young future planners; I’m a technical advisor for Look Up To Cleveland, a high school leadership and diversity program. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and Sociology/ Anthropology from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Ohio State University. I’ve been the Cleveland Section representative to APA Ohio since 2011. I served on the Executive Committee of APA Cleveland since 2007 and was elected Director in 2013. I was co-chair of the 2013 APA Ohio Planning Conference and have participated in organizing local planning and zoning workshops since 2006. As a board member of APA Ohio, I will work to best serve the needs of our existing members and boost the influence of the planning profession across the state. Elections continued on page 13


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Paul Logue, AICP, is the planner for the city of Athens. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and Political Science from Ohio University and a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University. As planner for Athens, Paul works on implementing the city’s comprehensive plan, bicycle and pedestrian master plan, and is the city’s floodplain manager. He has recently completed a master plan for the Athens Arts, Parks, and Recreation Department and is currently working on a city historic preservation plan and a city sustainability plan. Paul also serves as President of the Athens County Regional Planning Commission, and serves on the Athens County Comprehensive Plan implementation committee, the Ohio University Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee, the Ohio University Ridges campus master plan committee, and the Ohio University Comprehensive Plan Update team. He is also active as board secretary for Athens County Big Brothers Big Sisters. He loves living in Athens (and the Appalachian Ohio region) with his wife Sarah, son Calvin, and dog Ella. He likes to read and travel; he occasionally makes his own beer and is a known music snob. Vince Papsidero, FAICP, is the Planning Director for the City of Columbus and Chair of the APA Ohio Elections Committee. He can be reached at [email protected].

Equitable Solutions: A Better Way to Resolve Disputes By Richard Klein

The Old, Wrong Way Here’s the all too common scenario: citizens learn a development project is proposed for their neighborhood. It looks like the project may cause harm, but there’s only two weeks before the big hearing. This leaves little time to understand the process, verify impacts, or to research options for resolving negative effects. So they do what far too many folks opt for: Hire a lawyer to kill the project. After all, killing the project prevents all impacts. And it seems to work because someone heard that another project was killed a couple of years ago. From the citizen’s perspective, what could be better? Well, nothing except this approach succeeds less than 5% of the time vs. 90% for the better way. The wrong way also burns out volunteers, wastes limited funds, and leaves citizens with a jaundiced view of government. The Better Way Rather than immediately hiring a lawyer and setting the adversarial process in motion, citizens first obtain the plans, identify potential impacts, consult with staff and other experts to determine if impacts are likely to occur, and for those judged real seek ways to resolve each impact, preferably in a manner that allows the applicant to get most of what they want. This is the Equitable Solutions approach developed by Community & Environmental Defense Services (CEDS). It frequently costs very little, inspires citizens to become active participants in growth management, and leaves citizens feeling positive about how their local government functions. Equitable Solutions continued on page 14


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Equitable Solutions Continued from page 13

An Equitable Solution Example Let’s say you live on a dead-end street. A project is proposed to connect to the street increasing traffic volume by fivefold. Since 60% of all traffic-related childhood fatalities occur on neighborhood streets and increasing traffic volume can lower property value, you and your neighbors are rightly concerned. Possible Equitable Solutions could include: 1. The applicant could install speed humps and other traffic calming measures which might make the street safer and quieter than at present even with a modest increase in traffic; 2. If the connection is needed to provide a second safety access to the proposed project then perhaps it could be gated to restrict use to emergency vehicles and eliminate cut-through traffic; or 3. The citizens might support increased density to generate the additional revenue the applicant would need to purchase land for another access point. Negotiate With the Applicant The citizens present their Equitable Solutions to the applicant and request a hearing postponement so everyone has sufficient time to seek common ground. Most Equitable Solutions are relatively easy to implement, particularly when contrasted with the alternative of spending several years in the courts. Our experience has been that half the time the applicant agrees to make the changes and modifies the plans accordingly. If the applicant does not agree to Equitable Solution A and gives a good reason, then the applicant will usually come up with a Plan B. Citizens then consult with their experts to verify that Plan B will resolve their concerns. Seek Support from Government If Good Faith Negotiations Stall If citizens are convinced their Equitable Solution(s) are reasonable, yet the applicant refuses to negotiate, then the next step is to request support from their local elected officials or other officials like a planning director. The citizens make it clear they are not trying to kill the project. Instead they believe they’ve found a solution that resolves their concerns and allows the applicant to get most of what they want. Usually the official will encourage the applicant to cooperate. And most of the time this pressure leads to a settlement. Richard Klein is the President of Community & Environmental Defense Services. He can be reached at [email protected].

