toledo urban planning case study

A CITY’S VISION: RETENTION AND ATTRACTION 1

Case Study of Toledo’s Urban Planning Vision:

To Retain Population and Attract New Residents

Jeffrey B. Schorsch

Valparaiso University


Case Study of the City of Toledo’s Urban Planning Vision:

To Retain Population and Attract New Residents

INTRODUCTION

The deterioration of large Midwest cities is not an unfamiliar theme to anyone living in

the Midwest states. The once lively capitals of industry and manufacturing have slowly become

ghost towns of poverty and urban blight. The City of Toledo is no exception. Toledo’s economy

used to boom with its massive production and export of glass giving the city the nicknames:

“Glass City” and “Glass Capital of the World”. However, the glass companies that had once

fueled the Toledo economy have long since left the city or shut down leaving Toledo’s economy

to slowly deteriorate from the inside out. Today, the City of Toledo, with help from the citizens,

has composed a comprehensive urban plan to get the city back on track. The goal of the plan is to

retain the current population as well as attract new residents to the city. Currently, citizens do not

want to live in the city and instead move away from it. The City of Toledo has therefore

collected information on what most needs to be improved about the city from the residents’

viewpoint. This list of improvements is extensive and varies across all aspects of the city;

however a comprehensive plan has been composed to address these issues. This plan is known as

the “Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan” and is analyzed because its overall goal is the retention

and attraction of residents. This case study, in comparison to the 20/20 plan, argues the five most

essential improvements to negate emigration while promoting new populations to immigrate into

the city.


5 KEY CITY IMPROVEMENTS

The following case study will argue five of the most important features a city can

improve to boost its overall attractiveness for residents currently and potentially living there.

These features include land use zoning, employment and resources, housing developments,

recreational spaces, and public transportation. These five features are considered important

because they each enhance resident lifestyles by following traditional neighborhood design.

Many cities have become sprawled across large land areas and lost several vital key features:

vibrant communities, pedestrians, and ecofriendly practices. These five features are meant to

revitalize a city using traditional neighborhood design to attract and retain populations. Toledo’s

current city is connected closely to these following points due to its own goals to improve these

features. Though the plan has its strengths and weaknesses, Toledo understands that in order to

reverse its decline it must focus on traditional neighborhood design as a solution.

Effective Land Use

The structure and pattern of land use is arguably one of the most important factors of city

planning. This decides how the city is organized and, in turn, limits how effective each section of

the city can be. The other four key features listed below are only effective if a city’s land use

zoning is improved. Expressed in the 20/20 plan, planners in Toledo are well aware that citizens

find some land uses unpleasant. This section of the case study will address possible solutions to

land use issues cities may face using Toledo as an example. Duany, Plater-Zyberk, & Speck

(2000) in their book Suburban Nation and Christopher Leinberger (2005) describe ways that

neighborhoods and downtown areas can be most effective as a residential land use by creating


connected and vibrant communities. Turner from the local newspaper The Blade observes the

link between industrial sites and the decline of East Toledo, while Lindsey, Man, Payton, &

Dickson discuss the values of greenways as a strength to a struggling community. In regards to a

mix of land use like that found in neighborhood commercial areas, the Toledo 20/20 plan

provides solutions that may have potential drawbacks as described by smart growth researcher

Tom Daniels (2001). Improving land uses in these various ways may ultimately prove successful

for Toledo at retaining and attracting its resident populations because the city can run as

economically, socially, and environmentally efficient as possible.

Currently, citizens do not perceive many neighborhood and downtown housing land uses

as attractive communities to live in. Downtown Toledo and its surrounding neighborhoods

simply lack a strong community feel. This is unattractive to people looking to purchase homes

and drives others away from continuing to live there. The Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan

(2011) suggests the solution may be “traditional neighborhood design” (TND). This proposal is

beneficial because the design is meant to counteract the sprawl that separates communities into

“pods” (Duany et al., 2000). While sprawl negatively affects the coordination of land uses, it can

have a negative impact inside neighborhoods as well. Duany et al. describe road designs of TND

as a grid pattern lessening the need to drive while promoting pedestrianism. TND aims to

compact and centralize neighborhoods so that everything, even commercial development, is

within a five minute walk. This leads to more integrated neighborhoods where income is not a

factor where a resident lives like that of neighborhood sprawl (Duany et al., 2000).


