The Center for Outdoor Living Design (COLD) is dedicated to improving livability in cold weather cities by inspiring artists, architects, and urban designers to creatively engage the built environment year-round.

Representations and design strategies in architecture and urban design are often dominated by idealized imagery from warmer seasons, marginalizing the unique opportunities that winter weather cities present. This absence of relevant examples and formative discourse demands a call to action. COLD curates a growing archive of compelling visions for cold climates intended to challenge common perceptions and kindle an appreciation of urban life in all seasons.

In 2013, COLD was launched through an international design competition, an outdoor public exhibition, and the book COLDSCAPES: Design Ideas for Winter Cities. The sixth volume of Kent State University's Urban Infill journal, COLDSCAPES features the winning submissions from the international competition and essays on critical issues for winter city design. The built and proposed projects encourage design professionals to address the needs of vulnerable populations in particular, recognizing that a climate-responsive city offers greater opportunities for social inclusion.

COLD is an initiative of Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) and made possible through the generous support of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, The Cleveland Foundation, and Ohio Arts & Culture.

Project Partners

COLD projects, publications, and competitions made possible through the generous support of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, The Cleveland Foundation, and Ohio Arts & Culture.