​​How can we make the NorthCoast Harbor more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable?

About the project 

 This interdisciplinary project engages students in designing a real-world public space – the North Shore Harbor Connector – while emphasizing inclusivity, sustainability, and community engagement. 

About the Partnership 

GCP is the region’s leading economic development organization and with over 12,000 members, the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation. Guided by a board of corporate and entrepreneurial CEOs, the organization focuses on strategic initiatives, business services, and advocacy to build a vibrant business environment and region. It includes the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) and Cleveland Development Advisors, a real estate development affiliate. GCP is committed to working with private, civic, and public partners to accelerate Greater Cleveland's growth and prosperity towards being one of the Great Regions in the Great Lakes.

​Project Deliverables

Phase 1 

Students will choose a population that will interact with the NorthCoast Harbor and discover their needs and the problems that they may face in accessing the space. Students will complete the following: 

1. Conduct interviews and surveys to grasp user needs and preferences.
2. Create empathy maps, persona profiles, or models to visualize different perspectives.
3. Analyze the current site and study accessibility and sustainability best practices.
4. Identify main challenges and opportunities from interviews and survey data

Phase 2

Students are tasked with brainstorming and designing an innovative amenity for the harbor area, tailored to meet the identified needs and challenges of the target audience. The final deliverables should encompass a variety of ideas and selection criteria for prototyping, as well as a detailed digital or physical model of the proposed amenity.

1. A list of ideas that were generated, and the criteria used to determine which to start prototyping
2. A digital or physical model of the proposed amenity

Phase 3

Students will have the opportunity to showcase their amenities to key stakeholders, engage in meaningful discussions, and collect valuable feedback to enhance their offerings. Students will then re-design their amenities based on the feedback given. Final presentations will include at least three redesigns and the feedback that prompted each.