In regards to revitalizing the downtown community, Leinberger argues the three most

important aspects of a downtown community: retail, pedestrianism, and culture (2005). Creating

transit to the city and safer intersections help strengthen the community by increasing pedestrian

populations. Similarly, downtown retail is essential in walkable districts to provide a wide

variety of services for them. The overall culture the downtown provides to its visitors and

residents is evident in the unique facilities it takes pride in. These facilities include stadiums,

museums, historic sites, etc. and are essential for preserving the uniqueness of the city

(Leinberger, 2005). The Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan has planned effectively for this land

use improvement; plans for a new stadium and the installation of greenways for pedestrians are

in the making (2011). Because the plan promotes the use of TND over sprawl as well as the

brightening of downtown culture, Toledo is on its way to becoming a more-connected city.

A pedestrian friendly city also has other benefits in improving the city. Economically,

pedestrianism can turn help turn around negative effects brought by industrial sites. Industrial

land use zoning is the main issue fueling an overall decline in East Toledo. The Toledo 20/20

Comprehensive Plan (2011) places more future industrial sites for the city in this land use zone

in East Toledo. The Blade staff writer, Kris Turner, reports on the economic troubles that have

been occurring as of late in this region. Criminal activity, emigration, and loss of businesses have

left the region in shambles. The amount of families living in poverty has skyrocketed seventeen

percent in the last decade (Turner, 2014). East Toledo, as discussed by Turner, was once the

center of industry. Now that most of this industry has left or failed, abandoned housing and retail

spaces are all that remains. A plan to revitalize this region falls to the riverfront to provide an


economic opportunity for East Toledo (Turner, 2014). The Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan

addresses the riverfront as a focal point for greenways (2011).

Toledo’s plan hopes to establish new industries in East Toledo. This is a blessing and a

curse considering it has the possibility of improving the economy, but does not address the

overall aesthetics and environment in the region. Greenways may provide a beautiful solution to

counteract the negative factors that are brought by industry in East Toledo; and surprisingly

support massive economic benefits to the city as well. While providing environmental and

pedestrian benefits, greenways especially provide an economic opportunity for a city struggling

with vacant housing and low property values. An attraction of people back to the area is a

solution to this issue. Property values, according to Lindsey et al., tend to rise near greenways

because people enjoy the access they provide (2004). Greenways also affect economic

development directly due to the tourism brought in by the greenways and the commercial

development around them (Lindsey et al., 2004). Reinstituting industry back into the region

might solve this issue, but the use of greenways along a beautiful riverfront can attract

populations back into East Toledo as well as boost the economy. A good mix of the two can

really provide a stable economy.

It is evident that one of Toledo’s visions to make the city more attractive is by utilizing

the pedestrian. Mixed use zoning is a measure that can be used to implement pedestrianism into a

more vibrant community. The Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan realizes that neighborhood

commercial zoning is a benefit if taken care of properly. If not, growth of commercial

development over the growth of neighborhoods can inevitably lead to sprawl in which these two


become separate entities. The plan recognizes this ugly potential and addresses it through

drawing boundaries for commercial development. This is used to prevent the sprawl from

collecting in excess along major roads (Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan, 2011). These

boundaries are not always an immediate solution, and in fact, Daniels (2001) discusses two

distinct drawbacks to them. First, when land is constrained, housing and land prices tend to

increase because the availability of land to build on declines. Second, focus inside the boundary

must be shifted to smart growth tactics like green spaces, mass transit, and pedestrianism. If such

a balance is not reached, the boundary simply contains a controlled growth of sprawl the city

needs to rectify (Daniels, 2001). The plan addresses mixed zoning because it has benefits

socially, economically and environmentally as a pedestrian friendly area. As a notorious user of

sprawl along its edges, Toledo must have good urban design when drawing boundaries to make

neighborhood commercial zoning friendlier to its citizens. Otherwise, the strengths of this zoning

style become minimized.

There is an economic and cultural upside to improving the zoning around the city of

Toledo. The city itself is in dire need of economic revitalization as well as stronger communities,

and these areas are the places to start. The overall vision of each land use was to promote

pedestrianism within it. This allows the city to be more interconnected which can inevitably

provide various economic opportunities along with it. Where there is a strong community and

economy, people are bound to seek it out. Making these improvements will not only bring people

in, but will retain these newcomers and current residents alike. This can only be done by making

use of traditional neighborhood design tactics and reducing the sprawl dissecting the city.


