Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative

As part of the Master of Urban Design Practicum, Courtside to Cleveland is a temporary public‑space activation that reimagines an outdoor basketball court through participatory placemaking and low‑cost programming.

This past weekend, soon to be dual degree M.Arch and MUD graduate James Settle (and graduate assistant) engaged the community to explore how short‑term, experimental interventions can generate new uses, social connections, and insights for neighborhood public space.

The activation tests the impact of time‑limited recreational and visual interventions on social use and community interaction. The event featured organized basketball games alongside interactive elements that invited real‑time, documented, and reflective participation, encouraging creative input and community‑driven dialogue around public space design.

We’re hiring!

The Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) at Kent State University is seeking a MOOS Project Assistant to support our youth design-build programming across Cleveland neighborhoods this summer.

This is a great opportunity for someone interested in community-engaged design, creative youth development, and hands-on public space projects working directly with high school students. Job posting here: https://jobs.kent.edu

Position details:
• Short-term role: Mid-May through Mid-August 2026
• Schedule: Up to 28 hours/week (weekdays only)
• Pay: $18.50–$22.20/hour

To apply (by 11:59 PM on Friday, May 1, 2026):
Send a brief statement of interest describing relevant experience, a resume, and a work sample or portfolio to [email protected]

Please share with students, recent grads, and emerging designers who are excited about collaborative, community-based practice!

Big news! Cleveland’s iconic bridge to light up winter - and you’re invited.

Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) and  Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) have been awarded a $20,000 grant from the  to create temporary winter art installations on the historic streetcar level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge. Developed by Brendan Ho, assistant professor of architecture (CAED), and Clifford Benjamin Herring, coordinator of CUDC’s Making Our Own Space (MOOS), this grant proposal builds on years of research, community engagement, and sustained work on the bridge.

Coming in early 2027, the project will transform the bridge with digital projections, youth-created installations, and a one-day public event celebrating Cleveland’s industrial heritage and creative energy as part of America250. Brendan Ho serves as Co-PI on the project alongside PI Allison Lukacsy-Love, Director of the CUDC.

Through CUDC’s MOOS program, local youth will design installations that awaken the bridge during the winter months—bringing art, design, and community to one of Cleveland’s most compelling urban spaces.

In partnership with , the project continues more than 16 years of programming on the bridge and the CUDC’s COLD work, building momentum toward a future where the lower level is regularly open to the public.

Stay tuned for opportunities to engage!

Thanks to the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation for joining students, .scasla faculty and staff today to discuss the future of the current Burke Lakefront Airport site in Downtown Cleveland.

A couple of Masters of Landscape Architecture alumni joined to share their visions for Burke from a 2021 MLA studio.

It’s exciting to think about the vast potential for 450 acres of publicly owned lakefront developed in concert with the land bridge and stadium site redevelopment.

Big news! Cleveland’s iconic bridge to light up winter - and you’re invited.

’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to create temporary winter art installations on the historic streetcar level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Coming in early 2027, the project will transform the bridge with digital projections, youth-created installations, and a one-day public event celebrating Cleveland’s industrial heritage and creative energy as part of America250.

Through CUDC’s MOOS (Making Our Own Space) program, local youth will design installations that awaken the bridge during the winter months—bringing art, design, and community to one of Cleveland’s most compelling urban spaces.

In partnership with , the project continues more than 16 years of programming on the bridge and the CUDC’s COLD work, building momentum toward a future where the lower level is regularly open to the public.

Stay tuned for opportunities to engage!
WinterCities VeteransMemorialBridge America250 CreativePlacemaking NEAarts