Coming Soon!

2015 Planning Webcast Series Schedule For More Information and to Register, Visit: www.utah-apa.org. To View Previous Webcasts, Visit: www.youtube.com/planningwebcast.

**CM Distance Education Credits - 2014** The State of Takings After Koontz - 1.5 CM LAW Approved Ethical Rules and Considerations for Planners, Plan Commissioners and Lawyers - 1.5 CM ETHICS Approved


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Understanding the Value of a Design Consultant By Rachel Downey and Cathy Fromet

In the most general terms, consultants are experts. We find that people don’t just hire us because we are a design firm they found in the phone book (haha, remember those?), but because we hold a specific expertise they need — one not possessed within their organizations. It’s easy for potential client to say they need a new identity and find a designer to create a new identity. It may also be easy for an organization to recognize that their visitors are having a hard time finding parking, or making their way to a particular department — but they may not know WHY that difficulty is occurring. With more and more branding and wayfinding projects under our belts, we have cultivated an expertise. It is no longer satisfying or appropriate for us to just design what clients believe they need — we have the desire, and the capacity, to affect the whole. How Does a Consultant Approach Design Projects Differently? Consultants only design some of the time. Much to the dismay of many eager designers who would like to work at our firm, the position of Design Consultant means that the actual, traditional “design” phase is a very small portion of our work process. Our Discovery process is so intensive, it could be months before we actually put pen to paper. But creative thinking and problem-solving happens every minute of the day, on every project we touch. To be a Design Consultant means to have a nimble and creative brain that can connect the dots that others might not see. And of course, they have absolute design talent to bring those dots to life. Consultants analyze, diagnose and prescribe. That Discovery Phase I just mentioned? That is the most important work a consultant can do. The Discovery, Audit, Analysis and assembled Plan/Framework are some of the most critical components to the success of a project. Brand strategies and way finding programs require in-depth research to understand purpose, audiences, goals, challenges and definitions for success. A consultant should ask the right questions and be prepared to take everything learned in the Discovery Phase and provide a diagnosis to the root issues and recommend potential solutions. This requires listening to all the voices while filtering out the opinions that matter; it means applying both big picture thinking and attention to minute details; it involves evaluating the obvious and uncovering the hidden. Consultants blend data with a little psych and soc. While primary and secondary research tell us a lot, there is still good old fashioned experience sprinkled in to a consultant’s work. In the case of developing brands and way finding programs for places, we know that the projects we conceive are not meant merely for our clients, but our clients’ customers, users or visitors. No pile of data can tell you exactly how to message your brand, design your identity or circulate your visitors. Design Consultants have to get into the shoes of those folks to understand their mindset and triggers; their emotions and logic. We need to have an understanding of how people might behave, react and intuit information as individual and as groups. Design Consultants bear a responsibility to understanding how people FEEL in a particular situation and respond with appropriate design solutions to reduce or enhance those feelings. Consultants crack the whip. Emotions are one side of the equation; pragmatism is the other. Brand and way finding projects are significant endeavors for any organization, involving great expense and resources. They can be scary or daunting exercises at times which might create scenarios of fatigue, overwhelmed feelings or avoidance. There might be disagreements among stakeholders. There could be new priorities that emerge or budgets that recede. When a project begins to derail, a consultant has to identify the Value of Design Consultant continued on page 16


