Centering Community Through Inclusive and Hands-On Planning
How the Eastland for Everyone Plan was Crafted by and for the Community.
Eastland for Everyone defines the community’s aspirations and creates a framework for the stabilization and revitalization of the Eastland area of Columbus. It is the first step toward creating an inclusive and equitable new chapter for the Eastland area and a bright future for all who live, work, worship, play, and learn there.
Eastland is the third neighborhood to have a focused community plan administered by the City of Columbus’ Department of Neighborhoods (DON). Under this model, the DON marshals city departments, Area Commission and other neighborhood leadership, allied organizations, and institutions to focus intently on the uplift of a neighborhood. MKSK was fortunate to lead this work alongside the Columbus Neighborhood Design Center, Cohear, and Development Strategies.
Compared to other neighborhoods of Columbus, which emerged in the 19th century, Eastland is still relatively “young.” The annexation of the Eastland area into the City of Columbus occurred between 1956 and 2004, with most of that expansion happening in the post-war era between 1956 and 1970. This period of American urbanization was centered around suburban expansion and the proliferation of the automobile, as evidenced by the construction of the interstate system in Central Ohio during that era, including I-70 which began construction in 1962. The scars of this era of city planning are still felt across the city today, and the Eastland area is no different.
Over the course of 16 months, the Eastland for Everyone Community Plan directly involved more than 1,800 neighbors in the creation of a vision for the future of Eastland.
An inclusive engagement strategy underpinned this work to ensure this plan was reflective of the Eastland community. An advisory committee comprised of community stakeholders and change-makers led the way, providing guidance, insights, and feedback throughout the process. Outreach was extensive and intentional, focusing on understanding the lived experiences of a diverse set of community members. Focus group meetings, stakeholder conversations, pop-up events, office hours, mailers, and online and digital tools provided numerous ways for the community to engage in the planning process. Three traditional Public Meetings were augmented by five Topic Workshops.
This hands-on and transparent approach to plan creation allowed community voices to directly shape the final plan.
This robust community involvement was complemented by community analysis and research.
This data-informed methodology examined the conditions of Eastland today, the systems that have shaped the community, and the challenges that the community faces. When combined with community engagement findings, a more complete understanding of Eastland emerged. The outcome is a plan that both validates today’s lived experiences and points to needed solutions for the future.
Eastland for Everyone establishes a framework to guide the revitalization and improvement of Eastland. The plan is organized around eight topics that were chosen by the community. For each topic there is a Big Idea that expresses a community-informed desired outcome. To achieve success, supporting Objectives and Action Items provide direction and propose solutions.
The creation of these Big Ideas, Objectives, and Action Items were co-created with the community and partners across five innovative Topic Workshops that brought everyone together to co-create solutions. This open, transparent, and inclusive process invited community members to roll up their sleeves and sit side-by-side with the city, private sector, institutional, and non-profit partners to develop recommendations and create an implementation framework to guide priorities and serve as an accountability structure.
In addition to capturing community ideas and aspirations, the plan also clearly illustrates what success can look like if the Action Items are realized. Five Early Win projects will start to improve Eastland in the short-term. From the Columbus State Career Development Center, to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Eastland Prosperity Center and Mid-Ohio Market, to the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s investment in park space and trails, there are several investments in people and places coming soon to Eastland. In addition to these near-term improvements, the community also identified 15 Catalytic Opportunities that will further transform and revitalize the Eastland area.
The Eastland community is to be congratulated for coming together to create this plan. The community’s strong interest, involvement, and commitment has set forth a common vision for the future of Eastland. While the work is just beginning, the community now has a framework for success that will create a more welcoming, prosperous and connected Eastland for all.
Andrew Overbeck, AICP, is a Principal and Practice Leader at MKSK. Andrew takes a collaborative approach to developing effective plans that address complex urban challenges and identify catalytic, community-driven projects. He has led transformational planning efforts across central Ohio and beyond, including downtown and neighborhood revitalization, long-range community plans, streetscape design, and public space improvements. His work consistently emphasizes sustainability, connectivity, and inclusive urban revitalization, with a focus on creating vibrant, livable places.