COUNTY PLANNING NEWSLETTER
June 2026
| | Introducing the Cuyahoga County Unified Zoning Code | | |
County Planning is unveiling a new initiative to address outdated zoning regulations in Cuyahoga County: the Unified Zoning Code (UZC), a coordinated effort to modernize zoning standards, unlock development opportunities, and reduce barriers that currently exist across the County's 59 jurisdictions.
For years, Cuyahoga County communities have recognized that their zoning codes are outdated, expensive to update, and often incompatible with current development needs. To address these issues, the UZC initiative aims to:
- Establish a comprehensive zoning ordinance, held and maintained by County Planning, yet adopted, administered, and enforced by communities that opt-in to the code
- Create a centralized online zoning map for participating communities
- Provide planning expertise and support while maintaining local control, administration, and authority
- Ensure zoning remains current through a multi‑community maintenance consortium
By streamlining the current varied regulatory environment among communities, the UZC will save time, increase certainty, and maximize the opportunities for residents and developers to accomplish their goals.
If your community is interested in participating, a limited number of spots are still available in the initial round. Contact Patrick Hewitt at phewitt@cuyahogacounty.gov for more information.
| | Comprehensive Safety Action Plan: Call for Proposals | | Image courtesy of Cuyahoga County | | |
Over the five-year period from 2017 to 2021, 484 people were killed in fatal crashes in Cuyahoga County, tragedies that upend lives, families, and communities. In response to this and other alarming statistics, County Planning received a SS4A grant and is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultants to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan for Cuyahoga County. The Cuyahoga County Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (Action Plan) will examine our transportation network and perform a detailed analysis of existing crashes to strategically address the most pressing safety concerns.
The development of the Action Plan will include extensive data analysis and community engagement, resulting in the development of infrastructure and non-infrastructure recommendations to improve safety for all roadway users. The Action Plan will rely on collaboration, coordination, and input from County departments, regional service and safety providers, and the communities of Cuyahoga County. It will be complementary to the local Safety Action Plans already completed or are being developed by the cities of Cleveland, Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Independence, Rocky River, and Westlake.
| | New Census Bureau Data for Cuyahoga County | | | | |
In May, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2025 Population Estimates for cities, villages, and townships, joining the county-level data the bureau published in March.
The March release showed slowing growth in the nation's metropolitan statistical areas, largely due to lower levels of international immigration. Locally, the estimates showed roughly flat populations in Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland between 2024 and 2025. Visit our Population Estimates page to see data for every community in Cuyahoga County and for Greater Cleveland counties.
| | Advancing the Cuyahoga Greenways: West Creek Trail | | The ribbon-cutting of the West Creek Greenway Trail in Parma, a 0.41-mile all-purpose trail connecting Camelot Drive to Broadview Road in Parma via the Metroparks' West Creek Reservation, is a key piece of the nearly 20-mile West Creek Greenway that will ultimately connect Seven Hills, Parma, Brooklyn Heights, and Independence to the Metroparks' West Creek Reservation. | | |
- Congratulations to County Planning Executive Director Mary Cierebiej, AICP, who was named one of the Crain's Cleveland Business Women of Influence for 2026 for her work to advance our region.
- Together with colleagues from the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Metroparks, Liam Leveto, GIS Analyst, and Paul Triolo, AICP, Planner, participated in a panel discussion about the Cuyahoga Greenways Plan Update at the APA Cleveland Planning & Zoning Workshop held on May 14 in Independence.
- Liam Leveto also presented on the process of updating the data for the Cuyahoga Greenways Plan at the 2026 Great Lakes Geosymposium held on June 3 and 4 in Cleveland.
| Bike-with-a-Mayor Is Back! | |
With the return of warmer weather, a new season of Bike-with-a-Mayor rides is underway. Leaders in Garfield Heights and Richmond Heights have already held rides, and upcoming ones include:
Visit the Cuyahoga Greenways page for the full schedule of Bike-with-a-Mayor rides. More will be added as additional communities schedule their events.
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