Cincinnati Skywalk

The Cincinnati Skywalk is a series of walkways, primarily indoors and elevated, which allows pedestrians to traverse downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

Built in segments starting in 1971, the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) skywalk was completed in 1997 at a total cost of more than $16 million. Since then, some city leaders have begun to see the skywalk as a barrier to economic development, as it may decrease street-level and sidewalk pedestrian traffic. Some segments of the skywalk have been removed and future demolitions are expected.

As of October 2017, the skywalk exists as two disconnected segments: one from W. 6th St. near Central Ave. to an area near E. 5th St. and Walnut St., and another from Government Place and Walnut St. to the area of E. 4th St. near Sycamore.

In 1957, Cincinnati Director of Planning Herbert W. Stevens introduced the idea of "elevated skywalks" as a way to keep pedestrians safe from cars driving through downtown. The concept developed further in the 1960s as part of an urban renewal effort, hoping to make downtown easier to navigate and enjoy at a time when indoor, climate-controlled suburban shopping malls were growing in popularity.

When the federal government agreed to provide urban renewal funds to help pay for the project, Cincinnati city's council decided to move forward with the skywalk. The first link opened in 1971, connecting the Cincinnati Convention Center to Fountain Square.

More segments were added through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It was officially finished in 1997 at a total cost of more than $16 million.

Cincinnati's "2002 Center City Plan" emphasized downtown economic development, and stated the Skywalk allowed pedestrians to bypass the street and led people to believe downtown was abandoned. The report stated that increasing street-level pedestrian traffic would increase economic activity downtown.

Safety and maintenance were also becoming a growing concern. As the skywalk was built, Cincinnati signed dozens of agreements with private property owners for upkeep, which made it confusing to determine who was responsible for making fixes and providing security.

In 2005, then-mayor Charlie Luken told the New York Times the Skywalk is "ugly" and the space underneath is "yucky".

In 2002, five years after it was considered complete, pieces of the skywalk started to come down. Crews tore out a segment connecting Riverfront Stadium to the Atrium I and II office buildings while configuring Fort Washington Way.

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