Linden Community Master Plan

Columbus, Ohio

Just three miles northeast of Downtown Columbus, Ohio, the Linden neighborhood is near many of the region’s primary institutions, employment centers, and rapidly developing neighborhoods. Yet the neighborhood continues to struggle with disinvestment and quality of life concerns. Given these challenges and potential opportunities to leverage its geographic assets, the City of Columbus and a number of institutional partners—including the United Way of Central Ohio and The Ohio State University—embarked on a long-range community master planning process led by the Neighborhood Design Center (NDC).

Our Approach

In support of the Linden Community Plan process, Development Strategies analyzed the local retail and commercial market and developed a long-term strategic framework for targeted and incremental investments along the neighborhood’s once-vibrant commercial corridors. The market analysis identified demand to support a number of retail uses that could leverage strengths in the neighborhood, including a strong locally-owned business community and a new Bus Rapid Transit line running along the main commercial spine of the neighborhood (Cleveland Avenue).

Since the completion of the Master Plan, local community development organization Homeport was selected by the City to develop a 100-unit senior affordable housing community at a key intersection in Linden. This $20 million investment will be a catalyst for future commercial and housing investment in Linden.