DEPAVING
In June 2022, the City of Cleveland updated its Complete & Green Streets (CGS) ordinance. A key part of the ordinance is the addition of green infrastructure (e.g. tree lawn) to the City's public right of way. This includes removing excessive pavement ("depaving") and adding street tree plantings in areas where opportunity exists.
Why this is important?
​
​Cleveland suffers from combined sewer overflow (CSO) issues. This is when stormwater and sewage combine into one pipe which is then discharged into our waterways during heavy rain events. In 2011, the Cleveland area entered into a 25-year, $3 billion consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address this issue.
​
Excessive impervious surface - such as "extra" sidewalk - is the main cause of overburden to the CSO sewer system. Therefore, reducing the amount of this surface and creating more greenspace is critical to addressing this problem.
​
Additionally, Cleveland’s tree canopy cover rate is only 18% and declining. The City of Cleveland’s goal is to achieve a 30% rate citywide. To reach this goal, thousands of trees must be planted annually which includes creating more planting space throughout many of the City’s corridors.
​
This type of street greening work has other public benefits as well such as lowering things like urban heat, asthma rates and (to some extent) crime as well as improving air quality, property values and general aesthetics.
​
The Carnegie Avenue Phase II project will add an estimated 14,100 square feet of greenspace which will create an estimated 120 planting spaces for street trees. Planting will be coordinated with Urban Forestry once the roadway project is complete.