The Cleveland Foundation provided support for the planning and start-up of Rapid Recovery, a citizens’ campaign mounted during Cleveland’s bicentennial year of 1996 to clean up and beautify the trash-littered landscape along the rapid transit line linking Cleveland Hopkins Airport to downtown and points east. The project, which greatly improved the appearance of a right-of-way serving 60,000 commuters and countless visitors each day, morphed into a permanent organization, CLEAN-LAND, OHIO.

CLEAN-LAND planted trees and small flower gardens throughout the city before its transformation in 1999 to ParkWorks, an advocacy and project management organization dedicated to the creation and connection of green and open spaces of all kinds and sizes. In 2011, ParkWorks merged with Cleveland Public Art to form LAND Studio, a developer of urban parks and public art. Recognizing the importance of building these kinds of capacities, the Cleveland Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of the programs and projects of each successor organization.