Employment and Resources

Employment and resources are one in the same considering that jobs citywide provide

services and resources for residents as well as employment. A city cannot thrive without a solid

economy; an economy based off of these services. In cities that are declining, the economy is

one of the first issues to address. There are two kinds of jobs a city must have in order to provide

for the people and the economy. Cities designate businesses as either being primary jobs or non-

primary jobs. Primary jobs bring money into the city and are essential for economic stability.

These jobs are generally not located in the community, yet provide stable employment for the

residents of the city (Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan, 2011). They usually include industries,

corporations, and other big companies. Retail stores, theaters, restaurants, etc. all fall under the

category of non-primary. These are usually located within a community and improve the quality

of life (Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan, 2011). These are also essential to a city because it

keeps the citizens happy with their living arrangement and provides numerous jobs within the

community that are easily accessible. Toledo’s plan addresses the categories of businesses as

essential to the city but the plan seems vague when it comes to actually formulating direct action.

This is worth noting since Toledo residents have much to say about their city’s primary

economic development as of late.

The City of Toledo Citizens Participation Plan has an extensive list of suggestions for the

city about the economic development. This illustrates how important access to primary jobs is to

a city. Without that access, populations will move out to find employment elsewhere and nothing

will draw new citizens into the city. Some of the suggestions listed addresses Toledo’s need to


create and retain jobs (City of Toledo Citizens Participation Plan, 2010). This is self-explanatory

and an obvious suggestion for any economically-struggling city especially if the city hopes to

sustain its population. However, other suggestions become more specific on the issue. Jobs need

to have more purpose it seems to attract people to the city. Toledo was once known for creating

and manufacturing goods, and now Toledo only seems to be known for its assembly plants.

According to many citizens, Toledo has lost the entrepreneurial spirit it once had (City of Toledo

Citizens Participation Plan, 2010). Primary jobs attract people to work in the city because they

feel they are a part of what makes the city great. When a city loses its essence, and develops a

stigma, it can drive people away. Creating more primary jobs that promotes city spirit can really

stimulate the economy and pull people in. Looking under a microscope at a community level,

non-primary jobs are important for similar reasons.

Non-primary jobs as a source of community spirit was covered briefly above in the land

use zoning section. Leinberger discusses how the building of infrastructure can really make a

community unique (2005). Toledo is a big city. When big cities struggle, the downtown tends to

lose populations in droves. In Toledo, the downtown metropolis is low in population and

definitely lacking a vibrant community. A downtown area must be utilized to its full potential in

order for cities to attract people again. Downtowns are perfect for unique sites like museums,

stadiums, performing arts centers, etc. because they actually seem to perform better there. Much

like these infrastructures, retail also provides a reason to live there (Leinberger, 2005).

Downtown sections are compact and walkable meaning people have incredible access to retail

and other non-primary job sources nearby. It is a perfect location for an increase in non-primary

jobs though they are not just restricted to this location. Non-primary jobs will boost the spirit of


any compactly designed community because it provides nearby resources and access to

employment opportunities. Cities need to embrace the creation and retention of primary and non-

primary jobs alike because people will be given a reason to live there.

Attractive Housing Developments

It is a common theme in this planning era that cities are beginning to revert back to old

traditional neighborhood design. Toledo’s 20/20 plan is riddled with ideas to create a more

compact, vibrant and pedestrian-friendly city. Though a good design strategy, this traditional

planning can become almost too excessive at times pushing people away. This is the current case

in Toledo neighborhoods. With a push for traditional neighborhoods comes an increase in infill

housing. The idea of infill housing is to fit as many homes in a residential area by making use of

every empty space. This leads to a lack of open areas between homes. Residents tend to despise

infill housing for various reasons. Infill housing is mainly used to compact the city for social

gains, but instead simplifies it and changes the structure of the area (Vallance et al., 2004).

People will only live somewhere they enjoy living; so increasing infill will only smother this

community spirit. On top of all that, the over-compact and simplified nature of the neighborhood

will drive down property values. A survey done by Vallance et al. (2004) in a non-infill

neighborhood in New Zealand shows that 75% of residents agree that infill overcrowds

neighborhoods. 60% of residents living in infill housing also agree that it overcrowds

neighborhoods. Therefore this trend exists across all forms of housing portraying people’s dislike

of infill housing. This is where a city must weigh its pros and cons and find the right balance

between compact housing developments and community spirit. Toledo’s 20/20 plan poorly


illustrates how it will respond to the use of infill housing. It primarily addresses housing

improvement.