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Value of Design Consultant Continued from page 15

cause and work to get everyone back on the train and safely down the track again. Anyone at Studio Graphique might tell you this is the least desirable part of our role as a consultant and project manager but we also believe strongly it is what clients pay for and deserve. If we are on board, we will make sure to keep working to get everyone on board. Design Consultants are amazing designers. If a Design Consultant effectively does what we’ve described herein, you will get more than a pretty picture. You will get an amazing, functional, emotional, connective, communicative, and effective design solution that helps you achieve your goals. Since we are in the business of visual communication, we think this is the precisely our job — to balance form and function, aesthetics and content, creativity and pragmatism — to help you, your organization, your brand and your place thrive. So Why Are We Telling You This? There are two reasons we feel this is important stuff to share: 1. We have seen it all go wrong. We have been called in to fix a lot of poorly done stuff on too many occasions. While we’re glad to help and will continue to do so, it saddens us to see resources spent on brands or way finding programs that don’t work for clients or their audiences. We hope this position paper serves to educate folks on what they should look for when hiring a firm to engage in a more comprehensive or complex project. A traditional graphic design firm or sign shop might not be able to guide you in the myriad of issues that arise on intensive projects that involve a lot of stakeholders and other collaborative parties, or those challenges that come with executing on your strategic goals. 2. We need to be honest about what we shouldn’t be doing. We’ve had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful clients and on so many great projects over our 17 years. We also know that there are certain projects or clients that we aren’t a fit for. And that’s okay. We are confident in our ability to know when we would provide the best value, and when we may need to point you to another design firm if you are looking for a specific service (we have friendly partnerships with many and often provide referrals!). We still have the ability to develop fantastic logo designs, but our passion lies with providing them along with an overall brand strategy. We also can create some really attractive signs, but they are always a part of a system that functions to move people through space. There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right design partner for your organization when you prepare to undertake a design project. We hope this bit of insight gives you one more [big] factor to add to the top of your criteria list. Do you have a success story or design fails to share about working with Designers or Design Consultants? We’d love to hear from you! Rachel Downey is the President and Founder of Studio Graphique. She can be reached at [email protected]. Cathy Fromet is the Director of Strategy at Studio Graphique. She can be reached at [email protected].


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APA Ohio Launches ‘Because We Plan’ By Wendy Moeller, AICP

If you recall from our last newsletter, the APA Ohio Board of Trustees has kicked off our new effort to promote the benefits of planning in Ohio as a part of our chapter’s overall strategy and vision. “Because We Plan” is an effort to share the positive outcomes of planning activities across the state of Ohio with our constituents. The chapter board felt that the name APA Ohio lacked sufficient identity to create a strong awareness of planning outside of the organization’s members. What does APA Ohio do? What is the benefit of planning to our communities? The goal of this effort is to create a simple and effective way of telling the planning story as well as rallying greater support and interest in planning by citizens, allied professionals, and both local and state officials. Step 1 – Create an enhanced identity that can simply and efficiently express the benefits of planning. During our 2014 board retreat, the APA Ohio board came up with the “Because We Plan” name for the effort during one of our brainstorming sessions. Soon after, the board put out a call to all of the planning schools in Ohio to ask students to develop a logo or brand identity that draws upon our official APA Ohio brand as well as allows us to spread the word through various forums. We are excited to announce that Victoria Darah from the Ohio State University won the competition with her submission that included a number of different iterations, some which are shown below. For those of you who attended the OKI Regional Conference in Lexington this year, you may have seen bumper stickers with the brand circulating among the members. We thank Victoria for her creative design that we see as an integral part of the effort.

Step 2 – Have planners (professional and citizens alike) submit their stories. The idea behind this effort is that we, as members, should be able to quickly and easily show the benefits of planning through the use of photos or short statements. This is where we are looking for help from you, our members. WE NEED YOU to submit representative examples of why we plan and the benefits of such planning. You can do this by submitting the following to Christine Dersi Davis at [email protected]. •Photos that illustrate planning success stories, ideally with participants holding signs or used as a meme that identifies the successes (e.g., “There are 100 new jobs,” or “we saved this building,” etc.) with the tagline “Because We Plan”. •Short stories or snippets of planning success stories that may not warrant a photo. Because We Plan continued on page 18


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The following example was provided by APA Ohio Columbus Section Director, Kelly Brooker-Scocco. Remember, feel free to be creative but keeping in mind that simpler is always better.

