Lakeview Terrace: Democracity in Action
- Garden Cities of Tomorrow
- Lakeview Terrace: The Promise
- Lakeview Terrace: The Product
- Democracity in Action
Description
It was during the New Deal that the government, for the first time, began to take a direct role in the design and construction of housing for its citizens. The first three projects approved under this new policy were located in Cleveland, Ohio, with Lakeview Terrace being the last of the three original housing projects to be completed. Lakeview Terrace became, for a time, a symbol of enlightened modernity and its influence on urban planning reached far beyond the borders of Cleveland. The culmination of its influence may have been at the New York World's Fair that was held from 1939 until 1940. It has been recognized that world's fairs, by involvement with local planning agencies have evolved into planning mechanisms for development of new land, new communities, and civic improvement. It is very possible that this process was inverted at the 1939 New York World's Fair and that Lakeview Terrace had a strong influence on the planning of the Theme Center of the Fair.
Credits
Matthew Weitendorf
Sections
Garden Cities of Tomorrow
Ebenezer Howard's "garden city," originally presented in his book To-morrow: a peaceful path to reform in 1898, promoted the idea of well planned, decentralized communities. These were not envisioned as mere suburban subdivisions, but self-contained communities that would combine the best elements of rural and urban living.Lakeview Terrace: The Promise
Lakeview Terrace showed how, instead of constructing a new community outside of the city area, as in the garden city approach, a planned community could be created within an existing urban environment. Under the supervision of the project's chief architect, Joseph Weinberg, Lakeview Terrace was designed by tow young architects, Wallace Teare and William Conrad. In 1935 they had prepared the final plan that is notable for its successful adaptation to the hillside by a curving loop road with housing units arranged in a fan-like pattern.
Lakeview Terrace: The Product
Lakeview Terrace consisted of 44 fire resistant two and three story apartment buildings and two story row houses, providing 620 dwelling units. There were 118 garages, as well as 13 stores to assure shopping convenience.
Lakeview Terrace also had the first community center in a public housing project. The community building contained a clinic and nurse's receiving room, an auditorium, and club and social rooms. A kindergarten and a special play area for the very young had also been provided in this building.