AKRON, Ohio -- A third of Akron's downtown land is parking lots, a statistic Akron officials and planners want to reduce through better transit and design, as part of the Akron Downtown Vision & Redevelopment plan.

The number is high but not unusual for the Midwest, said Andrew Overbeck, project manager at urban design and planning firm MKSK, which is working with Downtown Akron Partnership. About 175 residents came to the Akron Civic Theatre Wednesday night to weigh in on the city's future in Phase 2 of the plan, commissioned by Mayor Dan Horrigan to improve the city, working from downtown outward to Akron's 24 neighborhoods.

Phase 1, completed last year, set forth a series of planning principles. Phase 2 features two more public meetings this year to gather residents' ideas for downtown.

The city plans to address challenges including the physical barriers around downtown, such as railroad tracks, the Y-bridge and uneven topography, which make connections to neighborhoods difficult.

But the city is making progress, Overbeck said.

"What's really great about this planning process is the timing really couldn't be

Attendees were invited to share their vision for downtown Akron.

better" he said. "Around the country we're seeing a lot of movement back toward not just downtowns but the inner neighborhoods."

And for the first time, as Millennials and Empty Nesters begin to move back into downtowns, jobs are following, he said during a presentation available here.

In Akron, downtown momentum is building through the Bowery project to redevelop Lock 4 and the Main Street promenade project paid for by a $5 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, Overbeck said.

Policies such as Akron's city-wide residential tax abatement, launching this summer, is a powerful step for the city, while Akron's efforts to replace the Innerbelt highway with useful amenities and green space is the talk of every urban planning news blog across the country as well, he said.

Transitioning some main streets back to two-way also is helpful in redeveloping downtown.

Prior to Overbeck's presentation, attendees shared where they live, what parts of downtown they visit or avoid and what they want to see in the future at stations in the theater lobby..

Following the presentation, attendees were invited back to the lobby to weigh in on six different topics, including where downtown needs redeveloped and what type of residential housing is needed.

All meeting materials will be available for download. Residents are also encouraged to take an online survey.

At the next public meeting Sept. 19, officials will present development concepts and strategies, based on information gathered Wednesday.

At a third meeting at the end of the year, the team will present a draft plan of the refined ideas for implementation.

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