2012: Transforming the Bridge | 12245

Team: Megan Young, Mark Bailey, Sam Toland

Location: Miami, Ohio

Overview: The Bridge as an Urban Street: Re-imagining the Detroit-Superior Bridge

The Detroit-Superior Bridge is primarily a connector and a roadway. The upper deck is clearly
dedicated to the automobile. While it has sidewalks, there is no question that this level is
dominated by automobile traffic, and the pedestrian routes have only a functional role. One would
only cross on foot if required, and not by choice.

The bridge does not possess the qualities of a street. Instead, it is a lifeless interstitial zone
between different parts of the city. What would best serve Cleveland is the creation of space that
could coexist with the functional needs of the car, while also appealing to the more
phenomenological character of the pedestrian street and building facades. This proposal to
redevelop the lower bridge deck would introduce retail, recreation, and diverse cultural aspects into
a space that is currently underutilized. Also, it would serve to connect three areas: Ohio City,
Downtown, and the Cuyahoga River basin. All are areas that are currently fragmented and difficult
to move between.

In creating a space that has qualities of a street edge and other pedestrian focused aspects of
public space, the lower deck of the bridge can be reclaimed for socially and economically viable
functions, while also serving as a pedestrian and bicyclist connector. In the former underground
stations at the ends of the bridge, cultural history and artistic expression will become the best use
of the space, while also allowing a diverse range of expression, ranging from nostalgic, to avant-
garde, and to the bleeding edge.