Toledo’s task to improve housing conditions city-wide is not an easy one. Housing may

be the weakest link Toledo has in terms of retaining its population. Citizens’ complaints range

from abandoned/poorly maintained homes to city services declining (City of Toledo Citizens

Participation Plan, 2010). Therefore, infill housing does not seem like an important topic

currently; nevertheless this must be reconsidered. Cities are already naturally compact from a

high population of people residing in a confined area. If these cities decline, much like Toledo, it

is important to realize that compacting the city with infill housing will not address any of these

issues. Though it is important to focus on a traditional neighborhood design, compacting current

housing that is already compact will only degrade the neighborhood further. This is why it is

important that cities must address infill housing as a negative factor to population growth. A

perfect balance of neighborhood compactness and community complexity must be met to make

plans for the future.

Natural Recreation

Toledo’s plan to make land use of greenways along the river is a promising idea.

Mentioned before, it creates economic, social, and environmental benefits to the city likely to

draw people in. Cities must account for recreational opportunities, such as greenways, as an

important factor for residents. Cities should find a way to develop recreational land use into the

city as naturally as possible. Toledo plans to make use of this open space along the riverfront. As

an economically beneficial land use, greenways were discussed thoroughly. Greenways provide


a more natural sight to residents who have been exhausted by the monotonous urban cityscape.

They attract residents from all over because of their natural beauty and provide exercise and

mental relaxation from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Recreationally these are a great

place to improve the residents’ mental and physical wellbeing. There are certain items that cities

must consider to make recreational spaces as optimized as possible for attracting people.

Otherwise, there is no purpose to their implementation.

Studies done by Shafer et al. (2013) occurred in natural areas along rivers and streams.

This closely mimics Toledo’s own naturally open spaces and provides a great illustration of what

might draw people to these recreational areas. Interestingly enough, people who live in urban

environments are more likely to seek out and actually use the open spaces available than their

rural counterparts (Shafer et al., 2013). Rural people are surrounded by a more natural landscape

whereas urbanites are not which could be a possible explanation as to why natural recreational

spaces are more utilized where there is a higher density of people. People simply need to

experience nature from time to time. These recreational spaces along waterways are also more

visually stimulating to the eye and will attract more bicyclists and pedestrians as a way to get

from here to there. Therefore, these open spaces need to serve as connectors from one place to

another to promote exercise as an equally crucial transportation use over driving (Shafer et al.,

2013). Adding biking and walking paths that stretch along the river can advocate their use.

Almost all cities have waterways of some sort that can be used for this purpose. As a result, these

benefits do not only correspond with Toledo. Regardless, Kaplan and Austin’s research (2004)

shows that tree cover is one of the most important attributes to open recreational spaces. Tree

cover is visually stimulating and provides shade which is especially important during hot


summer months (as cited in Shafer et al., 2013). By drawing people into these recreational areas,

cities can reap the rewards of attracting current and potential residents of the city as well

promoting a healthy lifestyle for people and the environment alike. The social, economic, and

environmental rewards of recreational greenways seem almost endless for the city.

Public Transportation

It almost seems contradictory to finalize an argument by stating that transportation in the

city has become too expansive. Yes, transportation has become spread too far and wide.

Transportation has inevitably left the outskirts of cities sprawling and highways congested. With

private automobile ownership being a convenient way to travel, cities have become so spread out

that pedestrianism has almost completely died as a form of transportation except in the heart of

downtown. This would not be an issue if it were not for the fact that downtowns are seemingly

first to fall due to economic hard times and deeply needing of stimulation; the very stimulation

discussed in this paper to attract more people. If there are no more people living downtown, what

use is pedestrianism as a form of transportation? Furthermore, obvious outcomes of sprawl

caused by extensive private automobile use are as follows: cars release massive amounts of CO2

into the atmosphere, sprawl disallows people from using exercise to get from point A to point B,

and congestion seems to back up highways every weekday and holiday. These issues must be

addressed in order to improve a city’s attractiveness to potential residents. Traditional

neighborhood design discussed at length earlier is a great way to promote pedestrianism within a

community. Mass transit may be a possible solution to the issue of sprawl while providing a

more eco-friendly and streamlined form of transportation.


