Category Archives: Columbus Environment

How Columbus Changed in 10 Years Part 2

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how Columbus changed in 10 years part 2 Columbus, Ohio

An overcast day in 2011.

I received a massive positive response for the first version of this series, which was just a simple mashup of before and after photos of different parts of Columbus urban neighborhoods over the course of a decade. Because of that response, I have decided to do this How Columbus has changed in 10 years part 2 series. This time, besides adding more photos from core neighborhoods, I will expand the series out to other parts of the city and some suburbs, though still remaining within the 270 Outerbelt. In some ways, these before and after photos are even more drastic than the first set.

Downtown

Front Street, looking north from Main Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Gay Street, looking west from Front Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Gay Street, looking northeast from Normandy Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

High Street, looking north at the Convention Center.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Nationwide Boulevard, looking north just east of Front Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Nationwide Boulevard, looking east from the Olentangy River.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Spring Street, looking northeast from Neil Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Spruce Street, looking south from 670.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Goodale Street, looking west from the 315 Exit.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Short North

High Street, looking south just north of 3rd Avenue.
Before: 2009

After: 2021

Weinland Park

High Street, looking north at 7th Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Italian Village

Detroit Avenue, looking east at Hamlet.
Before: 2009

After: 2019

4th Street, looking north from 4th Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

OSU Campus

Fred Taylor Drive, looking east at Defiance Drive.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

High Street, looking east at 15th Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Medical Center Drive, looking north at Old Cannon Drive.
Before: 2009

After: 2021

Olentangy River Road, looking west at J Edward Weaver Memorial Drive.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Milo-Grogan

Cleveland Avenue, looking north towards 5th Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

American Addition

Lee Avenue, looking south from 12th Avenue.
Before: 2009

After: 2019

Linden

Cleveland Avenue, looking north at Agler Road.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Easton

Worth Avenue, looking east from Fenlon Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Worth Avenue, looking east from Stelzer Road.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Franklinton

Souder Avenue, looking west just south of I-70.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Fifth by Northwest

Norton Avenue, looking north halfway between 3rd and 5th.
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Chesapeake Avenue, looking west.
Before: 2011

After: 2020

King-Lincoln

Long Street, looking west at I-71.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Long Street, looking northeast at Garfield Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Long Street, looking north just west of 21st Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

West Side

Georgesville Road, looking east south of Broad Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021



North Side

Wakeford Street, looking west from Olentangy River Road.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Ohio Health Parkway, looking north from Healthy Community Way.
Before: 2015

After: 2021

East North Broadway, looking north at 315.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Grandview Heights

Yard Street, looking north from just south of Burr Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2020

First Avenue, looking northeast at Edgehill Road.
Before: 2012

After: 2021

Dublin

Edwards Farms Drive, looking south at Frawley Drive.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Dale Drive, looking northwest north of Banker Drive.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

High Street, looking north from North Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

High Street, looking east at Rock Cress Parkway.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Upper Arlington

Riverside Drive, looking east just south of Bethel Road.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Bexley

Parkview Avenue, looking southwest just north of Main Street.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Main Street, looking northwest at Cassady Avenue.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

As I stated in the previous installment, these photos still just represent a small fraction of the development and changes that have occurred across the city and its suburbs in the past decade. These are meant to be representative of those changes, not to suggest that other neighborhoods not featured didn’t change as well. Either way, enjoy!

This 2-part before and after series highlights many projects that have changed the landscape around the city. Many other projects that will continue to transform the area for the next decade and beyond are still in development or construction phases. A list of local area commissions provide monthly updates on potential new projects around the city.



Before and After: How Columbus Changed in 10 Years

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How Columbus changed in 10 years

Part 2 is now available for more great before and after comparisons.

How Columbus has changed in 10 years is not always easily quantifiable. Columbus added more people in the past decade than during any previous similar period in its history. I’ve posted a lot about the 2020 Census data and updated many pages worth of information to the site. However, examining only population change through numbers is just one part of the story. How has that population growth manifested in terms of how the city appears in its built environment? This before and after look shows how the city has been transformed on a visual scale, and shows how some of the hottest neighborhoods have been radically altered in a short time.

