Ohio Announces Agenda

CLEVELAND, OH

Cleveland planners and legislators are guiding the State of Ohio into the new millennium under new development, redevelopment and resource conservation policies of "smart growth."

Ohio is growing steadily in population and jobs. Concerned about undermining the health of existing urban areas, destroying valuable open space and creating intractable environmental problems, a new coalition has been formed to address those concerns. Last October, EcoCity Cleveland publicly unveiled an Ohio Smart Growth Agenda to Ohio elected officials and national growth management experts. Calling for a change in policies that promote sprawl, advocates asked state leaders to coordinate state development plans and policies, and to set specific goals for development, redevelopment and resource conservation. Based on EcoCity Cleveland's plan for the city, this new agenda for the entire state focuses on the collaborative roles of the developers, designers, city planners and transportation officials to create "smart growth" for the new millennium.