OBCDC was interested in having our team “conduct a needs assessment for the redevelopment of sustainable greenhouse production.”  The intent was to essentially develop a business case for the development of greenhouses in Old Brooklyn which would reflect the historical status of Old Brooklyn as the “greenhouse capital of the world”.

Reason for Project:

• Discuss and plan for a sustainable local food production system that will nurture Old Brooklyn and the surrounding communities both economically and socially.
• Visibly illustrate the linkages to other economic development activities underway in Old Brooklyn and the surrounding areas.

 Project Deliverables:

• Documented the current-state systems which affect the feasibility of a new greenhouse food production system in Old Brooklyn using an Action Research Methodology.  This included a series of structured interviews with key stakeholders, the development of a stakeholder map and the creation of a causal loop map.
• Completed a feedback session with all system stakeholders (26) using a modified “World Café” format http://www.theworldcafe.com/pdfs/cafetogo.pdf.

 Project Results/Benefits:

• Clarified/Documented Strategic Plan: The project resulted in the development of a strategic plan with defined initiatives, committee assignments, goals and metrics to track success.
• Moved the Project “Ball”: Our part of the project led to a presentation to OBCDC Board; funding exploration by Entrepreneurs 4 Sustainability, NOFN and OBCDC; and the hiring of a “Greenhouse Nudger” by OBCDC. Also, Leadership Cleveland chose our project for next year’s focus project.
• Publication: After the project was complete, an article of our project success was published by Kessels & Smit in November 2004.