Step 3 – Spread the Word. APA Ohio will be posting the submissions on the new website as well as on the chapter’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Eventually, we hope to use the submissions to further legislative changes regarding planning in Ohio as well as other efforts that support planning in our state. Visit the Because We Plan webpage at www.ohioplanning.org/becauseweplan for more information. Wendy Moeller, AICP, is Principal and Owner of Compass Point Planning and Immediate Past President of APA Ohio. She can be reached at [email protected].


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2015 AICP Exam Fee Scholarship Perhaps you have considered taking the exam, but have hesitated because of the $425 exam fee. If you have a financial hardship you may be eligible for a 2015 Reduced Exam Fee Scholarship. This program was put into place by APA and AICP to offer assistance to those individuals who may have deferred taking or have been unable to take the AICP exam because of the high cost. The APA Ohio Chapter has been allotted two scholarships for 2015. Scholarship recipients pay reduced fees to AICP as follows: • First time AICP applicants: $135 (combined $70 application and $65 exam fee) • Previously approved AICP applicants: $65 (exam fee only) Please review the criteria for scholarship eligibility below. If you think you might qualify please send me a brief written explanation of how your circumstances qualify. Don’t Delay – Requests must be submitted to APA OHIO no later than December 8, 2014. Please note that the awarding of a scholarship does not guarantee that a recipient will be approved to take the AICP Exam. The exam application will be evaluated like any other. Reduced AICP Exam Fee Scholarship Selection Criteria Interested members must submit a written request to the APA OHIO Professional Development Officer which includes the following: 1. An explanation of your financial hardship (including financial hardship caused by a budget cutback in a firm or agency). Examples of financial hardship include but are not limited to: The applicant’s employer will not subsidize the exam fee; The applicant will be otherwise unlikely to take the exam without the reduced fee. 2. A short summary of your education and work experience indicating briefly how your level of education and professional planning experience meet the AICP certification eligibility requirements. 3.

Optional – information on your ethnicity and/or race. Because APA, AICP and APA Ohio are committed to increasing the diversity of the organization, members of ethnic or racial minorities will be given preference, all things being equal.

Submit a written scholarship request to APA OHIO Professional Development Officer Kristin Hopkins, khopkins@ctconsultants no later than December 8, 2014. For more information about the AICP exam application, visit www.planning. org/certification. An application template can be found at https://www.planning.org/ certification/examapplicationtemplate.rtf.


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planners in the news Jennifer Evans Cowley Appointed to New Position By Rachel Garshick Kleit, PhD

I am pleased to announce that our colleague Jennifer Evans-Cowley has been appointed as Vice Provost for Capital Planning and Regional Campuses at The Ohio State University, a new position in the university. Her responsibilities include preparing the university’s 10 year capital plan for the six campuses of OSU. She oversees $1.3 billion in capital spending, including for example the addition of 3,000 new beds for students, the renovation of one of the university’s oldest historic buildings for a new data analytics program, and world class athletic facilities. She will serve a key role on every physical environment committee in the university. She is responsible for making sure every built project on campus is alignment with the university’s master plan and strategic plan. And working on a variety of special projects, such as the 5 year update of the university’s master plan. Beyond this she will have responsibility for supporting the operational, curricular, and development of the university’s four regional campuses - which serve the access mission of the university providing affordable, high quality education in a small campus environment. Rachel Garshick Kleit, PhD, is Professor Head for the City and Regional Planning program at The Ohio State University. She can be reached at [email protected].

APA Ohio Member Richard Karberg is Remembered By Joyce Braverman

1941 – 2014. Richard was born and raised on the west side of Cleveland. Richard lived in Shaker Heights and attended many APA functions. He was Professor of Photography, Arts, and Humanities and Cuyahoga Community College. Richard authored several books about Cleveland including being the co-author of: •Euclid Avenue: Cleveland’s Sophisticated Lady, 1920-1970 •Silver Grill: New and Expanded Edition •Silver Grille: Memories and Recipes •The Higbee Company and the Silver Grille. A memorial mass was held on September 20th. He is survived by his wife Judith and children Rebecca and Noah. Joyce Braverman is the DIrector of Planning for the City of Shaker Heights and APA Ohio AtLarge Board Member. She can be reached at [email protected].

