Downtown Cleveland is 26% parking lot

More than a quarter of downtown's surface area is dedicated to parking, according to analysis by the nonprofit Parking Reform Network.

• Cleveland's 26% coverage is higher than the national average, but lower than those of nearby Columbus (27%) and Detroit (30%).

Why it matters: Cities with vast quantities of parking have ample land that could otherwise be devoted to building parks, housing or office districts, all of which lead to more walkable cities, per the Network's analysis.

Zoom out: On average, about 20% of land in city centers analyzed by the Parking Reform Network is dedicated solely to parking.

Of note: Per the map, Cleveland's central business district is the area bounded by East 18th Street to the east, I-90 to the south, the Cuyahoga River to the west and Lake Erie to the North.

• The map doesn't include underground parking or parking incorporated in a building with other uses, such as retail, office or residential.

💭 My thought bubble: In a high-profile land-use upgrade, the construction of the Sherwin-Williams headquarters will eliminate the surface parking lots just west of Public Square.