Lilah Zautner interview, 15 August 2010

Interviewee Lilah Zautner talks about her ties to Cleveland and education in the first part of the interview. In July 2009, she was hired to manage the grant side of ReImagining Cleveland, a shared staff position. She talks about the study ReImagining Cleveland and more Sustainable Cleveland. Another point of discussion is how Neighborhood Progress Inc. approached the City of Cleveland to allocate funds. In much of the interview, she details out the application and funding process, problems encountered and how projects were selected. She talks about the different types of projects and how they were divided into thirty-one agricultural projects and twenty-seven greening projects. She gives examples of specific projects and a future study focused outside of Cleveland in the suburbs. There is discussion of the five-year plan, data collected about the project and evaluation. She also talks about the use of the decision tree for demolition efforts of structures. Using larger areas of vacant land as an economic driver. There is also emphasis on the community and people and organizations involved in this project along with how diverse they are.