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Ohio Conference of Community Development Elects APA Ohio Members to Board by Kenneth Lengieza

At the summer meeting of the Ohio Conference of Community Development (OCCD) Kathy Werkmeister, Director of Housing and Community Development Services at Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, was selected to be President Elect; Amy Riegel, Dayton Planning and Community Development Department, Vice President; Missy Frost, Fairborn Neighborhood Betterment Director, Treasurer; and Angela Byington, AICP, Elyria Community Development Director, Secretary. Ken Lengieza, AICP, Marion County RPC Director, is the current President. Kenneth Lengieza is the Director of the Marion City/County Regional Planning Commission. He can be reached at [email protected].

Registration Opening Soon @ www.ohioplanning.org!


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section news Akron Section The November lunch meeting of the Akron Section featured a presentation on “Health in All Policies”. Marie Curry, of Western Reserve Legal Services, is leading a Summit County initiative to highlight the social determinants of health and increase awareness of the health impact of a variety of policies and practices. The intention is to create conditions that contribute to people’s health and well being. Improving overall health reduces the cost burden of sickness. The social determinants affect our dimensions of wellness: intellectual, environmental, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, occupational and physical. As planners, our normal fields of interest greatly influence many of these determinants. Land use, development, transportation, housing, and energy policies enacted at the local level directly affect our health. This awareness can deepen our understanding of impacts and broaden our frame of reference. It may also contribute allies in the health community for support of practices that favor wellness. An objective of the Health in All Policies campaign is to develop a Community Health Charter, a set of goals or intentions that can be considered for adoption by local political and civic actors. A community engagement process has begun. For more information, see Health in All Policies - A Guide for Local and State Governments. Following lunch, Fred Guerra, Cuyahoga Falls Planning Director, organized a tour of the new retail development under construction, Portage Crossing. This project of Stark Enterprises is replacing a 1950s era strip shopping center. Acquired through eminent domain by the City in 2008 following years of decline, this 27-acre project will bring 470,000 square feet of retail. Originally proposed as a mix of residential and retail uses, the residential uses were eliminated as retail opportuniites were more valued by the market. Anchored on the north and south by a high end grocery prototype of Giant Eagle and a Cinemark, the project fills the space between with development built to the sidewalk edge facing Portage Trail. Financing came through a variety of private and public financing, including Tax Increment Financing and Clean Ohio Revitalization Funds. In additiion to acquisition and demolition of the former center, the City has contributed significant infrastructure improvements. Store openings have begun although a Grand Opening will wait until Spring 2015. Jerry Egan is the Owner of Egan Consult and Akron Section Director. He can be reached at [email protected].

Central Ohio Section Once again this year the Central Ohio Section is teaming up with the Knowlton School of Architecture Alumni Association to mentor The Ohio State University planning students. Building off last year’s success, the Central Ohio Section has 35 planners participating in the program, which includes students in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Section leadership also met in October with the American Planning Association Planning Accreditation Board’s Site Team when they visited Ohio State University to evaluate the undergraduate planning program. The Board’s Site Team were very impressed with the program and found that the program meets or partially meets all 34 criteria for accreditation, which was an incredibly good result. In early November, the Section was invited to the Urban Land Institute’s reception for nationally renowned urban planner Peter Calthorpe, who presented key Section News continued on page 22


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findings of insight2050 and discussed how our region’s communities can anticipate and respond to future growth in a way that effectively addresses market demand and demographic changes, manages vital government resources and encourages robust economic development. In other news, the Section will be soliciting session proposals in the coming weeks for next year’s Central Ohio Planning and Zoning Workshop. Anyone interested in volunteering on the workshop planning committee should contact Kelly Scocco at [email protected]. Kelly Brooker-Scocco is Assistant Director of Building and Zoning Services for the City of Columbus and Central Ohio Section Director. She can be reached at [email protected].

