City Infrastructure

Taking the Lead on Lead in Toledo, Ohio

Marilynne Wood first began researching lead poisoning in Toledo in order to investigate its potential correlation with school dropout and crime rates. A professor...

The Many Lives of the Big Four, the “Bridge That Goes Nowhere”

For the last 135 years, the Big Four Bridge has towered over the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky to Jeffersonville, Indiana with a nearly...

The Push for Greater Accessibility and Diversity in St. Paul Farmers’ Markets

Three green-roofed sheds compose the market, enclosed by traffic-halted cars and the light rail. Blooming bouquets and swelling music greet visitors. A bicyclist leads...

The Revolving Doors of Fort Industry Square

They say a good building can take on many lives. But in many post-industrial spaces across the country, it’s often easier to forgo creativity for efficiency. The historic structures of Toledo are no exception. Over the last century, many beautiful buildings of this port city have been demolished, allowed to fall into disrepair, whose costs of maintenance far outweighs its capital potential. Yet on the waterfront block of Fort Industry Square, along its quaint facades of varying heights and styles, something quietly transformative is happening.
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The Roche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge: A Historical Site on the Verge of Destruction

Take a trip to northwest Ohio and you’ll find the breathtaking Ohio Electric Interurban Bridge, also known simply as the Interurban Bridge (it has...

Is a Walkable Midwest Possible?

When compared to other countries, America receives consistently low walkability scores. A recent study released by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy found...

Dorr Street: A Witness of Toledo, Ohio’s Black History

The 1950s and 1960s were Dorr Street’s golden era. Once considered Toledo’s “Black downtown,” it housed a majority of the city’s Black community and was an important commercial and community hub. The February 3, 1992 Black History edition of The Toledo Journal recalled the street as a place where people young and old got together on the weekend and where families would go shopping, go to the movies, go bowling and attend church. All types of stores and shops decorated the streets, a colorful and lively setting for its residents.

What’s Next for Toledo Express Airport and Midsized Air Travel Hubs?

On Sept. 6, an Embraer ERJ145 jet departed Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport at 3:58 p.m. One hour and 17 minutes later, the...

A New Era for Chicago’s Bronzeville Neighborhood

If the walls of Chicago’s Michael Reese Hospital could talk, they’d beg for purpose: August 31st will mark the medical center’s 13th year of vacancy. This, obviously, was not the plan.

Apple Maps Expands Biking Directions Across Midwestern Cities

There are few facets of everyday life the pandemic has not changed. Social distancing measures will leave lasting impressions on the way we work...

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