Downtown
High Street, looking north from Rich Street
Before: 2011

After: 2021

High Street, looking north from Gay Street
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Long Street, looking east from 6th Street
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Neil Avenue, looking east at Broadbelt Lane
Before: 2011

After: 2021

The Short North
High Street, looking north from Milay Alley
Before: 2011

After: 2020

High Street, looking south from Buttles Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Fourth Street, looking east at Auden Avenue
Before: 2011

Before: 2021

Summit Street, looking west at 5th Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Perry Street, looking south at Quality Place
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Weinland Park
Grant Avenue, looking north from 7th Avenue
Before: 2012

After: 2021

Eighth Avenue, looking west from Section Alley
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Franklinton
Rich Street, looking east from McDowell Street
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Broad Street, looking west from the railroad tracks.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

South Side
Livingston Avenue, looking east at Parsons Avenue
Before: 2009

After: 2020

Washington Avenue, looking southeast from Innis Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Front Street, looking south at Whittier Street
Before: 2011

After: 2021



Campus
High Street, looking south from Lane Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2020

10th Avenue near Dodd Drive, looking northwest.
Before: 2011

After: 2021

High Street, looking south from 8th Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2021

West Side
Parsons Avenue, looking northeast from Chapel Street
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Champion Avenue, looking northwest at Phale D. Hale Drive
Before: 2011

After: 2021

17th Avenue, looking north from Gay Street
Before: 2011

After: 2020

Broad Street, looking northeast west of Woodland Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2021

Oak Street, looking east from Ohio Avenue
Before: 2011

After: 2021

These images represent just a small fraction of the development and changes that have occurred in and around the city, and don’t even include the large developments in suburban areas like Grandview Yard in Grandview or Bridge Park in Dublin. The next 10 years looks to be even more significant, with new mixed-use towers for Downtown, potential skyscrapers for Easton, and large numbers of infill development projects continuing in central neighborhoods from Franklinton to Linden to the South Side. With them, the city will continue to grow more dense and more vibrant and- with any luck- will also help spur much needed change to Columbus’ underwhelming transit system.

These Columbus development links show many of the projects seen in the photos, as well as projects that are still just in the proposal stages. The City provides a master list of area development commissions to keep track of the latest proposals.



Before and After Iuka Ravine

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Iuka Ravine, much like Glen Echo Ravine to its north, is a hidden gem in the heart of the city. Columbus isn’t exactly known for its interesting topography, so such features offer welcome variety from the otherwise endless flatness of Central Ohio. That the feature sits in the middle of the Campus area makes it even more special.

Iuka Ravine was named by Robert Neil when he returned home from the Civil War and built a home along it. Neil gave names to many local streets in the area, all based on his time in the Union Army and the places he had visited. He named the ravine after the Battle of Iuka, and Indianola Avenue was named after the location of that battle, Indianola, Mississippi.

The ravine went largely untouched until the early part of the 20th Century. Large homes sprung up along its edges beginning in the early 1900s, built to take advantage of the natural scenery. Iuka Avenue seems to have been built around 1905 given references for it don’t appear in any media before then. In 1912, Iuka Avenue was improved and the viaducts were built over the ravine at Indianola and Summit.

Before
before and after Iuka Ravine Columbus, Ohio
The before photo shows the Indianola viaduct over Iuka Avenue in 1916. Strangely enough, the ravine appears rather treeless, most likely due to construction of the viaducts and improvements 4 years prior to the time of the photo. A large building behind the bridge to the right was home to the Chi Phi fraternity at 2000 Indianola Avenue.

After

In the 2020 image, Iuka Ravine is now filled with trees- and, unfortunately, many cars- but otherwise remains remarkably untouched. Even the old Chi Phi house can still be seen peeking above the viaduct.

Over the years, Iuka has been threatened by development, but is now on the National Register of Historic Places. This popular running road and adjacent Iuka Park will likely continue to offer a bit of nature in the growing city for generations to come.

