CLEVLOT - Stakeholder Summit 3.0

Cleveland Vacant Land Opportunity Tool

Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Grant Cleveland, Ohio

Groups Summit

CLEVLOT Overview 01

PROJECT PARTNERS

PROJECT GOAL

Cleveland Vacant Land Opportunity Tool (CLEVLOT)

The final outcome of this process will be a collaboratively-built, open-source database and planning tool to guide vacant land reuse projects and management strategies for the advancement of environmental justice, public health, and quality of life for Cleveland’s overburdened communities.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STAGES

The CLEVLOT tool will be built through a collaborative process involving community engagement, planning, scholarship, and design development.

Prototyping

Design & Development

Launch

WORKING GROUP SCHEDULE

Working groups will develop their prototypes over a six month process. In order to stay on track, recommended actions for each monthly meeting are shown below.

Generate problem statement and set goals

Refine problem statement and goals through research

Create prototype proposal Present proposed prototype to other working groups

Review results of tests Finalize prototype Summarize proposal in presentation Start developing prototypes Test prototype Refine prototype

Review progress, continue prototype development

WHAT IS A PROTOTYPE?

A prototype is an early example or version of a product created to test a concept or process.

It’s a part of a solution to a bigger, more complex problem, that allows us to learn and gather feedback about what the ultimate solution might consist of.

It’s a part of the bigger solutions.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A PROTOTYPE?

1

To devise and solve problems, the team has to do or create something.

To communicate ideas in an understandable way.

To start a conversation with end users to help get specific feedback.

To test possibilities without compromising on a single solution.

Fail quickly and inexpensively and learn from mistakes before investing too much time, reputation, or money.

Break down complex problems into smaller elements that can be tested and evaluated.

Informational Poster

In 2009, The Street Vendor Project collaborated with CUP and designer Candy Chang to create Vendor Power, a pamphlet and fold-out poster that decodes the rules and regulations for New York’s 10,000+ street vendors. The poster uses simple graphics and minimal text — in the five languages most commonly spoken among NYC’s vendors — to explain some of the most-often violated laws, with the goal of helping vendors understand their rights and avoid unnecessary fines.

ArcGIS StoryMaps

Create inspiring, immersive stories by combining text, interactive maps, and other multimedia content. Publish and share your story with your organization or everyone around the world.

EVIDENCE TIME USER JOURNEY

00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00

LINE OF INTERACTION LINE OF VISIBILITY LINE OF INTERNAL INTERACTION SUPPORT

Framework adapted from NNGroup

Resource Webpage

https://communityprogress.org/resources/

Resource Page

A web page that provides valuable information for a specific topic. It will typically include a variety of helpful links and are optimized for several keywords that relate to that topic.

Working Groups 02

FINAL WORKING GROUPS Policy & Funding

Long-term Stewardship & Support

Problem Statement:

There is no consistent system of support that provides education, planning, and resources for green space developers, resulting in high rates of project failure and an increased maintenance responsibility for the City of Cleveland when projects fail.

Planning Criteria, Metrics & Integration

Problem Statement:

Decision makers lack an environmental justice data tool to locate projects on vacant land with consideration to beneficial and harmful features and in alignment with neighborhood, city, and regional goals.

Process Transparency & Community Engagement

Problem Statement:

For residents and organizations wanting to reuse/revitalize vacant land, there is a lack of clarity around the process of acquiring land from the City of Cleveland Land Bank resulting in delays, lost investments, and diminishing trust.

Long-term Stewardship & Support

Problem Statement:

The current Cleveland Land Bank disposition process is time-intensive, reactive, and lacks strategy, causing the rate of incoming parcels to outpace the rate of parcel disposition and a steady increase in parcel inventory.

Latreasa Scott, UMDC

Marka Fields, City of CLE

David Wilson, LAND Studio

Mikal Jeanbaptist, BBC Anthony Scott, City of CLE

Bianca Butts, BBC Cathi Lehn, City of CLE

Divya Sridhar, CNP Michiel Wackers, City of CLE

Co-chairs: Chair: Chair: Co-Chairs:

Long-term Stewardship & Support Working Group

1a

Problem Statement

There is no consistent system of support that provides education, planning, and resources for green space developers, resulting in high rates of project failure and an increased maintenance responsibility for the City of Cleveland when projects fail.

2a

Brainstorm Prototypes

1 Prototype a position. Someone to help provide support as needed. Need consistency in a dynamic environment. Help desk? Work w/ CDC, community centers, or public libraries to train an existing position. People are overwhelmed with the process of reviewing codes, City Hall, ect. Someone to be the translator. Look at CLE Documenters as example. Many would be looking for funding sources—need help identifying grants.

2 Central Resource for Information. For example, people looking to acquire a vacant lot have different needs. Current system is very specialized, but we need to standardize some components. Need a solution that is accessible & effective. Could start as a webpage for the prototype. (Should be interactive, but will provide baseline for wants and needs.)