Cincinnati Section The Cincinnati Section has some great activities planned for the fall and winter! World Town Planning Day (WTPD) – In celebration of WTPD, on Friday, November 14, the Cincinnati Section of APA-Ohio will hold a one day charrette in Forest Park, Ohio in collaboration with the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. Local professionals (planners/architects/landscape architects, designers, etc.) are encouraged to volunteer for this all day event where you team up with college students to focus on redevelopment of a key piece of property in the Forest Park community. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. 2014 Holiday Party – This year, the Cincinnati Section is teaming up with the Planners across the Ohio River in APA KY Region 4 to put on an epic holiday party! The party will be Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, 151 W. 5th Street, in Downtown Cincinnati. The party starts at 4:30 p.m. and we’ll have a selection of hors d’oeuvres from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The cash bar will be open until 7:00 p.m. Please join us and feel free to bring a spouse or significant other! 2015 David J. Allor Planning & Zoning Workshop – This annual event will be held on Friday, January 30, 2015 at the Anderson Center in Anderson Township. Our Keynote Speaker will be Kyle Ezell from Ohio State University and we will offer 15 other sessions throughout the day. The day will be capped off with a Happy Hour. It’s a great way to get CM credits and network with other professional planners, citizen planners, and planning students! Spring Events- We are working on our 2015 event and activity calendar – stay tuned for more details. If anyone is interested in suggesting a Program event, please contact Program Chair Chris Anderson at [email protected]. For more specifics on these events, please go to the APA Cincinnati Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/groups/APACincinnati/ Katherine Keough-Jurs, AICP a Senior City Planner with the City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Section Director. She can be reached at [email protected].

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Cleveland Section APA Cleveland hosted a walking tour of downtown Lakewood in partnership with the City of Lakewood and LakewoodAlive on September 25. The tour included talks from civic leaders and business owners of how deliberate, coordinated planning led to redevelopment of the commercial district and was followed by a social event at Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar. APA Cleveland held its 26 annual Planning and Zoning Workshop at LaCentre Conference and Banquet Facility in Westlake, Ohio on October 24. Nearly 300 people attended this day long educational event with a wide range of topics such as planning law, complete streets, variances, wayfinding, public participation, hand graphics skills, ethics and more. Presentations are now available online. Section members enjoyed cheering on our determined Cleveland Browns at CSU APA’s 3rd annual Browns Watch Party fundraiser on November 23. Proceeds support student attendance at the APA national conference in the spring. APA Cleveland hosted a winter social networking event on December 3 at Press Wine Bar in Tremont featuring guest speaker Grace Gallucci of NOACA. Section elections recently concluded and officers will begin their new terms in 2015. Special thanks to outgoing Education Vice Director Mark Majewski for his many years of service to APA. Kim Wenger, AICP is Director of Planning and Development for the City of North Olmsted and the Cleveland Section Director. She can be reached at [email protected].

Miami Valley Section The Miami Valley Section is hosting the 28th Annual Miami Valley Planning and Zoning Workshop on Friday, December 5 at the David H. Ponitz Center – Sinclair Community College. All sessions in the workshop have been applied for approval by the American Institute of Certified Planners for educational credits. Joe Minicozzi is the featured guest of the workshop. Joe is the principal of Urban3, LLC, a consulting company of downtown Asheville real estate developer Public Interest Projects. His work has been featured at the national conferences for the Congress for New Urbanism, the American Planning Association, the International Association of Assessing Officers, International Downtown Association, Urban Land Institute, and New Partners for Smart Growth conferences. Tim Davis is Planning and Zoning Manager for the City of Troy and the Miami Valley Section Director. He can be reached at [email protected].

Northwest Ohio Section The NW Ohio Section teamed with the Ohio Balanced Growth Program and Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments to conduct a Balanced Growth Development Workshop on October 17th. The workshop brought planners, architects, engineers, developers, governmental agencies, and local officials together to explore conversion developments in urbanized areas as well as compact developments in rural or suburban areas. The 2015 APA Ohio Statewide Planning Conference Committee continues to plan for next year’s conference in Toledo. Mark your calendars and save the dates of September 23-25, 2015. If you should have any questions about the 2015 conference in Toledo, or you may be interested in being a conference sponsor, please feel free to contact Patrick Etchie at petchie@manniksmithgroup. com or at 419-891-2222. Patrick Etchie, AICP is Chief Planner and Grant Specialist for the Mannik and Smith Group and Northwest Ohio Section Director. He can be reached at [email protected].


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