The Director of Cleveland’s City Planning Commission and a private developer tackled zoning issues in artists housing today at the second annual Rust Belt to Artist Belt conference being held in Cleveland through Friday.

The city of Cleveland updated its comprehensive plan a few years ago to include special live-work space overlays that allow artists to make their homes in areas zoned for light commercial activity. Arts promotion of this type is considered to be important to the local economy because Cleveland has a surplus of industrial space that is well-suited to conversion for artists. Furthermore, the arts have played an important role in revitalizing a number of Cleveland neighborhoods.

Readers of Rust Wire (and citizens of the Rust Belt in general) may know that some of Buffalo’s strongest assets are its spectacular architectural treasures.
The city is wisely trying to capitalize on these structures for tourism and economic development purposes.
Take a look at this video from The Buffalo News about efforts to restore the Richardson- Olmsted complex (formerly the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane).
I’ve driven by this building before, I’m eager to see what the inside is like.
What asset or piece of unusual architecture do you think your city …

Filmmaker Billy Erhard has filmed the insides and outsides of dozens of abandoned homes in Buffalo, New York, as they are being torn apart by workers. This six-minute video is an attempt to preserve the images of the mostly 1920s-era bungalows after they are demolished.

The city of Buffalo has more than 20,000 abandoned homes. Mayor Byron Brown has been leading an aggressive demolition campaign there.
Preservation Nation magazine, who tipped us off to the project, has posted a great story about the film here.
Erhard produced the video for the “Story about …

How freakin’ cool this is?

You are looking at the new observation deck on the 103rd floor of Chicago’s Sears Tower, which recently underwent renovations.
This is the view:

The balconies, more than 1,300 feet in the air, open to the public today.
More here.
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