3 Curriculum. Particularly if we leverage CDCs or libraries. Foundation w/ foundational dollars to support, because running out of money is a key challenge. Institutionalize learnings from various organizations. (Vacant Lot 101 Curriculum on a website, which has a forum)

Question routing webpage or Vacant Land web forum. Examples like iNaturalist or Reddit page w/ verified respondents.

Votes

0

Goals 1b

● Support the existing effort to create Land Trusts in Cleveland.

● Develop a resource center in partnership with a Land Trust—1 stop shop.

● Clear communication regarding who is the steward of a VL project.

● Clear understanding of Land Bank approvals to take actions.

● Provide multiple outreach channels (in-person, digital, multilingual, etc.)

● Need to coordinate with updated policy (econ. dev. vs. community dev.)

2b

Prototype Proposal

4

0

A web forum to access and archive crowd-sourced information about planning, funding, and operating vacant land reuse projects.

Before Next Meeting: Summarize Prototype Proposal in a few presentation slides.

Planning Criteria, Metrics, and Integration Working Group

1a

Problem Statement

Goals 1b

Decision makers lack an environmental justice data tool to locate projects on vacant land with consideration to beneficial and harmful features and in alignment with neighborhood, city, and regional goals.

● Achieve a macro-level understanding and micro-level (block by block) understanding of Environmental Justice.

● Keep everybody engaged and involved in the process of developing and tracking progress towards our metrics/framework.

● Create a decision-making tool that is testable. Validated by different users.

● Integrate vacant land work with the other plans & programs. Not just city-scale, but regional. (Connect to Climate Action Plan & across silos.)

2a

Brainstorm Prototypes

Survey or conversations within the community. Answers could guide approach. What are the fine-grain needs of the community?

Bridge scales of city planning and neighborhood/residents.

Definitions of data layers. Need to define EJ data, “beneficial” and “harmful”, as well as multi-scale goals.

Environmental and Racial Justice Tool - (TPL maps could be a start)

Votes

2

2b

Prototype Proposal

5

A selection of data to define environmental justice and a method to capture community vision that informs vacant land reuse decisions.

Best practices resource. Find best practices from other cities related to this problem statement. (ex. National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership) 0

Resources page for available funds, support. 0

Before Next Meeting: Summarize Prototype Proposal in a few presentation slides.

1a

●

Engagement

●

● Create a “fluid system”— answer who, how & provide customer support.

● Communicate an identified and reliable timeline.

●

Votes

A Flowchart (Responsibility, Timeline, Identifiable process, decision steps)

- Create a tangible item (non-digital)

- Online tool (easily accessible) 211 (How can it help?)

Flowchart (Where are points in the process where community members are involved)

Build partnership with existing resource distribution network.

Cleveland Public Library system - Land Bank University, both in-person & online.

● Land Bank University - more Educational (From Place to owning parcel)

Neighborhood Transformation Alliance Resource Center @ each Recreation Center.

Court system has become a strong resource point for outreach.

Map existing actions done by CDCs. (What is the follow through with residents?)

Create a new Community Outreach Platform? Responsive. Gamification?

Existing Resources Platform - (ex. Help understand what current food system programs are available?) 1

Prototype Proposal

Policy and Funding Working Group

1a

Problem Statement

Goals 1b

The current Cleveland Land Bank disposition process is time-intensive, reactive, and lacks strategy, causing the rate of incoming parcels to outpace the rate of parcel disposition and a steady increase in parcel inventory.

● Lots identified for large-scale development should include a deadline (expiration date) and a transition plan for alternative or interim uses.

● Land bank process results in more lots at their highest and best use.

● Include a list of criteria for what a developer is & what the highest and best uses are for vacant land. Includes framework, definitions, and priority list.

● Solutions should be transferable to other cities. (Ex. Vacant Land University. Provides education and leadership.)

2a

Brainstorm Prototypes

Process Map. Who’s the user? Appeal to average user. (Web, videos) Orgs could support this larger process. (Gretchen) City working on mapping the current process, but it’s so broken now, that not valuable to map the current process. Lots of people we need to talk to and we’re understaffed. Flowchart that describes the process, however, that might be ineffective because the process is so complex. Too many channels?

What changes do we need to make to the process?

Audience? Targeted message first. Can we go back and see people who applied for lots in the past five years? Where they successful or not? Engage VL Applicants to learn from their experience , but also help them through the process as a way to test our prototype. City and all learn from process. Time consuming!

Proposed set of policies. Share with City Council. Legislative vs.

Permitting process vs. Land Bank Process. Integrate these two processes? Reduce the questions that need to be answered. Leave the permitting and design to the standard permitting process. (Informal vs. Formal)

Votes

2b

Prototype Proposal

A set of definitions and policies that empowers the Cleveland Land Bank to facilitate faster and more strategic disposition of vacant parcels.

Before Next Meeting: Summarize Prototype Proposal in a few presentation slides.

03

Rapid Prototyping Session

RAPID PROTOTYPING SESSION (45 MINUTES)

Make something!

Who is the audience?

What is the format? What content is needed?

FOR UPDATES, CHECK: CLEVLOT.ORG >> WORKING GROUPS