Pop Up Cleveland

Congratulations, Cleveland as you are about to experience Pop Up - specifically Leap Night, part of Pop Up Cleveland, this Friday evening.

Taking place on the East Flats, Leap Night is intended to act as a catalyst for the area and future Wolstein development.

The effort needs to be applauded and recognized by the community, which may best be done by attendance at Friday night's event. COME ON PEOPLE - There will be snowboarding, ice rinks, and music ... IN THE FLATS!!! The prospect of these events all taking place are a worth spectacle, but given their location Leap Night will be much more than just a spectacle.

Likewise, the CUDC (Cleveland Urban Design Center) did a great job of kick-starting this year's Pop-Up temporary installation with a workshop earlier today. Berlin-based landscape architect and planner Klaus Overmeyer provided an insight into his firm's studies which comprise the book Urban Pioneers. Frankly, Mr. Overmeyer gave IS a lot to think about in terms of repurposing existing spaces and buildings. Given that we at IS are an architect, we consume ourselves with a final, built product - not repurposing for an event or use (renovations aside).

Tore Dobberstein and Andreas Haase from Sportification (Berlin-based planners) also gave us something to think about - temporal use of a space with athletic events that varied from BMX bikes (we suspect Tore is an avid BMX rider) to Frisbee golf. Once again, it gave us something to think about ...

• Why can't we reprogram vacant spaces downtown Cleveland for an indoor golf driving range?
• Why can't we do a better job of connecting events throughout a city instead of alienating them from one another?
• Why the heck hasn't there been a bicycle rental pavilion built anywhere in Cleveland in an effort to enable another means to experience the city?

Frankly, given the presentations by Mr. Overmeyer, Mr. Dobberstein, and Mr. Haase were invaluable as they demonstrated a wide range of potentials for Cleveland to pursue as it begins to re-question its vacant spaces and look for means to re-energize itself.