If cities can adopt mass transit making it more accessible citywide it is no surprise that

many benefits will come from it. Many complaints of the current transportation system in Toledo

are that travelling is not safe and efficient. Also, there is too much congestion along north and

south routes (City of Toledo Citizens Participation Plan, 2010). Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive

Plan (2011) has addressed these various issues by planning to develop better public

transportation. This would prove successful considering that transit would take more drivers off

the road making highway systems more efficient. This lessening of cars would consequently lead

to less CO2 emissions as well.

Mass transit may also provide positive results regardless of the extent of city sprawl.

Though lengthy in time, results may begin to manifest around the city. First off, less cars means

less need for parking lots according to Stefanos Polyzoides, a founding member of the Congress

for the New Urbanism (Dankosky, 2013). Parking lots take up huge open spaces that inevitably

spread buildings out further or make them less accessible by sidewalk. However, adopting this

mass transit system is only effective when it fits into the city. Affordable housing (where people

generally own less cars) grouped near transit stations would be very effective. Additionally,

pushing for businesses to improve transit accessibility would be equally beneficial (Dankosky,

2013). This would almost eliminate the need for citywide private automobile ownership

considering public transportation can deliver residents to their place of employment. Portland has

adopted mass transit and biking systems as the main forms of transportation. More and more

people have moved there and adopted this way of life (Dankosky, 2013). Furthermore, mass

transit is the answer to many urban issues, but most importantly it addresses urban sprawl and

creates an efficient community that current and potential residents would be willing to adopt.


CONCLUSION

The City of Toledo, Ohio is making strides in the right direction. Much of their

comprehensive plan focuses on traditional neighborhood design. This design is responsible for

vibrant communities that once thrived in the heart of big cities. Now declining, some big cities

need to revert back to this design to bring forth environmentally-friendly planning and

pedestrianism to reignite this community once more. This re-ignition will attract local residents

and give the city back a spirit that was once lost, and can be done so through five key

improvements. These improvements include more effective land use zoning, employment and

resources, attractive housing developments, natural recreation, and public transportation. These

features play a key role in the economic, social, and environmental improvements of the city –

improvements that are extremely important to residents. This will potentially attract droves of

people willing to participate in a newly revitalized city. Let’s stop looking at cities as “once

great”, and start seeing them as truly great once more.

I have neither given or received, nor have I tolerated others’ use of unauthorized aid.


References

City of Toledo, (2011). Toledo 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. Retrieved from

http://toledo.oh.gov/media/9898/Toledo-2020-Plan.pdf

City of Toledo, (2010). City of Toledo Citizens Participation Plan. Retrieved from

http://toledo.oh.gov/media/31930/Citizen-Participation.pdf

Daniels, T., (2001). Smart Growth: A New American Approach to Regional Planning. Planning

Practice & Research. 16(3/4), 271-279.

Duany, A., Plater-Zyberk, E., & Speck, J. (2000). Suburban Nation. New York, New York:

North Point Press.

Leinberger, C.B., (2005). Turning Around Downtown: Twelve Steps to Revitalization. Retrieved

fromhttp://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2005/3/downtownredevelo

p ment-leinberger/20050307_12steps.pdf

Lindsey, G., Man, J., Payton, S., & Dickson, K. (2004). Property Values, Recreation Values, and

Urban Greenways. Journal Of Park & Recreation Administration,22(3), 69-90.

Scott Shafer, C., Scott, D., Baker, J., & Winemiller, K. (2013). Recreation and Amenity Values

of Urban Stream Corridors: Implications for Green Infrastructure. Journal Of Urban

Design, 18(4), 478-493.

Turner, K. (2014, September 15). Economic woes hit East Toledo hard. The Blade. Retrieved

from http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2014/09/15/Economic-woes-hit-East-Toledo-

hard.html

Vallance, S., Perkins, H.C., & Moore, K. (2004). The results of making a city more compact:

neighbours’ interpretation of urban infill. Environment and Planning B: Planning and

Design. 32, 715-733.

Dankosky, J. (Host). (2013, September 20). Can Mass Transit Solve City Sprawl? [Radio

broadcast]. Science Friday. Washington, DC: National Public Radio.

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