Shaker Heights High School and Middle School students who live in the Moreland and Lomond neighborhoods are learning how to transform public spaces in their neighborhoods through a program called Making Our Own Space (MOOS). The students meet after school and during the summer for several hours each week at The Dealership on Lee Road. The City of Shaker Heights provides space and funding for the program, with additional support from the Shaker Heights Youth Center and MyCom.
Led by David Jurca, Associate Director of Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, the program connects students with local design experts in hands-on workshops to design, test, and build temporary and permanent enhancements like public seating, playscapes, or signage. The Family and Community Engagement Center helps to identify students for the program, which is capped at around 12-14 students to allow for optimal group dynamics and leadership opportunities.
Recently, the students worked with local firm RDL Architects to study the need for seating in Hildana Park in the Moreland neighborhood. The students designed a prototype, built and installed their bench, and then observed how the public responded. Seeing it used in real life helped the students, and the City, see a need for permanent seating in this public space. This summer, the students plan to develop more improvements for the park, such as playscapes for youngsters.
Other projects the students have tackled include designing and launching a hot air balloon with a video camera attached, building stoop slides and movable display panels for use at The Dealership. In addition to architects and designers, they have spoken with members of the City's recreation department and police force to get a better understanding of how decisions are made about public spaces.
"The goal of this program is to create a space where students feel comfortable to experiment and fail and learn from that experience," says Jurca. "The students develop curiosity and confidence, and they have a better understanding of how they can direct their environment."
To learn more about the program and see photos of the Shaker students in action, visit
www.wearemoos.org