The Battle of Iuka was not a huge battle overall in comparison to other Civil War events, but over 400 soldiers still lost their lives during the fighting.




Cool Link: Air Quality Maps

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Air quality maps

Wondering whether the air in your city or state is up to par? With this link, you can zoom in to your area to check air quality maps that are based on a variety of pollution types. Not only that, but an archive is available for pollution levels on past dates.

Air Now Interactive Map

And if you’re interested in the air quality for places around the world, this link offers a great map of live conditions and measurements for most place on earth.

Air Quality World Map

Spring 2021 Weather Review

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Spring 2021 weather review

Today’s Spring 2021 weather review shows that the season represented a significant departure from other recent years in that it was drier than average. In fact, there were fewer measurable precipitation days during the season than any other spring since 1879. Snowfall was also well below normal aside from a rare late April event. Temperatures swung wildly, with highs generally well above normal and lows slightly below normal.

1991-2020 Spring Normals
Average High: 63.1
Average Low: 42.2
Mean: 52.7
Precipitation: 11.46″
Snowfall: 4.6″

2021 March-May
Average High: 65.2 9th Warmest
Average Low: 42.0 Tied for 29th Warmest
Mean: 53.6 +0.9 20th Warmest
Precipitation: 9.59″ 62nd Driest
Snowfall: 1.2″ Ties for 12th Least Snowiest
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.0″
Largest Snowstorm: 1.2″ on April 21st
# of 32 or Below Highs: 0 Tied for 1st Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 20 Tied for 12th Fewest
# of 80 or Above Highs: 14 Tied for 12th Most
# of 70 or Above Lows: 0 Tied for 1st Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 27 1st Fewest on Record
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 1 Tied for 2nd Fewest

Average High By Month
March 2021: 59.0 7th Warmest
April 2021: 64.4 Tied for 29th Warmest
May 2021: 72.1 Tied for 44th Coldest

Average Low By Month
March 2021: 34.7 27th Warmest
April 2021: 42.0 Tied for 35th Warmest
May 2021: 49.2 27th Coldest

Mean By Month
March 2021: 46.9 12th Warmest
April 2021: 53.2 Tied for 28th Warmest
May 2021: 60.6 Tied for 32nd Coldest

Precipitation By Month
March 2021: 2.85″ 54th Driest
April 2021: 3.28″ 60th Wettest
May 2021: 3.46″ 61st Driest

Snowfall By Month
March 2021: 0.0″ Tied for Least Snowy
April 2021: 1.2″ 14th Least Snowy
May 2021: 0.0″ Tied for Least Snowy- Only a handful of years have had a trace or more of snow in May.

Average Snow Depth By Month
March 2021: 0.0″
April 2021: 0.0″
May 2021: 0.0″



Maximum High By Month
March 2021: 75 on the 24th
April 2021: 83 on the 27th
May 2021: 91 on the 25th

Minimum High By Month
March 2021: 40 on the 15th
April 2021: 37 o the 1st
Mays 2021: 51 on the 9th

Maximum Low By Month
March 2021: 56 on the 11th
April 2021: 65 on the 28th
May 2021: 69 on the 24th

Maximum Low Records
-The 65 on April 28th tied the record for the date with 1914.

Minimum Low By Month
March 2021: 19 on the 5th
April 2021: 21 on the 2nd
May 2021: 34 on the 1st

Highest Daily Precipitation By Month
March 2021: 1.12″ on the 18th
April 2021: 1.88″ on the 29th
May 2021: 1.43″ on the 9th

Precipitation Records
-The 1.88″ on April 29th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.82″ set in 1996.
-The 1.43″ on May 9th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.12″ set in 1909.

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
March 2021: 0.0″
April 2021: 1.2″ on the 21st
May 2021: 0.0″

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
March 2021: 0.0″
April 2021: 1″ on the 21st
May 2021: 0.0″

For more spring records and local weather information, visit the following links.
Spring Season Records
Wilmington National Weather Service