Regeneration of Ccuyahoga Flats – [De]-Industrialized Riverfront in Cleveland, Ohio

Post-industrial riverfronts in the ‘Rust-Belt’ region of the United States have faced the consequences of [de]industrialization, including massive ecological disturbances. The Lower Cuyahoga River in Cleveland started facing those consequences when it was modified in the 1800s. The river channel was radically re-engineered with an aim to ease the movement of ships upstream and economize the businesses in that region. On occasion, the river caught fire due to the heavy oil wastes discharged by the industries. Subsequently the river’s health deteriorated affecting the aquatic habitat and the riverfront landscapes. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest how the lost river ecology of the Lower Cuyahoga River in Cleveland might be recovered by establishing habitat pockets and zones that support aquatic life. Landscape solutions are proposed to improve the water quality by reducing contaminants that are carried into the river by overland flow. These interventions would allow for the creation of public amenities along the riverfront, and reintegration of the fragmented post-industrial fabric. The infrastructure along the riverfront has a strong correlation with the health of the river, thus adaptive-reuse of existing infrastructure is a major strategy explored in this thesis. Because this design thesis also focuses on the deteriorating ecological health of the river, it proposes test sites for the decontamination and oxygenation of water to support fish habitat. Vacant and contaminated sites are considered centers for treating the harmful chemicals present in the landscape, carried into the river with overland flow. Based on the planning vision for this district of the city, it is possible that, in future, opportunities will become available to return the river to its pre-industrial profile.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.L.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Jain, Prerna

Contributors dc:contributor

• Deming, Margaret E.

• Reclamation of [De]industrialized riverfront

Statement dc:rights

• © 2010 Prerna Jain

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/18292

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/18292