THE VISION ISSUE - City of Shaker Heights

past
as prologue
Three groups of Shaker residents, representing those who
never left, those who left and returned, and newcomers,
answer the perennial question: Why Shaker
BY JULIE MCGOVERN VOYZEY
One hundred years ago, when the word “network” referred to the grid
of streets or newly laid tracks, this fledgling City began to take shape.
The focus was on the physical development of streets, sidewalks, houses,
schools, and a rail system, but the foundation for the City’s identity,
those defining character traits that make it unique, was also laid.
The physical structures and the meticulous planning paved the way
for Shaker’s transformation from farmland to community, from just
another place, to a place to call home. The sidewalks, the lot sizes and
setback requirements, and the emphasis on a walkable city with neighborhood
schools created an environment of interconnected places and
interconnected people.
The careful planning worked. What existed from the City’s earliest
days thrives 100 years later. It is that well-defined sense of community,
a network of neighborhoods and neighbors that makes this a beloved
and special place. It is what keeps people here, brings them back home,
or makes newcomers feel that they have found a place to settle in.
28 WWW.SHAKERONLINE.COM