Can I make small upgrades in my park?
Quick answer: You can make small upgrades to City of Cleveland parks with permission from city officials. Lots of residents are making small upgrades to their park!
Next steps:
See if your park already has a resident-led Friends of Group working to improve the park.
Reach out to Jay Rauschenbach (jrauschenbach@clevelandohio.gov), the Planning Manager for Parks and Recreation at the City of Cleveland and describe your request.
Stay connected with the Parks and Greenspace Coalition to support resident-led park stewardship.
More information: Generally, City of Cleveland code says only city employees of the parks can plant any flowers, shrubs, or trees in city parks— as well as make other minor improvements.
But, residents can work with staff at the City of Cleveland to get approval for a small upgrade to their park. Getting approval ensures city maintenance staff won’t remove or damage your improvements. Often, the city will require an insurance certificate.
The Parks & Greenspace Coalition is actively advocating for a new city policy that lowers the requirements for resident-led improvements to city parks, making it easier for you and your neighbors to create a more vibrant city park!
There are plenty of avenues to improve your nearby city park:
See our post on forming a ‘Friends of Group’ for taking care of your local park, or search online to see if your local park already has an established group
Connect with organizations around Cleveland working to improve access to parks and greenspaces
Join the Cleveland Parks & Greenspace Coalition and help advocate for increased park access and ownership for all Clevelanders!
More questions?
Send us an email (parkscoalitioncle@gmail.com) or message us on Instagram (@parkscoalitioncle)
