Low Hanging Fruit

Those of us who live near Shaker Square, who see it as an essential Cleveland neighborhood and who are linked to it by good memories are pleased that it is now in the strong hands of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten. Bell, Carr Community Development Corporation.

They are now restoring it and re-envisioning the future of our nearly 100-year old gathering place and shopping and dining area. Major repairs are being made. With expert advice, strategic decisions are being considered. All this is being done while the Square is open for business.

While this vital high-investment work is being planned and implemented, there are also opportunities for low cost, visible, supportive improvements — low hanging fruit. This page will present some of these ideas. Long-time visitors to this website have seen some of these suggestions on our old page Ten Ways to Improve Shaker Square.

Arnie Berger   March 28, 2024
 

Security

Shaker Square recently improved its lighting and increased its video camera coverage. The lights will speak (shine) for themselves. To tell visitors about the video coverage, display small signs all around the camera-covered areas.
 

Hot Line

If we see something on the Square that needs prompt attention, but not a call to 911, have a "hot line" we can call. This can be done by showing the number on the directory in each quadrant of the Square, and on the signs, suggested above, that say "You are in a video-monitored place".
 

Free Short Term Parking: on Cleveland's Meters

The parking meters along Shaker Boulevard are Cleveland's. Our City Council can add a provision for free short-term parking in neighborhoods to the city's parking ordinances. This kind of change costs little and can help restaurants and other food take-out businesses from Kamm's Corners on the far west side to Shaker Square.
 

Free Short Term Parking: on the Square's Meters

Shaker Square controls the parking meters all around the Square. It can modify them to allow free short-term parking, as it did from 2007 - 2010, a change welcomed by business owners and customers. Meters will still be needed, lest all spaces be taken by commuters.
 

Friends of Shaker Square

Re-establish Friends of Shaker Square to create a way those who care about our historic neighborhood can work together in its support.
 

Make the Square more Senior-Friendly

At night, the Square can be a place for persons of working age, here from near and far to meet and eat and celebrate. But in the day, it's a place where older persons are seen.

Simple ways to increase the daytime activity include Senior (discount) Wednesdays, early-bird dinners and more of the small curbside ADA-compliant ramps that say "welcome" to older persons. (added 4/4/24)
 

The Square's Four Directories

These directories once enhanced the Square, but are now faded and out of date. Redesign them to show four maps, one per quadrant, each with a QR code linking to its page on the ShakerSquare.com website. The Square's four sections are labeled A, B, C and D. It's not easy to remember what those letters mean. Restore their old names — Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest.

See you on the Square.