A few weeks ago I had a pretty profound conversation with Phillip Lane of New America Energy at the Design Show held at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Phillip is working on a very provocative electric car concept and had a small car factory in the City of East Cleveland. Cool stuff. The car is a beautifully designed vehicle that holds great promise and appeal. What struck me from the conversation was a quick comment from Phillip about how “post-sputnik, there has been only one national policy on manufacturing….to outsource it to other countries.” My father is a machinist and for many years he had a steady job at one firm. For the past ten years he has moved from one job to another. He is an amazing craftsman and the instability in the country’s manufacturing base has prompted personal reflection.

 Now, I have been blessed with a job that puts me on the front lines of development in Cleveland, and it strikes me daily how robust the manufacturing sector once was in Cleveland. Name one neighborhood in the city that does not have at least one old manufacturing facility literally in the neighborhood. Hell, I live in an old knitting mill that has been converted to gorgeous living space. But, I suspect this region would much rather have the economic output of the factory to modern apartments (a region should anyway). Consider this:

 -City of Cleveland was once the printing capital of the world (most of the buildings along St. Clair and Superior Avenue were printing factories - i.e. - Tower Press Building);

 -City of Cleveland was once the clothing capital for the U.S. - the signs of this are everywhere - just look at the painted sign on the building on the corner of W. 9th and Lake (clothing manufacturing and warehousing);

 -The City of Cleveland and its manufacturing base fed the heavy industries found in Detroit and Pittsburgh (these three cities - Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit - built the U.S., one would think we would get move love), and;

 -Consider all of the manufacturing skill and master tradesmen we have lost in this region because we have not invested and or protected our manufacturing base. Skill merits a high wage and when a region begins to lose its craftsmen wages begin to fall (in many cases in dramatic fashion).

Given that there will probably not be a national manufacturing policy in the near future, we should at least attempt to craft one locally. We cannot affort to lose our last remaining manufacturing base. It is imperative, even for the local and region technology industry to have a stong, growing manufacturing base in the Cleveland area. This goes on beyond national security - truth is the U.S. should have the manufacturing capabilities to protect the defense industries at least - but speaks to the wealth of the country and, for us here in Cleveland, our proud city.

A few weeks ago I was finishing up my Bridge Builders class with a presentation at the West Tech Lofts. The West Tech Lofts was an old high school (true story - at one time the largest high school in the state of Ohio) that has been converted into loft apartments. Very, very cool place. As we wrapped up our Bridge Builders session, I took up an offer to tour the facility (a choice move - if you get the opportunity). It is an impressive redevelopment. While on a tour of the top floor I got a choice view of I-90, when I was struck by an endless array of streets that dead-end into the highway with the other half of the street cut from the other side - meaning I was looking at a street that was once unencumbered by the highway. (This made me think of a photo that was presented to me a few weeks back showing President Kennedy in Cleveland, during September of 1962, waving from his limousine. The photo noted that the shot was taken from W. 65th and Detroit Avenue. The reason for the drive was that Detroit Avenue at the time was the only way to get to the airport from Downtown. Quick Note: the limousine was the same one he was in when he was assassinated in Dallas two short months from then. I understand that I-90 does not take you to the airport but it reminded me of how young the highway system is in the U.S.) Street after street die at the hills that overlook the highway. These streets were once connected - full neighborhoods ripe with life and vigor. Long, long streets that had a rich history. Sad to see them cut up for a large highway.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am enjoying a fine dinner @ Jak’s (W. Sixth and St. Clair - go there) with Jacob, a good friend. During our conversation Jacob mentions that he went to high-school at West Tech and remembers when he could walk from his old street south of West Tech all the way to the school. No highway. The near West Side at the time was a working-class, middle american neighborhood that was torn asunder by a federal highway project. Eminent domain forced thousands, not hundreds mind you, but thousands of tax paying working class out of the culturally rich neighborhoods of Cleveland and into the suburbs. The original plan for I-90 was to also go right through the east side (i.e. - Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights - but those neighborhoods were a bit more wealthy and more vocal about the highway) but was quickly scuttled. The west side of Cleveland had no such hope. I-90, then, became an accelerator for the loss of the population base for the City. Opened the far west side of Cuyahoga County for development (hey no I-90 no Crocker Park, no Avon Lake, no Westlake). All in the name of progress. I am a bit shocked at the number of people who lost their homes and made way out to the burbs. Thousands! Just imagine the sense of neighborhood that could exist if I-90 were built a few miles south. Instead a great neighborhood with a dramatic history were cut to the bone.

I have to give kudos to David Moss of the Cleveland Institute of Art (“CIA”) for putting on a great design show last Friday evening at the Future Center. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of the CIA and Future. David is always on the bleeding edge of design and technology. This may come as a great surprise to many of you but Cleveland is a huge exporter of design and by this I mean the CIA and other great schools in the area are producing degreed design professionals that are then leaving the area to take jobs at Chrysler, ideo, EA Games, Microsoft and various other design shops. Truth is Cleveland has a competitive advantage in design (the new technology frontier).

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz on the District of Design. This District could be a huge economic benefit to Cleveland. I would like to put out the clarion call for everyone to support this concept and to get involved. Volunteer your time to identify great design shops that would be interested in such a concept. Help Cleveland keep its world class talent. Your new mantra should be, “Design is good.”