Kenmore Neighborhood Plan Akron, Ohio

Services Provided

Planning
Community Engagement

People Involved

Andrew Overbeck
Sarah Lilly

Comprehensive plan to manage the growth and preservation of open space and natural resources

Designated as a priority community by the City of Akron Planning and Urban Development Department, the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance is working to create a common vision for the future of the community. MKSK assisted Kenmore leaders and City staff in creating a neighborhood plan that will leverage funding opportunities and create improvements over the near and long term. Informed by a retail market study, and in collaboration with various neighborhood and community organizations, the resulting neighborhood plan takes a holistic look at Kenmore.

To reach more residents than a typical planning process, the Kenmore community was engaged via a series of festive events that were held on Kenmore Boulevard over the course of the year. The process began with a Jane’s Walk: Re-imagine Kenmore’s Boulevard District.

This allowed residents to point out issues and discuss opportunities together as they walked the boulevard with neighborhood leaders and planners.Community input was also gathered at two monthly community events that featured live music, street vendors, and food trucks. Online surveys conducted by both the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance and the City of Akron supplemented these special events.

The final Neighborhood Plan aims to foster a culture of cross-sector collaborative planning, make Kenmore a more walkable, bikeable, and livable neighborhood, initiate a shared vision for development, and create a blueprint for both immediate and long-term improvements. Before the final plan was even complete, implementation had already begun with a road diet and installment of protected bike lanes along Kenmore Boulevard to calm traffic and link the neighborhood with the regional Towpath Trail.