Van Aken District Shaker Heights, Ohio

Services Provided

Urban Design
Landscape Architecture

People Involved

Jeff Pongonis
Kerry Reeds
Lisl Kotheimer

Awards

2020 ICSC Global Awards North America Design & Development and Retail - Mixed Use - Gold
2020 Ohio Chapter ASLA Merit Award
2019 National Planning Achievement Award for Implementation—Gold
2019 APA Ohio Built Project Award

Celebrating a community’s rich heritage in a mixed use, transit oriented development

The Van Aken District is a vertically mixed use, transit-oriented redevelopment consisting of residential, retail, and office in the heart of Shaker Heights, Ohio. The project has transformed an existing underutilized strip shopping center into a dense and vibrant neighborhood. The heart of the development, the centrally located ‘Living Room’, provides an internal park element that is supportive of adjacent uses and provides space for seasonal community special events.

Hardscape elements within the space celebrate the cultural history of Shaker Square, while the landscape character is designed to fit comfortably within the context of the community as a whole.